A Wish Come True - The team around Jeanne used game-changing equipment to help her walk again.
State-of-the-art rehabilitation equipment is changing the way physiotherapists at Nightingale House rehabilitates their patients. Thanks to donations it has been possible to purchase a ceiling hoist system with dynamic weight support. It is now installed in the hospice’s brand-new gym and rehabilitation centre.
Jeanne Williams was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer five years ago and after eleven sessions of chemotherapy, improvement in her condition and being treated at home by a team of district nurses, the mother of one from Pentre Broughton, near Wrexham realised her health was beginning to deteriorate again.
She began to experience a loss of feeling in her legs and after suffering several falls, she ended up with two spells in the hospital during the lockdown and was unable to walk.
Following assessments by clinicians from the Maelor Hospital and Nightingale House Jeanne was admitted as an in-patient to the hospice in the summer.
Nightingale House’s Physiotherapist Helen Fisher was convinced that the new hoist in the gym could get her patient mobile again.
Jeanne said: “When Helen came to see me in the hospital, she believed she had just the right equipment to help me. Within two and a half weeks, I was able to get up with their help and it was wonderful to feel that I was making positive progress after being immobile for so long.
Using the walking hoist was a bit strange at first but it gave me the confidence and strength to stand up and walk alone after so many falls. What Nightingale House has given me to get back on my feet has been a game-changer for me and my family.”
Physiotherapist Helen Fisher said: “We are one of the first places in the UK that have this type of equipment and it is already making such a difference to patients and their families.
To see Jeanne getting stronger each time she uses the hoist and Trainer module is very satisfying.
When she came to stay in the hospice the aim was always to give her more mobility and enhance her quality of life to get her strong enough to go home.”
Jeanne added: “I still go to physiotherapy once a week and I am very grateful to the hospice team who have worked so hard to help me whilst I was an in-patient and make my wishes come true to get me home to my husband Dave and my son Liam in time for Christmas.”
Christian Clay, Senior Product Advisor for manufacturer Guldmann said the Trainer module is one of the first to be installed across the UK.
He said: “After a chance meeting with Helen late last year, it has been a real privilege to work with the physiotherapy team at Nightingale House Hospice and help them become one of the first facilities in Europe to experience the benefits of the unique Guldmann Trainer module system.”
In an industry first, the innovative Trainer module system incorporates dynamic weight relief technology into a ceiling hoist system, allowing therapists to safely engage weaker patients in supported movements previously thought to be impossible.
Christian added: “The Trainer module really does improve patient outcomes through creating more Time to Care. To hear the success Jeanne has had with the Trainer, enabling her to enjoy Christmas at home with her family is fantastic.”.