Tech

VIM Health has welcomed its first patients through the doors to experience a holistic high-tech approach to recovery with a focus on intensive rehabilitation and some of the best robotic assisted therapies currently available in the UK.  

The innovative care model at VIM is made unique by the addition of an onsite accessible gym and a continuous approach
to a patient’s entire recovery journey.
Blending technology with hands-on therapy, the multi-disciplined team (MDT) at VIM provides end to end care for
people recovering from neurological illness or injury. 
Founder and Clinical Director, Tom Taverner has a special interest in utilising technology to supplement hands on therapy and improve the outcomes and experience of patients. His understanding of how powerful the recovery environment can be, and the desire to create an accessible gym, pay tribute to how truly unique the rehabilitation space and service is at Vim.

High Tech Intensive Rehab
“From the inception of VIM, we knew our focus would be robotic assisted therapies and intensive rehabilitation packages,” says Tom. “Several studies have shown that for many conditions, such as Stroke, high-intensity rehabilitation training is the most effective way to promote recovery.” 
“At VIM, our intensive rehabilitation packages are intertwined with the use of robotics as it is the most effective way to achieve the high intensity needed for positive neuroplasticity to take place,” continues Tom. “Our intensive recovery clients are accommodated locally so we can ensure they receive therapy at the right frequency, in high doses. The robotics and techniques we use are also designed to help patients carry out meaningful tasks that reflect their desired recovery outcome.”
The rehabilitation journey for patients at VIM begins with a detailed assessment by a specialist. From there, an intensive package is tailored to meet needs and recovery goals. For most people, this will include a combination of one-to-one therapy and intensive training with innovative technology, including robotic, sensor-based, and virtual reality devices.
The tech at the clinic is impressive with some of the pieces of kit looking as though they have arrived straight from a NASA training centre! From a REX hands-free robotic exoskeleton to a range of equipment from the leading brand, Thera, VIM has technologies to help a wide range of people with neurological issues.
From relearning how to walk, to being able to pick up a drink, VIM has invested in equipment that covers a wide range of functions. 

Recovery Continuity 
VIM clients do not only benefit from intensive packages and robotic assisted therapies, but the comprehensive approach at the clinic also means patients have access to a wider range of therapies than traditionally offered at rehabilitation clinics. From robotics to soft tissue therapy, mental health support and the use of an accessible gym, VIM understands the value of continuous care.  
“Once a client is medically stable, they come through our doors and have access to everything they need to make excellent recovery progress.” Says Tom. “Being able to come through one space for all treatment, working with the same therapists, is invaluable to patients. No information is lost going between different locations and we accurately chart progress which further encourages patients.” 
Where VIM does work with partners outside the business, such as orthotics and prosthetics specialists, Blatchford, the service is facilitated by VIM to ensure a continuous experience. This approach in continuity is even taken home by patients with access to a telerehabilitation service to encourage further exercises that can be undertaken in between clinic visits. 

Healing Spaces
Just looking around the interiors of the clinic, it’s clear that VIM has set out to achieve not just a service that is conducive to recovery but an environment that is, too. “It has long been known that our environment can have a significant effect on our overall well being,” says Tom, “and a study published by Taylor and Francis online proves this to be especially true in healthcare facilities.” 
This theory is apparent inside the 250 square metre VIM clinic, which doesn’t feel like a typical healthcare facility. You are greeted with soft light, warm yet calming colours, mirrors, and an abundance of indoor greenery to help purify the air and bring a touch of nature to the exercise spaces. The high-tech robotic equipment on display contrasts with the light interiors of the clinic, but it all works together to form a cohesive, calming environment. 

A New Type Of Gym 
The look and feel of the main clinic are carried through to the gym too. Although the gym does operate on the familiar subscription model used by gyms throughout the UK, that is about where the similarities end. VIM has created what they are calling a new type of gym, one founded in the desire to create truly accessible access to health and fitness. 
Tom, who is a keen gym goer himself, wanted to create a gym with several key elements; inclusivity and a sense of community. Operating under the tagline ‘your health, your way’, the gym features adaptive equipment and is supported by clinicians so that people with disabilities or mobility issues have access to a safe space to work on their health whilst only paying standard membership fees. 
The gym is used by VIM patients and integrated into treatment programmes but is also available on a monthly membership basis for anybody else that wants to join, opening the facilities up to a much wider range of people seeking a gym that operates a little bit differently. 
Tom wants the newly opened gym to eventually provide more than an inclusive space to work out. Believing the healing power of exercise will bring together a like-minded community of
people that will take advantage of the comfortable surroundings inside the gym, which includes spaces for mental health care and an honesty bar where proceeds are donated to relevant charities. 

After sustaining a fall in his garden, 94-year-old Thomas, who had experienced two ministrokes and four right knee replacements, reported that he was having trouble gripping onto his required walking aids, and was therefore disregarding professional advice to use them for support and stability. 

Further investigations showed he had very poor lower and upper limb strength, and that he was feeling unmotivated and wasn’t engaging with the physiotherapy exercises he had been prescribed with. Thomas’ occupational therapist knew an alternative approach was needed and introduced him to GripAble and its set of interactive games. Here, we discuss how Thomas used GripAble to get moving again and be independent and safe at home using his walking aids.  

Lacking motivation
Thomas was a keen gardener and enjoyed tending to his fishpond at the home he shares with his 89-year-old wife. But after experiencing two transient ischemic attacks (ministrokes) – the most recent being four years ago – and having four right knee replacements due to infection complications, his mobility was significantly affected, and he was advised to use a walking frame outdoors and a walking stick indoors.  
But he disliked his walking aids as he reported that he struggled to grasp them due to poor hand function and felt safer without using them. 
After his fall, he was admitted to hospital after several hours of lying on the ground. He was medically stable and MRI scans confirmed he had not suffered a stroke or a ministroke, nor had he suffered any fractures. However, his lower and upper limb strength were found to be very poor. 
Thomas reported he was not completing his lower limb physiotherapy exercises as “he didn’t see the point.” He had also not engaged with the recommended hand exercises to improve his grip to assist with using his walking frame.
Although Thomas was clinically stable and encouraged to transfer out of bed to mobilise around the ward with staff support, he remained disengaged. When his occupational therapist assessed his hand function, he was found to have full range of movement but very poor grip strength.

Getting to grips with staying motivated
Following an assessment by a physiotherapist, Thomas’ walking frame was adjusted to the correct height and an ergonomic palm grip walking stick at the correct height was supplied. He was also provided with larger diameter cutlery to improve his grip and enhance his independence with eating.
Thomas was then introduced to GripAble and shown how to engage with its interactive games. His therapist supervised his single maximum grip strength and identified that his right mean grip strength was 1.8kg, and his left was 1.1kg.
To begin with, Thomas was encouraged to complete 20 repetitions of grip and release on each hand using a GripAble activity whenhe felt motivated to do so. When Thomas was seen the next day, he reported that he had completed this task and had even tried a completely different GripAble game on his own!
Thomas was seen daily for the next two weeks by his occupational therapist while he remained an in-patient and his physiotherapists encouraged him to engage with his global lower limb rehabilitation and mobility. The number of daily repetitions was gradually increased and by the time he was discharged, he was completing 100 repetitions bi-laterally.

Building strength safely
After two weeks, Thomas’ grip strength was reassessed, and he was informed that his grip had improved. This increased his confidence, and he was mobilising safely around the ward unsupervised using his walking frame and was able to safely complete the stair assessment with the use of one grab rail and one walking stick. When Thomas was discharged home, his right-hand mean grip strength was 4.3kg, and his left-hand mean grip strength was 2.5kg. 
He took GripAble home to continue his rehabilitation and was monitored remotely over the next month by his occupational therapist. The community physiotherapist team completed home visits on discharge to monitor his progress. When GripAble was returned one month later, Thomas was reported to be independent and safe at home. He was moving around using the recommended walking aids both indoors and outdoors and had returned to tending his garden pots and feeding his fish. In addition, he had also gained weight and reported that his grip strength was continuing to improve. 
Thomas’ family are looking to buy him his own GripAble to help him maintain his motivation and continue his grip strength building journey.

Affordable remote rehab
GripAble is a mobile assessment and training platform which includes bespoke hand-held sensors, mobile hardware, software, in-built gamification and data services, to enable home-based rehabilitation for patients with a wide range of neurological and musculoskeletal conditions including upper limb spasticity. GripAble’s unique handgrip sensor connects to a mobile app, allowing users to partake in specifically designed activities selected by their therapist, to train core hand and arm movements.
GripAble has been designed with remote rehab at its heart to enable ongoing training at home, even when face-to-face therapy isn’t possible. With the cost of living hitting many hard, GripAble has launched an affordable monthly rental option for home-based customers. At less than £1.50 a day, the rental has no minimum contract, making it an ideal option for people with short-term rehabilitation or training needs.

Chat to our friendly team of experts to request a trial or purchase a GripAble: 
www.gripable.co/buy-try-now/

For more information, visit: 
www.gripable.co