17 December 2024
Southampton’s Saints share the festive joy with patients at University Hospital Southampton
Players from Southampton Football Club recently made a surprise visit to the medicine for older people (MOP) ward at University Hospital Southampton (UHS) to highlight the cutting edge ‘Falls Recovery Programme’.
The project, run by Saints Foundation, and supported by Southampton Hospitals Charity is a referral-based programme for older adults in Southampton who have had or are at risk of a serious fall to take part in a 12-week rehabilitation programme within the community.
In 2022 the project expanded to the MOP ward at UHS and, there is now a Saints Foundation exercise practitioner based on the ward 4 days a week to work with older patients to improve their mobility, strength and balance to help get them home sooner.
The rehabilitation starts at the bedside with the aim of getting patients moving with basic physical activities, as well as small group classes once a day with basic chair exercises, a VR reflexes game, and short stints on adapted exercise bikes.
The event saw Premier League stars Joe Lumley, Ryan Manning and Ben Brereton-Diaz visit patients in the ward’s gym to chat and join in some games.
Some of the patients they met are lifelong supporters and enjoyed recalling their favourite Saints memories from years gone by. The players signed autographs, handed out gifts and posed for photographs, bringing some festive cheer to the wards.
During their visit the players also made time to meet with young fans from Southampton Children’s Hospital
Jake Batchelor, Saints Foundation exercise practitioner at UHS, said: “Since coming into the hospital over two years ago, the staff, patients and their families have all been so helpful and encouraging with our project.
“The fact that we have been able to make such a great impact not just on patients’ physical but social well-being is astonishing.
“I’m lucky enough to continue to have one foot out in the community running classes and to follow up on those patients who I have signposted and referred into the Saints services.
“Being able to help patients from a much more vulnerable place get moving and back out living their lives is something I’m really proud of.”
Paul Hedges, Saints Foundation health project manager, said: “Saints Foundation presence in the MOP unit with Jake is a key part of our offering in the city, and this doesn’t happen without working in partnership with the hospital and Southampton Hospitals Charity. It has been great to be able to bring the players in to see our work and share the joy in the lead up to Christmas.”
Ellis Banfield, chief executive of Southampton Hospitals Charity, said: “We’re proud to support Jake and the incredible work he does with patients on the medicine for older people ward.
“This service, made possible through the generous support of our donors, is about more than recovery, it’s about inspiring confidence and showing patients what they’re capable of.
“Seeing people leave the hospital sooner and with a renewed sense of independence is truly rewarding. Services like this highlight our commitment to enhancing care for our older patients and ensure they receive the specialised support they need during their hospital stay.”