Helping patients stay active is reducing time spent in hospital
Hospital patients are being encouraged to keep active and maintain their independence, helping improve their recovery times.
Activities, including bingo, cycling, football, board games, visits from a barber and hairdresser, musical entertainment, as well as therapy dog visits, have all been used to help boost patients as part of ‘Be Active at Broomfield’ at Broomfield Hospital.
It’s all part of an effort to stop the physical, psychological, and functional decline that can happen when someone has been in a hospital bed for a long time.
Suzie Hoare, Deputy Director of Nursing at Broomfield Hospital explained the importance of tackling such a decline, which is known as deconditioning.
She said: “It's essential that we encourage all our patients to 'sit up, get up, and move' as part of their basic care to help them recover faster, shorten hospital stays, and improve overall patient experiences.
“Older patients and long-term hospital stays put individuals at particular risk of deconditioning, and in some cases, it can lead to extended stays and the need for additional care after they’ve been discharged.”
One patient who has already benefitted from the range of activities is Carla Huggins, a patient on Tollesbury Ward, who shared her positive experience of how the hospital is not just maintaining physical activity, but also providing patients with meaningful experiences that improve their mental well-being.
Carla, from Braintree, said: “My hair is now so much more manageable since the visit by the hairdresser – it was lovely to have that done. I also got to see the children’s choir perform – they were so talented.
“It means a lot to have something a bit different going on while I’m here. I’ve been so well looked after, and all the staff have been great."
Building on that initial success, each ward at Broomfield Hospital has nominated a ‘preventing deconditioning champion’, who will receive training in the new year on how to maximise working with nursing, medical and therapy teams to promote patient independence and keep people active.
It’s also something the Trust is looking to roll out across the other main hospital sites in Southend and Basildon.