There has been much research around the benefits of encouraging patients to sit out - or early mobilise – after an illness or operation. Here we cover just a few of the key benefits to sitting out. If you would like to read more, please see references below to useful articles.*
1. Reduce length of stay
The has been a wealth of significant research that shows early mobilisation and patients sitting out early into their recovery can improve. Just one of the articles is listed below* and shows that by mobilising earlier, patients on average left hospital 2 days earlier than those who were not early mobilised.
2. Increased blood circulation
Sitting out helps to improve circulation throughout the body. This can help to reduce swelling and improve oxygen delivery to the tissues.
3. Greater joint and muscle mobility
Sitting out helps to improve mobility and range of motion. This can make it easier for patients to perform activities of daily living, such as getting dressed, bathing, and using the toilet, and help them to keep doing these tasks once discharged.
4. Greater patient autonomy
Prolonged bed rest is thought to reduce the ability to walk independently. This could quicken the loss of physical functions and exacerbate deconditioning of muscles.
5. Aids respiration of patient
Sitting out helps to expand the lungs and improve lung function. This means sitting out is highly beneficial for patients with respiratory problems.
6. Mental wellbeing
Sitting out can help to improve patients' mental well-being. Getting out of bed and sitting in a chair can help to reduce feelings of isolation and improve mood. Some patients can then be moved from ward to ward for treatment, or outside to hospital gardens for a change of scenery.
7. A reduced risk of pressure sores
Pressure sores are caused by prolonged pressure on the skin. Sitting out helps to redistribute pressure and reduces the risk of pressure sores developing.
We have a number of different multifunctional chairs for sitting out, dependent on the needs of the patients. The Mobilise series of chairs are ideal for early mobilisation in ICU and the TX series of chairs are perfect for high dependency, osteo and frailty wards.
* https://evidence.nihr.ac.uk/alert/getting-hospital-patients-up-and-moving-shortens-stay-and-improves-fitness/
* https://ccforum.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13054-018-1998-9
* https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4069374/
