How to provide three hours of stroke rehab without extra staff pressure
Updated guidelines for England and Wales call for stroke patients to receive additional rehabilitation.
Rehabilitation plays a crucial role in helping stroke patients regain their independence, improve their quality of life, and reduce the risk of further complications. By offering extra rehabilitation services, the NHS can ensure stroke survivors receive the necessary support to recover and adapt to their new circumstances.
The updated guidelines, from the previous 45 minutes per day to the new three-hour total, reflect a growing understanding of the long-term impact of strokes and emphasise the need for ongoing rehabilitation beyond initial treatment. The apparent problems NHS organisations face include staffing, time resources and keeping patients engaged longer.
The guidelines say that people who have had a stroke should be offered needs-based rehabilitation for at least 3 hours a day on at least five days a week, covering a range of multidisciplinary therapy, including physiotherapy, occupational therapy and speech and language therapy.
Fortunately, in partnership with the Royal Bolton Hospital Stroke Department and manufacturer partner Clevertouch, we have provided an innovation that makes rehabilitation enjoyable and engaging, with visible results.
Gateshead Health NHS Foundation Trust
The Physical and Cognitive Interactive Rehab Board (PCIRB) is a single solution that enables multiple assessments to be completed in one activity, i.e. mobility, communication and cognitive assessments. It can also free up rehabilitation hospital beds faster and provide a 25% cost reduction compared to less advanced and unsupported systems.
A PCIRB builds relationships between the clinician and patient while getting the patient back to fitness and improving cognitive ability. It can be used with multiple users, either as a tabletop or as a standard display, and enables rehabilitation for more people simultaneously and builds on social interactions with others.
Cathrine White, from the Royal Bolton Hospital, said, “It’s a nice change for patients to be working on balance as well as cognitive rehabilitation. We split activities to build tolerance at standing for longer. We’ve also seen a massive improvement in patients’ mood when they’re using the board”.
By using additional resources for rehabilitation, healthcare professionals can help patients overcome physical challenges, regain mobility, and enhance their overall well-being, all while reducing the number of hours they spend providing the rehabilitation.
If you’d like a demo of the PCIRB, please fill out the form on this page here.
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