The Robinson Hospital is proud to have been chosen to be part of the Northern Trust’s Frailty project with the aim of becoming a centre of excellence for the care of frail patients.
Frailty is a condition where our bodies, as we age, lose their in-built reserves leaving us vulnerable to dramatic, sudden changes in health triggered by seemingly small events such as a minor infection or a change in medication or environment. Frailty defines the group of older people who are at highest risk of adverse outcomes such as falls, disability, admission to hospital, or the need for long-term care.

Many of our patients in Robinson Hospital have a moderate or severe level of frailty. When admitted to the hospital a multi-disciplinary assessment by different professionals will take place to assess the level of frailty, the problems that the patient faces and how these problems can be addressed. This can only be done when there is open communication at every stage with the patient and their family/ carers:  the staff need to understand what is important to the patient and review of progress with the patient and family enables forward planning.  We also actively encourage family/ carers to be involved in the patient’s recovery and rehabilitation.

In the Robinson we are active participants in this quality improvement campaign which aims to get patients out of bed, dressed and moving. There is evidence of the psychological and physical benefits to patients of being dressed in their normal clothes, getting up to sit and moving around, as part of their recovery and rehabilitation. As one patient stated she didn’t understand “why everyone was in nighties because she would never wear her nightie during the day at home!”
We would ask that family/ carers would bring in day time clothes once the patient is fit to be sitting out of bed and starting therapy.

John’s Campaign

The Robinson Hospital is signed up to John’s campaign. This is a movement to help NHS staff recognise the importance of working with family carers as equal partners in the care and support of people with a dementia who are in hospital. The key focus behind John’s Campaign is an open visiting culture; supporting carer access to the hospital outside of normal visiting hours, to enable them to be with the person with a dementia when they may be stressed, anxious, upset or lonely. Please ask for more information from any member of staff.