The Senior Adult Medical Service has three wards these are called Cherry, Holly and Swift.
Our aim is to get you better quickly and well enough to go home in a timely and safe way. The teams have a lot of expertise in managing your discharge and in partnership with you, and your family we will provide information and support to plan your discharge as soon as possible after admission to avoid any delays.
- Location of Wards
- Who will I meet on the wards?
- What does a working day look like on the wards?
- What are the visiting hours?
- Mealtimes
- Saying fit in Hospital
- Frailty
- What to bring with you
Location of Wards
All 3 wards are located in the Duchess of Kent Wing - Cherry is on level 3 and Holly and Swift are on Level 4.
Cherry has 29 beds and is the acute short stay ward for patients presenting with acute illnesses. Cherry has a mixture of male and female bays but you will not be placed in a mixed bay.
Holly and Swift are our longer stay beds. Holly has 30 beds and cares for female patients. Swift has 26 beds and cares for male patients. Both Holly and Swift have a dedicated bay with design features to create a calm and soothing environment to support the needs of patients with dementia.
Our team's focus is to provide safe and compassionate care for senior adults with complex medical and social needs. When you are admitted, you will have a full assessment with a team of different healthcare professionals to assess your acute medical problems, physical, mental health and general wellbeing.
Who will I meet on the wards?
Our multidisciplinary team includes doctors, nurses, pharmacists, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, dieticians, and speech and language therapists. There is also a team of social care practitioners and discharge coordinators who work closely with the clinical teams when you are ready to go home.
What does a working day look like on the wards?
Each day there is an early morning meeting with all of the multi-disciplinary team, where we discuss your clinical care and progress to returning home.
During the week there is a daily consultant ward round. When the ward round is complete, usually by lunchtime, there is a handover to the nurse in charge and other members of the healthcare teams regarding any changes to your treatment or discharge plans. During the afternoon your treatment and discharge planning will continue. The team will involve you in the discussions about your clinical care and treatment plan at all stages. If you are too unwell these discussions will take place with your family or the person who is most important to you.
We allocate time for regular family meetings, to ensure everyone is up to date on the progress of their loved ones, as well as being able to provide support during difficult times.
What are the visiting hours?
Visiting times are from 11am - to 8pm with a maximum of 2 visitors at any one time, unless this has been discussed with the nurse in charge. Please ask friends and family to report to the Nurses station before visiting. To respect the privacy and dignity of patients the nursing staff may ask visitors to leave the bay during ward rounds or if personal care or treatment is taking place. Children may visit at the discretion of the nurse in charge.
We ask that you do not interrupt the doctors during ward rounds. If your visitors have any questions, please discuss with the nurse looking after you or the nurse in charge. An appointment can be made to see the doctors via the ward clerk if this is required.
Mealtimes
You will be provided with 3 meals a day whilst you are with us. If you are hungry in between meals, additional snacks or meals are available on request. During mealtimes, we try not to organise any personal care or treatments so that you can relax and enjoy your meal. We encourage families to help at mealtimes and there may also be trained volunteers to assist you during this time. Patients are encouraged to eat together. Your diet is based on your personal preferences or as advised by dieticians and Speech & Language therapists.
Saying fit in Hospital
Staying in bed for too long can mean that you struggle to get back to your normal level of activity when you go home.
Research shows that bed rest is not a good way to recover from many illnesses or injuries and may actually make your recovery time longer. One week of bedrest can lead to a 10% loss in strength and building this strength back up may take twice as long. For an older person, this loss of strength may be the difference between dependence and independence. This is called deconditioning.
Staying in bed and not moving can lead to other problems, such as:
- How well you are able to breathe properly
- Your skin could break down and become sore
- You may be more at risk of developing an infection
- Your muscles lose strength making you weaker and tire more easily
- You may lose independence in personal care such as washing and dressing
- You may not be able to digest food properly causing stomach ache or constipation
- You may get confused
- You may lose self- confidence or may become low in mood
Every little bit of activity can help to keep you healthy. You may be worried about falling over if you are encouraged to walk but your team will be able to advise you as to the precautions you can take to minimise your risk. There are lots of things we can do to keep you as safe as possible while you move about in hospital.
It is important, if possible, to carry on doing what you were able to do at home, such as washing and dressing or walking to the bathroom. As a patient on our wards you will be encouraged to wear pyjamas or sleepwear when you go to bed at night. During the day the staff will encourage you to wear day clothes and not hospital gowns or your own nightwear. Wearing your own clothes can help you feel more confident, and help your recovery.
If you are able, we encourage you to:
- Sit out of bed for all meals, either on your chair or on the edge of your bed
- Sit in a chair as much as possible
- Walk around the ward, either alone or with help
- Do gentle exercises on your own throughout the day, even in a bed or chair (we can show you how)
- Encourage your family to visit often to encourage and help you to get back to normal levels of activity
- Let the ward team know what you are normally able to do so they can make sure your care is aimed at returning you to your usual mobility, or as near to this as possible
Frailty
What do we mean by this? Being frail may mean that you are less able to recover from what appear to be minor illnesses, and recovery might take longer. It is important to remember that keeping active in hospital as much as possible will prevent deconditioning (as described above), which can happen more readily in someone who is frail.
What to bring with you
To encourage normality and activity, these are the items we suggest you have with you in hospital:
- Toothbrush and toothpaste / Denture items
- Soap and / or shower gel or cream
- Shaving equipment
- Deodorant or talcum powder
- Makeup
- Hairbrush or comb
- Nightwear and slippers with grip
- Day clothes, underwear, socks and comfortable footwear (preferably flat and with grip)
- Hearing aids
- Spectacles
- Books, magazines
- Small amounts of money (for newspapers, magazines and other sundries)
- Mobile phone, tablets, laptops and chargers
- Personal items that bring comfort
We ask that you do not bring valuables or precious items into hospital. Please label belongings if possible.
