Critical care patients at Peterborough City Hospital to benefit from special rehab sessions
Patients who have been admitted to Peterborough City Hospital’s Critical Care Unit for a stay of more than four days can now benefit from special rehabilitation sessions to aid them in their recovery.
“We are one of the only sites in our region who offer this type of follow-up care for patients who’ve been admitted to a critical care unit,” says Cat Badham, critical care therapy lead and physiotherapist.
“Patients who are discharged home often have a long road to recovery ahead of them and they may be experiencing issues like muscle loss or weakness, low energy levels, musculoskeletal problems and respiratory issues.
“It can be extremely daunting to leave hospital and we wanted to extend their level of care and help them return to their normal lives as quickly as possible.”
The sessions run once a week at Peterborough City Hospital and are hosted by a respiratory physiotherapist with critical care knowledge and a therapy technician.
By improving a patient’s activity levels, a positive impact is shown not only on both the physical fitness and stamina of the individual but also their mental wellbeing having just endured the potentially traumatic experience of critical illness.