Bogus bus stop put in at care home for elderly

A FAKE bus stop has been installed at a Yorkshire care home for the elderly, in a bid to help those suffering from dementia.

The bus stop has been placed in a secure courtyard at the Roman Court Elderly Mentally Infirm (EMI) care centre in Mexborough, South Yorkshire.

It is an exact replica of an ordinary South Yorkshire bus stop, the only difference being that buses never stop there.

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A spokesman for the South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive (SYPTE), which put in the stop free of charge, said the idea for installing it came after residents at the care home became disorientated, believing they had to “go home, to work, or to pick up their children from school by catching a bus.”

They added: “Managers at Roman Court, keen to help their residents, joined forces with SYPTE, which supplied and installed the bus stop free of charge.”

Linda Howarth, nursing manager at Roman Court, said yesterday that the new bus stop can act as a signpost to those with dementia and stop them from wandering too far away.

She said: “Residents living with dementia can become disorientated at times due to the deterioration of their short-term memory, but because their long-term memory is still active they are aware that the blue bus stop sign is a means to get them where they need to go.

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“The idea is that during periods of confusion they are able to wait at the bus stop in the safety of our grounds.

“We will approach them and say that the bus is coming later and invite them in for a coffee.

“It prevents residents from walking too far and putting themselves at risk.”

Ms Howarth added: “The bus stop will have a positive effect for many of our residents at Roman Court, and hopefully help to improve their quality of life.

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“We would like to thank SYPTE for their kind donation of the stop.”

The concept of the fake bus stop was first used four years ago at the Benrath Senior Centre in Düsseldorf, Germany, following research into dementia.

The idea emerged after the German centre was forced to rely on police to bring back patients who wanted to return to their homes and families but had forgotten that, in many cases, neither any longer existed.

Benrath’s director Richard Neureither said at the time: “We will approach them and say that the bus is coming later today.

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“Five minutes later they have completely forgotten they wanted to leave.”

The concept proved so popular that it was extended first across Germany and then worldwide.

Fake bus stops have already been used in the UK, at care homes including the Cleveland View Care Centre, in Middlesbrough.

David Brown, director general at SYPTE, said: “A request for a bus stop to nowhere is very different to those that we normally deal with but we were delighted to be able to help.

“We hope the presence of the stop goes some way to helping the residents cope better with their symptoms and improve their quality of life.”