The very first patient to use one of 10 new beds at St John of God’s Bendigo Hospital has given it her tick of approval.
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Ratha Chandran was receiving treatment for an arthritis-related issue and was settling into her room as the hospital opened its new and improved rehabilitation unit on Wednesday.
“It’s beautiful here. Sitting here, I think this room is very bright and quiet and clean,” she said.
The new unit was part of a 40 million dollar redevelopment that included an increase to 34 beds in the hospital’s rehabilitation and geriatric inpatient services unit.
That number was set to swell by another nine beds by the time the wider hospital redevelopment finished, according to rehabilitation physician Debbie Kesper.
“We’ve always wanted to get people into rehabilitation at the earliest possible availability. Up until this point it’s been (a wait of) anywhere between two and eight weeks.”
That created challenges, in part because of the importance of starting rehabilitation as soon as possible after surgery or similar treatments.
“Now, with the increase in the bed numbers, we’re able to respond much more quickly to that need, to treat more patients and provide care to the growing hospital and community,” Dr Kesper said.
Much of the unit’s focus is on building patient’s “functional capacity”.
“We are excited because it actually increases our services,” she said.
“Rehabilitation and geriatrics overlap. Most of the patients who come to the hospital are over 75-years-of-age, so rehabilitation encompasses aged care,” Dr Kesper said.
“So (we want to help) people get back to showering themselves, dressing themselves, making themselves breakfast, lunch and tea, and making sure they are mobile and independent.”
Dr Kesper said the hospital’s philosophy was to get as many patients home as possible.
To that end the hospital has been expanding its services, with the rehabilitation and geriatric unit alone taking on 16 new staff including physiotherapists, a speech therapist and occupational therapist.
“If they don’t get home we offer the ability for families to look at alternative accommodation and transition into care in Bendigo,” Dr Kesper said.
Tom O'Callaghan
I grew up in Bendigo and I want to tell your stories.
I grew up in Bendigo and I want to tell your stories.
