As we get ready to celebrate Allied Health Professionals (AHP) Day on October 14, we’re sharing the inspiring stories of our incredible AHP team and the positive impact they’ve made across our services at Hampshire Hospitals.
Meet Louise Darrah, Physiotherapist at Hampshire Hospitals: 
- Tell us your profession and what inspired you to choose this career path?
I am a physiotherapist working within the stroke pathway at Hampshire Hospitals. I have been surrounded by hospitals and healthcare my whole life with my Mum a nurse and Dad a paraplegic after a skiing accident in his 20’s. My Dad was in and out of hospital throughout my childhood but never let his disability affect his life My Dad was truly inspirational and as I grew up surrounded by the positive effects of both rehabilitation and the level of expertise and care the NHS can provide, perhaps it was not surprising I ended up working in this sector.
With a childhood love of sports, following an injury at the age of 12, I set my sights on a career as a physiotherapist and graduated in 2000. Initially I worked in a large teaching hospital in Aberdeen gaining experience in the core rotations before moving down south a year later to work initially in Basingstoke and then Winchester, mainly within neuro rehabilitation and the stroke pathway.
- How do you support and deliver care to patients in your daily practice?
I am fortunate to manage a small community team of highly skilled therapists who support stroke patients in their transition home from hospital whilst continuing their rehabilitation journey. We provide a combination of assessment, treatment, goal setting and problem solving to help patients achieve their goals at home and maximise their independence in everyday function. We educate and support patients and family to understand their diagnosis and facilitate their recovery in their home setting, accessing their local community and working in their own environment.
- What are some of the most rewarding moments or experiences in your career?
Having worked as a physio for the last 25 years there are many highlights. Facilitating a patient to take their first steps after a stroke is always a powerful moment, every patient’s journey is special and filled with challenges and I enjoy using my training and skills to help navigate through these difficulties helping to maximise independence for the patient and demonstrating their potential.
I enjoy working with families and getting everyone involved in their loved ones recovery, children kicking a football to a grandparent to work on balance and coordination or partners helping to complete a puzzle to help with cognition and dexterity, everyone can be involved in rehabilitation.
- One of the key shifts in the 10-Year Plan is ‘Hospital to Community’. How does your role help patients with stroke transition safely and confidently from hospital care into their own homes or in the community?
Leaving hospital following a stroke whether after several weeks or just a day is nearly always a little daunting for patients and their relatives. The initial excitement of going home often unearths new problems. Our role supports this transition home immediately with our initial visit within 24 hours of hospital discharge. We establish the impact of any problems, and difficulties quickly and work together to achieve patients’ goals, both physically and psychologically. As we are working in patients own home, we can individualise our approach to their specific needs, practicing getting in and out of their shower, front door, accessing their garden and local community. Patients generally thrive at home surrounded by their loved ones and own possessions; rehabilitation can then be custom made to suit their individual circumstances and environment.
- In your role, how do you collaborate across teams to ensure stroke patients receive seamless rehabilitation and support?
We could not do our job alone as a very small community ESD (Early Supported Discharge Team) service. We have close working relationships with multiple people and teams to allow a seamless service for our patients. We work closely with the stroke ward team, I am a fairly regular visitor to the stroke wards, discussing potential patients with the therapy team, problem solving medication issues with our pharmacy team, continence difficulties with the nurses and medical issues with the doctors (as example).
Once discharged home, we communicate with community reablement team and care agencies as needed, trying to coordinate our input, we work with our local community teams, housing department, social services, mental health teams and GP services feeding back as required and advising on any difficulties. We work closely with the voluntary sector and specifically the Stroke Association to ensure patients receive appropriate onward support after our input.
- Can you share an example of how your work has enabled a patient with stroke to regain independence and quality of life after being discharged from the hospital?
Last Christmas I was heavily involved with a young stroke patient who had developed sudden left lower limb weakness. He was discharged home on Christmas eve after several days on the ward, able to walk short distances with a wheeled zimmer frame. He had a very specific weakness in his left lower limb and I worked on initiating movement and strengthening through a mixture of active work, hands on therapy and use of technology. We then combined this with lots of functional tasks and high levels of repetition. I used lots of different feedback to help the patient progress including verbal, hands on, use of mirrors, family viewing and video.
With therapy, education, independent exercise and support from family we progressed his mobility indoors from wheeled zimmer frame to stick to unaided. I am delighted to report he has now returned to work, returned to cycling for his commute, returned to driving – no adaptions needed and reports life is almost back to normal rating his overall health at 95/100.
