New visiting hours at refurbished unit

28 November 2005

New visiting hours at refurbished unit

Patients at Hawke’s Bay Hospital’s Assessment, Treatment and Rehabilitation (AT&R) unit are enjoying the recently completed an upgrade to the facility and from Thursday 1st December they and their family/whanau and friends will also benefit from extended visiting hours.

Says AT&R unit manager Allison Stevenson “Many of our patients are with us for a relatively long stay while they undergo rehabilitation to enable them to cope back home. Over the past two months the unit has been having a tidy up with new vinyl being laid, walls painted and refurbishment of the shower and toilet facilities. Comments from patients and family on the fresh new face of AT&R have been very positive.

“Unlike many other areas of the hospital we are not so much an acute ward, rather a “working ward” where patients, following assessment and treatment are actively encouraged into rehabilitation activity.”

The new face of AT&R includes extended visiting hours to allow family/whanau and friends to visit patients between 1.00pm and 8pm daily.

Comments Allison “While we are delighted to be offering patients and visitors alike a much improved environment and access, visitors in particular should be aware that patients may at times not be able to take visitors. Patient therapy sessions will continue during visiting hours, although in some circumstances it may be appropriate for visitors to sit in on these sessions. A number of our patients require regular rest periods as part of their recovery regime and again visitors may be asked to return later if necessary.”

AT&R patients are primarily those requiring rehabilitation after strokes, brain haemorrhages, other neurological and orthopaedic conditions The unit provides other specialised services such as mental health for the elderly and speech language therapy. Specialised head injury rehabilitation services are offered through the Headstart Unit, within the AT&R Unit.

ENDS

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