Medics and staff at Dumfries and Galloway Royal Infirmary donned pyjamas on Monday for the launch of Get Up, Get Dressed and Get Moving! – highlighting that following this advice can help to improve health and shorten the length of stay.
Research has found that older adults can quickly lose mobility and ability to do everyday tasks like bathing and dressing when inactive and in bed in their pyjamas. Just one week of resting in bed can result in ten per cent muscle loss.
Associate director of allied health professionals Joan Pollard said: “People may not realise that patients often need to attend treatment or assessment sessions which would require them to be dressed appropriately. However, we often have patients who are poorly prepared for these activities as they have no suitable day clothes to wear – simply because those people or their relatives didn’t realise they would be needed.”
Consultant geriatrician Dr Amy Conley highlighted that staying active in hospital can result in better sleep, mood and breathing, as well as less risk of bed sores, falls and pain.
She added: “Wearing day clothes is shown to help people feel better both mentally and physically, to provide a greater sense of normality, and make them better prepared to go home.
“So, part of this campaign is also asking people of all ages to bring in everyday clothes, as well as sensible footwear, glasses, hearing aids, and any mobility aids, such as walking sticks, that they may use on a day-to-day basis.
“Where feasible, and at the guidance of staff, people should aim to try and be as active and independent as they would be at home, going to the bathroom themselves, washing and dressing themselves, sitting up in chairs rather than lying in bed especially for meals, doing gentle exercises and going for walks in the public areas of our hospitals. And in the case of the new DGRI we have some fantastic public spaces to make the most of, including our amazing garden spaces.”
Information about the new campaign will also be rolled out in the region’s cottage hospitals.
Research has found that older adults can quickly lose mobility and ability to do everyday tasks like bathing and dressing when inactive and in bed in their pyjamas. Just one week of resting in bed can result in ten per cent muscle loss.
Associate director of allied health professionals Joan Pollard said: “People may not realise that patients often need to attend treatment or assessment sessions which would require them to be dressed appropriately. However, we often have patients who are poorly prepared for these activities as they have no suitable day clothes to wear – simply because those people or their relatives didn’t realise they would be needed.”
Consultant geriatrician Dr Amy Conley highlighted that staying active in hospital can result in better sleep, mood and breathing, as well as less risk of bed sores, falls and pain.
She added: “Wearing day clothes is shown to help people feel better both mentally and physically, to provide a greater sense of normality, and make them better prepared to go home.
“So, part of this campaign is also asking people of all ages to bring in everyday clothes, as well as sensible footwear, glasses, hearing aids, and any mobility aids, such as walking sticks, that they may use on a day-to-day basis.
“Where feasible, and at the guidance of staff, people should aim to try and be as active and independent as they would be at home, going to the bathroom themselves, washing and dressing themselves, sitting up in chairs rather than lying in bed especially for meals, doing gentle exercises and going for walks in the public areas of our hospitals. And in the case of the new DGRI we have some fantastic public spaces to make the most of, including our amazing garden spaces.”
Information about the new campaign will also be rolled out in the region’s cottage hospitals.
