Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has introduced a new rehabilitation concept to improve the recovery of patients who have had a stroke.
The Open Gym, which is based on research from Australia, means that patients who have had a stroke can attend the gym in the Swindon Intermediate Care Centre at any time of day.
Previously, patients would have to wait to be taken for treatment by members of staff.
The Open Gym is already encouraging patients to spend more time practising their exercises and allows staff to supervise more than one patient at a time.
This has helped to increase the amount of time that patients are receiving with therapists, with patients now spending on average 85 minutes per day with therapists, while some patients spend up to three hours exercising.
As consistent rehabilitation is key to recovery, it is hoped that this new approach will help patients to leave hospital sooner and continue rehabilitation in their own homes.
Exercising alongside fellow patients also benefits mental health, with many patients opting to practice their exercises in this more social environment.
The foundation trust sees rehabilitation as an important part of its care as an integrated provider, as patients move through the hospital and back into the community, receiving care from different teams throughout their journey.
Alex Christiansen, Therapy Team Lead on Forest Ward, said: “The reason we changed to an Open Gym is to increase the number of patients we can get into the gym, but also increase the amount of time patients are exercising during the day.
He said: “When they showed me the gym and I came down here with the staff, I was blown away. I’m still doing exercises and remembering what they said.”
A video about the gym can be viewed here.
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