General medicine (cardiology, respiratory and other)

Internal Medicine Service

The Internal Medicine Physiotherapy team provides physiotherapy services across multiple wards and clinical areas at RBWH including:

• General Medicine,
• Respiratory,
• Cardiology,
• Renal and
• Infectious Diseases.

Your doctor or physiotherapist working on your ward may initiate a physiotherapy consult on your behalf. Physiotherapy for patients in hospital aims to:

• Maintain or improve physical function through walking and exercise programs
• Maintain or improve strength, fitness and balance
• Improve cardiorespiratory function

Not all patients will need to see a physiotherapist. If you are able to get up and walk around the ward then we encourage you to do this. Staying physically and mentally active in hospital can help you to recover faster and get home sooner.

What to expect if you see a Physiotherapist in hospital?

To help determine your specific needs, your Physiotherapist may:

• Ask about how you were moving prior to this hospital admission
• Find out your current needs and what your goals are for when you return home
• Observe how you move and get around
• Assess your strength and balance
• Depending upon your condition, treatment may include:
  • Education and advice about managing your condition and tips for recovery
  • A slowly progressed walking program
  • Specific exercises for your condition
  • There may be ongoing plans to further help your recovery such as pulmonary rehabilitation (hyperlink) or cardiac rehabilitation (hyperlink)

What to bring to hospital?

• Comfortable, closed in walking shoes
• Clothes that are comfortable for walking and exercise
• Your usual walking aid (if this is not possible, we do have walking aids available to borrow whilst you are in hospital)

Resources

• Let’s Get Moving resource
• Cardiac Rehabilitation – Patient Resource Hub – Community and Oral Health
• Pulmonary Rehabilitation – Patient Resource Hub – Community and Oral Health