The families of people who are receiving hospital care this winter are being reminded of the simple steps which they can take to help their loved one to recover – and return home more quickly.
East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust (ESNEFT), which runs Colchester and Ipswich hospitals, is asking relatives to remember the small things they could do which could make a big difference to patients. They include:
- Bringing in clothing, shoes and toiletries and encouraging the patient to get out of bed, wash and get dressed.
- Making sure patients have any continence aids they are used to using so they feel confident, comfortable and dignified.
- Bringing in their favourite nutritional snacks to help boost their recovery.
- Helping to beat boredom while keeping their mind active by bringing in books, puzzles and games.
- Completing a ‘This is Me’ document for patients with a cognitive impairment to give hospital teams the information they need to provide personalised care.
The call comes in response to national statistics, which show that:
- Every 10-day hospital stay can cause 10 years’ worth of muscle aging in patients aged 80 or more (www.england.nhs.uk/blog/amit-arora).
- Patients can lose 2 to 5% of their muscle power within 24 hours of admission, and 10% within a week. This takes twice as long to recover as it does to lose. (“Avoiding Deconditioning” – Amit Arora and Brian Dolan OBE)
- 17% of older medical patients who were walking independently two weeks before coming into hospital need help to walk on discharge (Brian Dolan OBE).
- Up to 65% of older people experience decline in function during hospitalisation and end up prematurely in a care home due to deconditioning (British Geriatrics Society 2017).
Joshua Poole, who is a qualified physiotherapist as well as transformation lead at ESNEFT, said: “We are asking relatives to help their loved ones recover more quickly by supporting them stay as close to their usual routine as possible when they come into hospital.
“This includes getting up and dressed, helping to keep their minds and bodies active and encouraging them to do as much as they can for themselves, such as walking to the toilet where possible and eating their meals sitting in a chair.
“Although these things may sound simple, they really can make a big difference by helping patients recover and get home more quickly, while also increasing their chance of remaining independent and enjoying a good quality of life after their discharge.”
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