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NEW NEURO REHABILITATION UNIT WELCOMES ITS FIRST PATIENTS

by | 15th January 2025 | News

People recovering from life-changing brain conditions and spinal cord injuries are now being supported in the new Plym Neuro Rehabilitation Unit in Plymouth. It is a specialist facility at Mount Gould Local Care Centre, that welcomes inpatients from across Devon and Cornwall to support them in targeted neurological rehabilitation under the guidance of therapy teams from Livewell Southwest.

Ward entrance with mural of a wooded area

New Plym Neuro Rehabilitation Unit

The unit has recently moved from an old ward to a new bespoke facility in December 2024. It offers enhanced facilities which are designed to support the personal rehabilitation goals of service users.  Kay Rangasmy from Torquay was one of the first patients to transfer from the old site to the new unit.

Woman sat in wheelchair

Kay Rangasmy

She lost all movement from the neck down due to Guillain-Barré syndrome, a rare condition that affects the nerves.  The former cook remembers: “Within a matter of days, life just changed because everything just stopped. I had been feeling ill for weeks and then my legs gave away and that is when I really started to panic. It was slowly going up my body and that is the nature of the illness that I have got.”

She was rushed to Torbay Hospital before being transferred to the former Plym Neuro site in August 2024 where she received specialist support for her condition.  Occupational Therapist Gemma Howard recalls: “When Kay arrived on the ward, she had almost no movement at all in either of her upper or lower limbs and was relying entirely on other people to do absolutely everything for her.  She has worked really hard in her rehabilitation journey to get to the point that she is now. She needs some support for her mobility when she is standing, but functionally she is really doing very, very well. It is a huge difference.”

Woman in white uniform

Gemma Howard – Occupational Therapist

Gemma worked with Kay on preparing her own meals in the new occupational therapy kitchen: “Not only is it an occupation that Kay likes to do, and she enjoys, we all need to be able to cook for ourselves and it was really important to her that she was able to do that before she goes home. Now we know that she can, and she was able to practice that in our kitchen on the ward.  I am so proud of her. I feel really lucky to work with patients like Kay, and to see the progress that they make. It is an amazing feeling.”

Kay said: “The new ward is wonderful. It is light, airy and modern with so much room to move around. Getting in the kitchen is bliss. It is my go-to place. The care you get when you are in there is amazing. The team are watching every move you are making to ensure you are not over stretching and then at the end of it, having a meal, which for me as a coeliac, is so good.

“The energy and the effort they put into everything here is unbelievable. They know they are doing a good job, but they don’t realise how good.”

Kay now plans to spend more time with her grandchildren, explore the southwest coastal path and travel to new places around the world.  She said: “I just feel like you have got to live your life. You take it for granted it is always going to be the same, and it may not be.”

Bed in a hospital en-suite room

En-suite room

Kay stayed in one of the seven single en-suite rooms. They provide a greater level of privacy than the old unit and are all equipped with overhead hoisting facilities.

Hospital ward with four beds

Four bedded ward

There are also two bays of four-beds for people that may have enhanced care needs.

Gym with physiotherapy bench, bars and ladder

Physiotherapy gym

Kitchen sink, cooker and worktops

Occupational therapy kitchen

Therapy and treatment spaces feature both standard and wheelchair height kitchen work surfaces.​  This aims to enhance the independence of patients during their stay on the unit, ready for when they can return home.​

Bed in hospital en-suite room with a table and chairs

En-suite room with kitchen facilities

There is also a special room for those who are preparing to go home, which is fitted with basic kitchen facilities.  Matron Sally Stephenson explained: “Patients benefit from practicing their independent living skills, in addition to the targeted therapy sessions. It can enable patients to prepare their own simple meals or share a meal they have prepared with their family, as they would at home.”

Woman in blue nurse uniform with glasses

Sally Stephenson Matron

“This is a much better environment, made to meet patients’ needs.  For clinical teams, we have a great new space with the latest technology, to really help our patients on the next stage of their rehabilitation journey.”

This building project was a collaboration with Community Health Partnerships (CHP), NHS Property Services, Baxendale, ReSound Health and Nevada Construction.

 

Woman sat in wheelchair