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, part of Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust, 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.”