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A healthcare for older people ward at Good Hope Hospital has been encouraging its patients to embark on a journey of physical activity and progress while staying in hospital.

To help celebrate the new ‘re-conditioning’ initiative, the team on Ward 15 held an afternoon tea party for patients, who were invited to get dressed in their own clothes and to sit out together for tea and cake. As well as getting patients physically moving from their beds, the event was a social activity and supported their nutrition and hydration – all key aspects in speeding up patient recovery and reducing hospital length of stay.

Julie Hunter, Hospital Director for Allied Health Professionals, said: “A patient in hospital tends to be much less active than normal. This inactivity can lead to ‘de-conditioning’, which causes people to lose fitness or muscle tone, especially through lack of exercise. It can also erode a person’s confidence undertaking simple things like walking due to an increased risk of falling.

“We want our patients to stay as active as possible and by increasing the activities on offer, we can help increase a patient’s range of movement and muscle strength.”

The reconditioning pilot will cascade from ward to ward to help promote the benefits of an Eat, Drink, Dress, Move strategy. This is a therapy-led, enabling approach to care, that supports patients to actively participate in their recovery.