July 21, 2020Patients at Unit 3 Broadmeadows Hospital now have a custom built staircase, thanks to our volunteer fundraising.
The staircase was purchased for older patients to facilitate a safe and timely patient-centred discharge home.
“To ensure patients are able to go up and down the stairs outside of a hospital environment, it was necessary for them to practise on stairs like these,” explained Kenneth Koh, Physiotherapist.
Unit 3 patients are usually required to be transported from the unit down to the physiotherapy gym.
“The Unit 3 patients are elderly and often have cognitive impairment so they would greatly benefit from receiving their treatment in a quiet and familiar environment on the ward,” Kenneth said.
The Physiotherapy Department had already purchased a large platform step for patient rehabilitation, but the patients on Unit 3 required something purpose-built to meet the needs of an elderly person in the family home, and allow full assessment for discharge purposes.
“The Physiotherapy Department staff report that the patients are responding very well to the usage of these stairs. The patients are having their dignity preserved, and the minimisation in confusion and over stimulation caused by transporting them down to the gym has resulted in improved efficiency in therapy and maximisation in therapy time available,” he added.
Monica Polimeni, Volunteer Coordinator, said Northern Health volunteers are very committed to ensuring that patients and their families are assisted in anyway possible, during their hospital stay and discharge.
“Although our volunteers are currently not able to attend their volunteering roles due to COVID-19, they are continually looking at ways that they can be of assistance whilst offsite. We look forward to the day that they can return to assist with raising funds for Northern Health,” she said.
Northern Health Foundation matched the funding provided by the volunteers.
Featured Image: Patient, William Mounsey with Physiotherapist, Sarah Watts (Photo Credit: James Walker)
