The first cohort of stress and distress comfort champions graduated this month, celebrating a ground-breaking approach that supports staff who are looking after patients experiencing distress with dementia.
A total of 19 comfort champions who all work in dementia care settings, graduated from 14 wards across a number of NHS Lanarkshire sites.
The ceremony took place at the Ronald Miller Suite at University Hospital Wishaw and was attended by NHS Lanarkshire Executive Nurse Director Eddie Docherty, who presented graduates with their certificates.
Dr Susan Ross, Consultant Clinical Psychologist and Jane Mimnaugh, Dementia Nurse Consultant, facilitated and led the group over eight weeks.
The sessions explored key topics like understanding distress and proactive prevention as well as dementia-focused, person-centred responsive care when needed. An important part of this approach is recognising the stress staff experience when caring for distressed patients, ensuring appropriate support and escalation processes are in place.
Dr Ross said: “The last few weeks have been an incredibly rewarding journey and I’m delighted we are able to celebrate our comfort champions today.
“There has been a real sense of commitment, pride, ownership and creative drive throughout these sessions.
“Discussions have been rich and reflective with staff reporting a significant change in practice already, particularly in terms of less reactivity, slowing down to tune into what lies behind the behaviour they see, getting to know their patients and putting little nuggets of information gathered into realistic and high impact care plans.
“We are adopting a human approach to understanding reasons for a patient’s distress rather than focusing on the perceived challenges of behaviours. We are already seeing significant change and improvements via feedback from staff, patients and families.”
Jane added: “I can’t believe the journey we have been on the past eight weeks. This journey started over a year ago when we identified the need to support our staff who are looking after patients experiencing distress with dementia.
“I’d like to thank all our champions for their dedication and commitment. We plan to take this forward and enrol more staff on the champion programme, building a network together.”
One of the comfort champions, Sarah Musleh, a Clinical Support Worker, care of the elderly ward 14 at University Hospital Hairmyres, said: “I have a lot of experience in dementia care and I’ve seen how vital it is to treat each patient as an individual.
“Using tools like the ‘Getting To Know Me’ document, filled out by families, helps us understand each patient’s likes and interests, whether it’s football or jazz, creating meaningful moments that ease anxiety and build connection.
“Engaging with patients through activities they enjoy helps to make our care more personal and comforts patients.
“Su and Jane’s passion for this approach has made the course extremely enjoyably and educational.”
Fellow champion, Shelly Bishop, a clinical support worker in ward 12 at University Hospital Wishaw, said: “I have a passion for working with dementia patients and this course has been both informative and helpful.
“By learning each patient’s background — their likes, dislikes, family, and work history — I can connect with them more effectively, often by speaking with their relatives to understand them better.
“Daily safety briefs help the team prepare for any challenges, ensuring we’re aligned in supporting our patients. We’ve also shifted our terminology, using words like ‘distressed’ instead of ‘kicking off’ and ‘exploring their environment’ instead of ‘wandering’. Changing the terminology and language also helps reassure family members.”
Eddie Docherty added: “I’m delighted to be here celebrating this initiative and the inspiring commitment to care shown today — for individual staff, each other, and their patients. These champions are at the forefront of a culture shift, leading changes that ensure every patient receives the right care.
“This work is cutting edge and I’m excited to see this move forward at pace and at scale. I’d like to thank everyone involved for their dedication and outstanding efforts.”
