Dementia-friendly tea parties are making hospital feel a little more like home.

Dementia-friendly tea parties have become a monthly staple on ward B47, and we’re delighted to have renewed the grant for another year. These events not only benefit patients and their families but also give staff innovative ways to support patients with eating and drinking. Find out more about these monthly tea-parties....

On a ward where hospital routines can sometimes feel overwhelming, the sound of gentle chatter, familiar music and the clink of teacups is bringing a little bit of normality back to patients and their families. 

Once a month, part of ward B47, at Queens Medical Centre is transformed, as the Speech and Language Therapy team hosts a dementia-friendly tea party. The tables are laid with flowers and cloths, cake stands are filled with treats, and proper cups are set out. For a short while, the ward feels less like a hospital and more like a familiar, welcoming café.

Thanks to a grant of just £500, these monthly gatherings will continue for another year. They may look like an afternoon tea, but there is much more happening beneath the surface. 

For patients living with dementia, mealtimes can often be challenging in a busy hospital environment. That is why the Speech and Language Therapy team carefully tailors food and drink so that people with different swallowing needs can be included safely. Using research-based strategies alongside adapted menus, the team ensures that everyone can join in and enjoy the experience. 

Most importantly, the sessions create a relaxed and sociable setting where conversation flows, families can spend quality time together, and patients feel supported while eating and drinking.

Jane Stockwell, Speech and Language Therapist, explained: “The Speech and Language Therapy team enhance the experience of patients with dementia by leading regular tea parties on B47, which provide a relaxed environment to encourage eating and drinking. 

"Research-based strategies are utilised, and modified food and drink are provided to ensure accessibility to all.”

The tea parties are a welcome surprise on the wards for patients and families too. One patient shared:

“I couldn’t believe I was in hospital with the lovely spread. What a lovely gesture, it was most enjoyable.”

A relative described their surprise when visiting their mum: 

“I visited my mum on B47 and there was a lovely tea party with cake stands, proper cups, flowers and a tablecloth. What a fabulous idea!”

Another visitor noticed how the tea parties bring people together:

“A lovely idea: everyone arrived quietly, then soon were talking and enjoying tea together.”

These monthly tea parties create a sense of familiarity, encourage social connection and provide a calm environment where patients and families can share special moments together. 

With food and drink adapted to meet different needs, everyone is included and no one is left out.

Thanks to generous supporters, we can bring projects like this to life. Your donation helps us continue funding innovative work across Nottingham’s NHS hospitals that benefits patients and their loved ones.