Staff and patients have been getting in the festive spirit while taking part in group rehabilitation sessions.
Patients have been coming together every week at the Cumberlege Intermediate Care Centre (CICC) at Rochford Hospital to practise rehabilitation exercises while singing and listening to Christmas carols, followed by a hot drink and a mince pie.
The CICC looks after adults who have had a period of illness, immobility, stroke or a fall.
Patients were encouraged to sing and read carols from song sheets to help with their memory, timing with the music, reading and speech, while carrying out movement exercises depending on their individual needs.
Kirsty Jenkins, lead speech and language therapist at the CICC, said: “We have been holding these sessions every week and it’s a joint initiative across the unit.
“Music is quite well known to improve people’s mood and this is part of the reason for introducing this group at this time of year when Christmas carols are traditionally sung.
“The feedback we have had from the patients have been really positive and they have said it was nice to sing together. The mince pies and hot drink after have been really popular.
“We run various other group sessions weekly throughout the year, incorporating patients’ interests, but this is certainly one of the highlights that brings all the staff and patients together.”
The CICC is staffed by a multi-disciplinary team including nurses, rehabilitation assistants, physiotherapists, occupational health therapists and speech and language therapists.