Jan’s thanks to our therapy team for helping to walk again

We’re currently supporting a patient on our In-Patient Unit who was diagnosed with lung cancer some time ago, but who separately to her diagnosis, suffered a stroke at home earlier this month, which left her unable to either walk or talk. As she was already being supported through our community-based clinical nurse specialist (CNS) team, CNS Jaqui visited Jan and her husband Andy at their home, and Jan was admitted to our Unit to help her recuperate.

One of the things that we have sought to do to help Jan is to offer her support through our Therapy team, whose aim is to help patients live as independently as possible through the challenges they face following the diagnosis of a life-limiting illness. Physiotherapist Dorinda and therapy assistant Sally have been helping Jan with twice-daily sessions since admission that have seen her take first steps using a walker. “There is a time immediately after a stroke which is the maximum opportunity to make a significant difference in their recovery,” explains Dorinda. “We have been so glad that Jan was admitted as soon as she was because it meant that we could put into practice with her some of the techniques that will help her in her recovery. She was a very active person before she was diagnosed and she has incredible drive and determination, and works really hard, and that makes things easier for us and clearly helps her recovery. We will continue to offer all the support that we can, through the whole team here, to help her to continue to make progress.”

Jan’s husband Andy has been very pleased with the support that Dorinda and the whole team at Prospect Hospice have made for Jan and for him too. “We both feel very appreciative of everything that people have done for us here,” he says. “It really feels as though people feel they can’t do enough for us. They are all very keen to see Jan get better.”

We’ll continue to help Jan and Andy throughout Jan’s stay with us – and her verdict on the care that she’s receiving from us is expressed in one simple word: “Brilliant!,” she says.