From October to December 2018 artists Claire Barclay and Laura Spring worked with Carey Moss and Kim McGovern at the Royal Infirmary. Carey and Kim are the only two activity coordinators at the hospital and cover wards 101, 104, 201, 202 and 203; some are stroke wards and some are medicine of the elderly wards. Since the patient profile on these wards varies, Claire and Laura had to come up with an activity that would work across all wards.

On the stroke wards patients may experience sensory and communication difficulties, problems reading, writing, and mobility issues as well as increased levels of tiredness and fatigue. On top of this hey are dealing with the emotional stress of having had a stroke. On the medicine of the elderly wards a large percentage of patients have dementia, which means we have to tailor activity to individuals who have memory loss, communication and language difficulties, impaired reasoning and judgment abilities as well as changes in visual perception.

Claire and Laura decided to try weaving exercises with the patients, as it was straightforward process with a high degree of repetition. This encouraged movement dexterity but also worked with dementia patients as the repetitive movements, over one, under one, became something all patients could process and understand.

Other news from the Royal Infirmary:

• The Value of Meaningful Activities | Arts Programme Jan – Mar 2019
• Working Together – Hospital Activities Programme Sep | Dec 2018
• Talking, Listening & learning – Hospital Activities Programme Jul – Sep 2018
• It’s Something You Said – Hospital Activities Programme Apr | Jun 2018
• Open Show 2018: Call for Submissions
• Ward Activities at the Royal Infirmary
• Exchanging Knowledge
• 2018 Open Show Call for Ideas
• Common Play: Making Things Happen
• Hooptacular!
• Moving Forward Looking Back
• The trick is to keep moving (forward)
• We will become like (a) family – Hospital Activities Programme Jan – Mar 2017
• January Ward Activities Programme
• Edinburgh & Lothians Health Foundation Art Collection
• November Ward Activities Programme
• October Ward Activities Programme
• A JOURNEY THROUGH PERFORMANCE
• 2016 HOSPITAL OPEN SHOW: MOVEMENT
• April Ward Activities
• March Ward Activities
• February Ward Activites
• January Ward Activities Programme
• December Ward Activities Programme
• Journeys Through Performance
• A Year Out | Pelican Gallery | Royal Infirmary
• November Ward Activities Programme
• October Ward Activities Programme
• September Ward Activities Programme
• August Ward Activities Programme