BOLTON’S hospital is taking a step back in time to help patients with dementia.

Over the next month the Royal Bolton Hospital will be testing out dementia friendly pods.

The Reminiscence Pods have pop-up walls which can feature backgrounds of anything from a 1960s living room, to a vintage pub, shop or dance hall.

Each one includes memorabilia such as an old fashioned TV and radio, furniture and games, and is designed to comfort and reassure patients upset by unfamiliar surroundings on the ward.

The trial is part of our campaign to make the hospital dementia-friendly.

Our Donate £1 for Dementia campaign has been launched with the hospital to raise £200,000.

Trust secretary Esther Steel said: “The beauty of the pods is the fact they are portable. You can have them on any ward.

“We want the whole hospital to be dementia friendly as soon possible and something we can share department to department will be really good.

“We recognise how beneficial it is to have somewhere that patients can sit, have a cup of tea and reminisce with family.

“For us this is a completely new thing. We have got it on loan so will try it out and see how it goes.”

The pods are on loan to the hospital for at least four weeks and will feature in a film being made to encourage people to back the Donate £1 for Dementia appeal.

Families, schools, businesses and groups across Bolton are being urged to donate at least £1 to the appeal.

Fundraisers can get involved with the campaign on social media by sharing a ‘pound selfie’ of themselves holding a £1 coin using the hashtag #D14D.