Physiotherapist Jo Fortune, pictured middle, has become a real “bridge”of reassurance, supporting stroke patients as they prepare to leave hospital to continue their recovery at home.
It’s a new role for CHFT, covering both inpatient and community care and has been devised by the Early Supported Discharge (ESD) and acute therapy teams.
Jo’s work has already attracted fabulous feedback from a 39-year-old stroke patient who had been in hospital for three weeks.
“When talk turned to coming home, I felt anxious at the thought of losing the support I had in hospital. To be informed that Jo would be working to bridge the gap between rehabilitation in hospital and rehabilitation at home, meant that I felt a sense of continuation and reassurance.
"To know that Jo already had knowledge of my journey, strengths, weaknesses and worries allowed me to put a number of worries to one side, meaning I could focus on my recovery.
"I feel as though this continuity has expedited and helped my recovery. Not only have I been able to rest and recuperate at home sooner, I've felt the benefit of the continual smoother seamless transition”.
Jo said: “I have been able to see the immediate impact of my role when I am able to explain to people on the ward exactly what going home will look like and reassure them that there is support for them, and then be able to visit them the next day and continue their rehab in their own home. I have found this to be hugely beneficial to manage people’s anxieties about going home and am looking forward to seeing how we can develop this role more to improve patient outcomes.“
Sally Grose, right, project manager for therapies, said: “This is such a positive story showing the importance of supporting people to be discharged from hospital at the right time with the right support. Michelle Barrow, clinical lead physiotherapist and I are hugely proud of the service and the patient-focused care we have been able to deliver. We look forward to the future for this type of role and are excited about how it develops.”