Rise and Shine with Internationally Renowned Artist and Sculptor Bob Olley

South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust has 7 Care of the Older Person wards.

As part of The Older People’s Improvement Collaborative (TOPIC) the idea came up to create a fun way to complement physical activity.

The result was a game which has seen teams of specialists, a loved one and a North East artist and sculptor working together to launch a game which is helping patients get back on their feet.

Getting up and moving is particularly important for people aged 80 and over. They can lose 10% of their muscle mass for every 10 days they spend in hospital – the equivalent of 10 years of ageing (Amora, A. 2021 Time to move again: from deconditioning to reconditioning, Age and Ageing, Volume 51, Issue 2 [Online], Available at:-https://doi. org/10.1093/ageing/afab227)

Encouraging people to get out of bed, get dressed, sit up and stay active are vital steps in ensuring they do not spend any longer than needed for their care and recovery in hospital.

This is because what is known as deconditioning can lead to harm such as increased falls risk, muscle weakness, increased confusion, constipation and incontinence.

They can also experience a drop in their appetite and increased risk of swallowing problems, which can lead to pneumonia.

The aim was to encourage a fun approach to physical activity on these Older Persons’ inpatient wards and something which made moving fun for patients and staff too. www.riseandshinegame.com

TOPIC also wanted to set up a ward-based activity so everyone has an opportunity to take part when they are ready (clinically and personally).

Staff from two wards, the Quality Improvement Team and a relative, local artist and sculptor and member of the TOPIC programme board Bob Olley were involved in coming up with ideas which led to the creation of the game, Rise and Shine.

A game was developed using coaster size tiles, decorated with creative artwork which prompts conversation amongst its players.

Patients are encouraged to select a tile then post it in a post box, taking part in some form of physical activity, such as walking 10 steps.

Once the patients have completed their activity and everyone has taken part, a tile is picked at random and the player who posted the winning tile receives a small prize.

Following a trial period involving patients and staff on the two of the wards qualitative feedback was gathered to help review its success.

With support from the Trust’s Innovation Team, the TOPIC team has worked with Focus Games to develop the idea and manufacture a game.

Rise & Shine game is launching May 2023 and can be pre-ordered. It will be use on all of our Care of the Elderly wards and be available for others to benefit from too.

Reason for involvement.

Having experienced the problems of caring for my late mother and her sister, both in their mid-nineties, I found that keeping them occupied and motivated was most challenging.

However they both had a passion for playing bingo which gave them an interest and contact with others of their years.

Three times a week they attended the bingo hall often returning with a win. Armed with this knowledge I based “Rise and Shine” on their love of the game.

Rise and Shine does not take long which eliminates the loss of concentration, it has an element of fun re. the humorous illustrations on each of the “cards” and for the winner there is a small gift. In order to take part the patients are encouraged to get out of bed, get dressed and enjoy a game of “Rise and Shine.”