Older Patients at Redland Hospital are benefiting from the Eat Walk and Engage program, which has been supported by the Redland Hospital Fund.
The program involves facilitators working with ward based multi-disciplinary teams, toward a common goal of improving care for older people and receives referrals from teams to multi-professional assistants who can provide some direct support. The Eat Walk Engage program is based on research that shows a focus on three key areas of nutrition/hydration, early movement and social and cognitive engagement for patients who are 65 plus or 45 plus for First Nations, can reduce the risk of issues such as Delirium that can arise as a result of hospitalization.
“It started with initiatives at the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital where they ended up looking at research that if we focus on nutrition, and hydration, that's the EAT element, early movement, including bed mobility through to walking, is the WALK element and engage which is meaningful social and cognitive engagement, can prevent Delirium” Facilitator and physiotherapist Vanessa Bell explained.
“It helps protect patients who at risk, and those most vulnerable, including those over 65, often with cognitive change. It this patient group who are at higher risk of delirium and other negative hospital acquired complications such as falls, pressure injuries, functional decline and hospital acquired incontinence.”
The Eat Walk Engage program is not only of great benefit to patients – it can make the delivery of healthcare easier for staff if patients sensory needs are met, and this may reduce frustration in day-to-day tasks.
“The program can help improve the experience for a person with a cognitive impairment in their hospital journey. It may help the support the person in their interaction with the treating team and staff,” Vanessa said.
“Secondarily we want to keep patients active, eating well and not deteriorating socially or cognitively during their hospital stay,” fellow facilitator and Clinical Nurse Emma Young added.
Where donors to the Redland Hospital Fund have been able to support the program and the patients at Redlands by providing funding for resources for the engagement element of the program. The Fund provided for additional resources including dementia-friendly puzzles, games, radios and DVD and CD players, radios and more.
Both facilitators agreed that the generosity from the Redland Hospital Fund and its donors is impactful because the funding fills a gap in providing useful resources. The delivery of Eat Walk Engage, which is also in place at other Hospitals across Brisbane and Queensland also benefit from donated resources. Due to the programs focus on the reduction of hospital related complications, these donated resources also benefit the wards in delivering improved patient focused care.
“The funding for Eat Walk Engage programs covers program staffing – leaving resources for engagement an area where Redland Hospital Fund donations have helped. It allows the assistants to tailor engagement resources to patient’s preferences. Our assistants really do a nice job of tailoring engagement assistance to patients referred to them. This is their strength point. They are skilled at finding out what patient preferences are, and trying to work with the person to tailor activities to their needs.
“It really makes a difference for our patients, and we also try and keep a patient central voice with what we do. It's really important we keep focusing back on keeping the older person central in our care. This type of funding can make a real positive difference to someone's hospital stay,” Emma said.
