DIGNITY for dementia sufferers is everything.

This is the view of Trudi Ellis, a matron who specialises in nursing those with the distressing condition at Royal Bournemouth Hospital.

Around 40 per cent of patients staying in the hospital’s wards for the elderly experience, in varying degrees, some sort of confusion – and Ms Ellis says a leaflet containing information about everything from personal habits to family history, food preferences and much more can help significantly.

Ms Ellis says the ‘This is Me” document, produced by the Royal College of Nursing and Alzheimer’s Society, is something everybody should complete in the event they are at some point admitted to hospital.

“If somebody is calling out for a particular person we can look at this leaflet and see if it is their wife or daughter or son – and it allows us to engage them in meaningful conversation, which is much more dignified for them,” she adds.

“It can give us information about somebody’s sleep habits and past jobs.

“For example, someone may have been a farmer and therefore used to getting up very early in the morning.

“We need to be able to recognise that if they are getting up at four in the morning, us saying ‘it’s night time, so please go back to bed’ is not going to be very helpful.”

Ms Ellis suggests downloading the document from alzheimers.org.uk/thisisme and completing with a relative before ensuring a loved one knows where it is kept in case it is needed.