Swindon’s Great Western Hospital (GWH) has taken a significant leap in stroke rehabilitation by launching an ‘open gym’ for patients recovering from a stroke. This innovative concept, inspired by research from Australia, allows stroke patients to access the gym in the Swindon Intermediate Care Centre at any time of the day, eliminating the need to wait for staff-assisted treatment sessions.
The Open Gym is already proving to be a game-changer, encouraging patients to spend more time practising their exercises and enabling staff to supervise multiple patients simultaneously. This new approach has increased the average time patients spend with therapists to 85 minutes per day, with some even dedicating up to three hours to exercise.
Consistent rehabilitation is crucial for stroke recovery, and this initiative is expected to expedite patients’ discharge from the hospital and facilitate continued rehabilitation at home. Moreover, exercising in a social environment alongside fellow patients has shown to have a positive impact on mental health.
A spokesperson from the hospital emphasised the importance of rehabilitation in their integrated care approach, stating, “As patients move through the hospital and back into the community, they receive care from different teams throughout their journey.”
Alex Christiansen, the therapy team lead on Forest Ward, explained the rationale behind the Open Gym, “The idea is they practice their exercise more, and get more repetitions in, which hopefully will improve their recovery and make their recovery better in six months’ time.”
Patients have welcomed this initiative with open arms. Richard Parmenter, a stroke patient and one of the first users of the Open Gym, shared his positive experience, “When they showed me the gym and I came down here with the staff, I was blown away… I’m still remembering what they said.”
This innovative approach by Swindon’s GWH Hospital is a testament to their commitment to improving patient care and recovery, setting a new standard in stroke rehabilitation.
Image: Great Western Hospital
