A woman who spent precious final hours with her grandfather in hospital has praised a new initiative that lets families stay with patients who have dementia.

Zaria Sleith has thanked NHS Lanarkshire staff for making sure she was able to visit her granddad, Jimmy Sleith, round the clock in the days before he passed away.

Zaria was one of the first to benefit from Wishaw General Hospital’s participation in John’s Campaign, a ground-breaking national initiative that ensures patients with dementia can have their loved-ones at their bedside at all times.

Photography student Zaria, 28, who has produced a book of touching black and white images documenting her grandfather’s experiences of dementia, said: “Having John’s Campaign at the hospital was so important to me.”

Zaria, from Holytown, explained: “My Papa was receiving end-of-life care on ward 6 and the staff couldn’t have been more understanding. They all got to know who I was as I was able to be there outside regular visiting hours.

“That meant I was there the day before my Papa lost his ability to speak, allowing us a final conversation. I was able to go in at mealtimes, meaning I was there to give him his last ever ice-cream – a favourite treat.

“He loved cuddles and we would snuggle up in bed for a sleep. I’d hear the nurses look in and say ‘Just leave them’. Moments like that meant a lot.”

Jimmy, from Carfin, a well-travelled Royal Navy man, sadly passed away in February at the age of 88.

Zaria said: “I was there to hold him at the end, which was very important to me.

“I think John’s Campaign is a fantastic idea as it gives great comfort to patients and their families and carers that they can be close to each other as much as possible during a hospital stay.”

Her book of photos, entitled Please Don’t Forget, was a project for her photography HND course at New College Lanarkshire.

She said: “It documents about 18 weeks in my Papa’s life coping with dementia, in and out of hospital. If even one person reads it and it makes a difference to their understanding of dementia, it will have been well worth it. I hope to set up a website to make it available for people to buy.”

Lorraine Finnigan, coordinator for carers at Wishaw General, supported Zaria through the difficult time before her grandfather passed away.

Lorraine said: “John’s Campaign is of real benefit to carers and family members like Zaria because it means they can come and go when convenient and help their loved-ones have the best possible experience during their hospital stay.”

Gillian Corbett, chief of nursing services at Wishaw General, said: “It’s wonderful for the staff to hear that Zaria and her grandfather benefited so much from our introduction of John’s Campaign.

“We’re delighted to be supporting its aims because we recognise the vital role relatives and carers have in helping us to offer person-centred care that is safe and effective.

“It can be of great comfort to patients with dementia to have people they know around them while in hospital. The only time carers or relatives may be asked to temporarily leave the ward would be to allow us to carry out clinical tasks. Other than this there are no restrictions.”