Dementia friendly radio programme looking for new volunteers

Roch Valley Radio

Being in the hospital can be a daunting thing for anybody, however, what is it like for those that have Dementia or Alzheimers?

Living with this whilst being in a hospital can bring additional stress and confusion to the individual.

Roch Valley Radio, the hospital radio station at Fairfield Hospital, is working with the Bury and Rochdale Care Organisation on providing a ‘Dementia Friendly Breakfast Show’ whereby each morning the station plays music that is tailored to the patients on the wards that may suffer from dementia, targeting music from their childhood, past memories and such.

A spokesperson said: "The radio can entertain, engage and reduce the feeling of isolation for some patients. It can do this for any of us, but for the patient with dementia, it can provide a precious link to a world of music.

"To make this happen, we’re looking for volunteers to join the radio stations team at Fairfield, you don’t need to have a background in technology or music, we’re just looking for volunteers that can communicate and are compassionate when visiting and speaking to patients. This will help us gather relevant music requests and raise awareness on the wards.

"Each volunteer will receive the relevant training including receiving the training to become a 'dementia friend' to help carry out the role.

 "We are looking for anyone that has a couple of hours each week, ideally early mornings, but afternoons and evenings are fine too."

Email the volunteering team at:

volunteer@rochvalleyradio.org.uk