International Day for Older Persons – Deconditioning project

The hospital is working hard to reduce the risk of patient ‘deconditioning’ – that is, when people start to decline physically, psychologically and functionally during a hospital stay. Statistics show that the longer a patient stays inactive in bed, the more they are at risk of deconditioning. In fact, ten days of bed rest in hospital in people over 80 leads to the equivalent of ten years ageing in muscles. 

Over the week of 30 September to 3 October, Marcus Dearns, the hospital’s Practice Educator (Deconditioning) and his colleagues, are running afternoon ward activities such as quizzes, exercise, reminiscence and conversation groups. They are also planning to have a guest singer/guitarist and making a staff and patient video about the dangers of deconditioning. 

The ‘deconditioning cycle’ puts patients at increased risk of falls due to muscle weakness, increased confusion, decreased appetite and poor digestion. To combat deconditioning, the hospital has a staff training programme in place informed by best practice evidence, developed in association with expert trainers from Later Life Training and on their ‘Care to Move’ training.

Bex Townley, Director and Tutor of Later Life Training, confirms the importance of combating sedentary behaviour by changing attitudes towards moving more.

“Later Life Training’s ‘Care to Move’ training delivers a whole workforce approach. It’s not about exercise; it’s about making ‘moving more’ relevant for everyone through skilled conversations focused on what individuals want and need to achieve. An increased capacity to move enables more people, no matter their age, to continue to do the things they enjoy.’

Marcus said: “Getting moving early in your hospital stay is really important for your overall health. For every day that a patient spends in bed they lose 2-5% of their muscle strength. Over even a few days this could be the difference between them being able to get out of a chair/bed or not, and on discharge the long-term effects can potentially be irreversible.

“This deconditioning happens when patients are less active than they would be at home and it affects the whole body. Staying active can help you stay physically strong but also help your mood, keep your brain well and reduce your likelihood of falling when you get home.”

Simple movements can be added to patients’ days that can reduce inactive time. Even sitting up tall and straight in a chair, called ‘an active sit,’ will strengthen core muscles and help with balance. 

Barnsley Hospital is giving hospital patients advice under the banner: ‘Eat, Drink, Dress, Move’:

Eat

• Eating different kinds of food gives you energy.

• If you don’t feel very hungry, try eating small amounts more often. 

• Eating in your chair or better still a ward dining room rather than bed will help you with digestion and make it safer to eat if you have any swallowing problems. 

• Family and friends can bring your favourite food from home.

• Let a nurse know what’s been brought in to make sure it is okay to eat.

Drink 

• Drinking helps your body stay healthy.

• Drink about 6–8 cups each day. This includes water, juice, tea, coffee, or squash.

• Family and friends can bring your favourite drinks. 

• Let a nurse know what’s been brought in to make sure it is okay to drink.

Dress 

• Everyone in hospital should get washed and dressed each day.

• Wearing your own clothes can help you feel better.

• Having your hearing aids and glasses with you will make things easier for you. 

• Please ask a family member/friend/carer to bring in some comfy day clothes for you.

Move 

• It is important to keep moving when you are in hospital. Even small regular movements and changing position can make a huge impact.

• If you are able to, with or without support, walk to the toilet rather than using a commode or bottle. 

• If you are on a ward with a dining room please feel free to use this space. Staff will be happy to support.

• If you normally use a walking aid (like a walking stick or walking frame), you can bring it with you to hospital.

• Staying in bed can mean you need more help when you leave hospital and that you stay in hospital for longer than you need to.

For more general information about ageing well and staying healthy, visit: International Day of Older People 2024 | Centre for Ageing Better