The ACU team celebrates with Dave
A quality improvement initiative in the Acute Care of the Elderly Unit (ACU) has patients dancing their way to a faster recovery.
'ACU MOVE It' is a structured walking group designed to maintain mobility, reduce falls and increase quality of life for suitable patients with cognitive impairment.
What started as supervised walks around Ward 6B has evolved into an outing to the Level 5 garden where patients can dance, walk, garden and lap up the sunshine, all the while speeding up their recovery.
Eighty-one-year-old Dave Wilde is just one of many patients to reap the benefits of the program since it began earlier this year.
After spending more than 190 days admitted to hospital, Dave said he was fighting a losing battle with his mental health.
It took joining 'ACU MOVE It' to reignite his motivation to get better.
Led by Senior Physiotherapist Tina Parah with the support of Recreation Officer Sheryl Costello, the program focuses on safe, support mobility during a patient’s hospital stay.
Twice a week, Tina and Sheryl are joined by allied health professionals, nursing staff, and hospital ambassadors to support patients beyond the ward and into the garden space.
She said staying active during hospital admission played a key role in a patient’s recovery.
“ACU patients often have limited access to safe, structured activity, leading to agitation, poor sleep, reduced mobility and a higher risk of falls and complications,” she said.
“MOVE It shifts our care from reactive to preventative by reducing these risks, building confidence, improving mobility and supporting a smoother recovery.”
Early observations have been promising with staff noting more improved engagement and a more settled ward environment during and after sessions.
For Dave, the program was a turning point in his long recovery.
“One day I heard music blasting from Sheryl’s speakers and that was the start of it,” he said. “We started walking and dancing and got permission to visit the garden space where we could breathe the fresh air and feel the sunshine. It has become something we all look forward to.”
Dave’s wife Lorri regularly joins the group, with the couple often slow dancing together and reflecting on their 40-year marriage.
She said Dave had even become something of a dance teacher for the group, sharing his rock and roll moves with fellow patients.
Ward staff and family say the improvement in Dave had been significant since joining the program, so much so that his discharge was anticipated in the coming days.
The team wishes Dave well and said he would be dearly missed by everyone on Ward 6B.