The ‘Let’s Get Moving’ initiative promotes movement among older patients to ensure they remain active, independent and mobile.
Remaining active, by moving around and taking part in normal tasks as you would at home, is hugely important. While in hospital, frail and older patients can quickly experience physical and mental decline in a hospital bed, losing up to 10% of muscle strength in the first seven days of admission.
Keeping active, like encouraging patients to keep their arms and legs moving in bed or chair, not only improves how patients feel but it can prevent falls and reduces the length of stay in hospital, meaning patients get home faster.
‘Let’s Get Moving’was implemented as part of the Emergency Care Improvement Support Team’s (ECIST) National Reconditioning Games in November 2022 and is now part of everyday life at the hospital.
Karon Strong, Head of Nursing for the Division of Medicine and lead facilitator behind the initiative, said: “I am so proud of all of our teams across the Trust who have got behind this important campaign.
“Colleagues from across the Trust have united with a clear purpose and are motivated to share innovative ideas and embrace new methods of working. Patients and relatives have been crucial in developing ideas for ward-based activities that we now see our patients enjoying most days including bingo, painting, drawing, crosswords and music therapy.”
Hospital Governor Betty Lewis said: “Being in hospital can be really difficult for some patients, especially as we get older, but keeping active and mobile is so important – it gives patients independence and means they can get home to their families much quicker.”
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