Last Modified: 12:28pm 24/07/2023

Meaningful Activities

MKUH is fortunate to have our own Meaningful Activities Facilitator, one of the only two Trusts in the country to have this role. Helen’s post sits within the Patient & Family Engagement Team and is currently fully funded by Milton Keynes Hospital Charity. Her aim is to enrich the experience for any adult inpatient who is feeling low in mood, having difficulty being in hospital, or needs some encouragement to support their wellbeing.

Helen worked at MKUH as a healthcare assistant for 6 years before returning to education to complete a degree in Creative Expressive Art, Health & Wellbeing.

Helen works with patients of all kinds, especially those with a dementia diagnosis, or struggling with their wellbeing due to a lengthy hospital stay. She works on all adult inpatient wards, offering a range of activities, from painting and clay work, creative group activities, to one-on-one emotional support.

After nearly 2 years in post, she has had many positive reports on the difference the activities have made to patients.

“I would recommend [Meaningful Activities] as it put me at ease in a stressful environment, and it helped me get through the tough times, as I was learning new things such as different techniques, strokes, and patterns in water colour painting. This made the time go faster when I was in hospital and I have found another hobby that I did not realise I would have enjoyed. Thank you, Helen.”

Hospital staff have also recognised the importance of what the Meaningful Activities Facilitator role can offer, with one staff member saying, “a hospital setting takes people away from their environments, routines, and usual occupations which help support their mental, physical, and spiritual wellbeing. I believe Helen’s role of Meaningful Activities Facilitator can help promote some (if not all) of these things and provide some normality to patients during their time in hospital.”

Meaningful Activities volunteers have also started at the Trust. Helen supports these volunteers to further spread the soft touch activities and companionship that can be offered through these.

Communication & Activity boxes on all adult in-patient wards filled with a mixture of wellbeing and creative activities for staff to offer to their patients.

For more information on Meaningful Activities referrals, please speak to ward staff.