Get up, get dressed, get moving.
Cardiff and Vale UHB is committed to helping our patients to remain as active and independent as possible during their stay in our hospitals.
From April 2018, we pledged our support to the nationwide #endPJparalysis campaign.
The nationwide 70 day, 1 million patient day #EndPJparalysis challenge runs from 17 April 2018 – 26 June 2018 as part of the NHS 70th birthday and compliments our own ‘Get up, Get dressed, Get moving’ campaign.
The name of the campaign refers to the fact that once admitted to hospital, many patients resign themselves to simply staying in bed, in their pyjamas, for the duration of their stay.
However, research shows that bed rest is not a good way to recover from many illnesses or injuries and may actually increase recovery times.
Staying in bed can and not moving can actually contribute to a number of other problems.
- It can affect breathing
- It causes skin to break down and become sore
- It causes muscles to lose strength, causing increased fatigue
- Patients lose independence in personal care like washing and dressing themselves
- Patients become unable to digest food properly causing gastrointestinal problems
- It can cause confusion and a loss of self-confidence, which could result in a low mood
These risks are exacerbated in older patients as those over 80 lose up to 10% of their muscle mass in just 10 days. This equates to their muscles ageing by about 10 years.
Further, up to 50% of patients can become incontinent within 24 hours of admission and fewer than 50% of patients recover to preadmission levels within 1 year.
Some of the benefits of staying active in hospital include:
- Better breathing
- More able to fight infection
- Better appetite
- Better sleep
- Better mood
- Reduced risk of bed sores
- Reduced weakness and fatigue
- Reduced dizziness and confusion
- Reduced risk of falls
Get Up
Stay out of bed in the daytime, as you would at home
Sitting up as much as possible while in hospital improves swallowing, digestion, breathing and communication skills!
Get Dressed
Change from your pyjamas into your clothes during the day, as you would at home.
If you, or a loved one, are going into hospital make sure that you take day clothes (not just PJs), sturdy footwear (not just slippers) and anything else you may need to stay active such as walking aids, hearing aids, or glasses etc.
Get Moving
Try and walk at least every hour. When sitting, move your arms and legs regularly
It only takes 19 minutes of exercise a day while in hospital to improve mobility, improve recovery times and improve quality of life.
