New partnership launches to keep stroke patients in East Sussex active and help their recovery

East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust and Active Sussex have joined forces to keep stroke patients moving to improve their health while at hospital and when they go home.

The project will see Active Sussex health instructors, provided by 20/20 Health and supported by Active Rother, work alongside East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust physiotherapists and support workers to support patient stroke rehabilitation at the Bexhill Irvine Unit.

It is hoped the project, which runs until December this year, will stop the patients from deconditioning – something that happens when people lose muscle mass due to long periods of physical inactivity, such as being in a hospital bed.

Research shows deconditioning contributes to delayed discharge in more than 47 per cent of older patients, with many older patients who were walking independently two weeks before admission needing help to walk when they left the hospital.

Karen Poole, Allied Health Professional Rehabilitation Consultant at East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust, said: “Older people who are hospitalised are at significant risk of deconditioning, which can make returning to their previous lifestyle more challenging.

“This unique project will test out the impact of delivering additional activity sessions in an inpatient unit to reduce the risk of harm from deconditioning and enhance the opportunity for older people to participate in activity sessions on returning home. 

“This project uses a novel workforce of community exercise instructors working alongside healthcare staff in the Irvine unit and will follow the person through their inpatient stay and into the community.

“Through the community activity group offer we hope to build on and sustain that engagement in building long-term activity habits for older people.”

Active Sussex are the strategic lead in increasing physical activity for people across Sussex.

Ross Joannides, the strategic relationship manager for older people at Active Sussex, said: “Active Sussex is extremely excited to be involved in a pilot that will see the NHS, local authority and the voluntary sector working in partnership to support those at risk of deconditioning in the hospital setting.

“Health instructors will work alongside physiotherapists and other healthcare staff to support patients’ recovery and the transition into appropriate community settings where they can continue their rehabilitation.

“At the heart of this is the patient who will be consulted throughout their pathway to recovery.

“There is a desire through this project to change the way the system addresses deconditioning in older people with long-term health conditions in hospital settings across Sussex.

“It’s also a fantastic opportunity to show the impact of real co-design and collaboration between local NHS services and its partners to achieve greater health outcomes for local residents.”

Recovering from a stroke is often a long and complicated process that requires support from a range of clinical and therapeutic staff.

Research indicates patients spend up to 83 per cent of their time in bed, and 12 per cent in a chair.

This project will focus specifically on the challenges posed by deconditioning in hospital, helping patients to spend time out of bed and increase their physical activity by encouraging participation in exercise groups.

After the patients’ stay at the rehabilitation unit, the health instructors will then continue to work with the patients’ in their own homes after they have been discharged, encouraging them to build the habit of staying active as part of their ongoing recovery from their stroke and helping them to get involved in physical activities in their local area on a long-term basis.