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Mark's Rehabilitation Journey

Most of us take for granted that we can move around independently, look after ourselves and communicate effectively with others and don’t give it a second thought. Mark was no different until he woke up one morning in the Autumn of 2017 unable to walk, move, talk or even understand what people were saying to him.

31 October 2019

Mark had suffered a devastating stroke that left him with paralysis on the right side of his body and a condition called Wernicke’s aphasia which affected Mark’s ability to both understand and express language.

It has been described as like waking up in a foreign country where no one speaks your language.

Mark spent a few days in an acute hospital before transferring to Burwood for rehabilitation where he spent the next few months relearning some of the basic skills needed to get to the point where he could move between his bed and wheelchair without help and also do some day to day functional tasks.

When the team at Burwood first considered transitional rehab for Mark their intention was for him to maintain his ability while waiting for knee surgery but it soon became clear to the team at The Granada Centre that Mark had far more potential.

During Mark’s rehab journey over the next 18 months he developed far more than just his functional abilities.

The sense of community and the holistic approach to rehabilitation helped him to come to terms with his stroke, make real connections with other residents on the same journey, develop new communication skills and gave him the sense of confidence and self-determination to really take control of his new life as a stroke survivor.

Physically Mark learned to walk independently and gradually reduced his reliance on his wheelchair. He regained the ability to dress and shower without having to rely on help from other people and relearned other practical skills such as cooking and managing money.

There were setbacks in Mark’s rehab journey such as complications following his knee surgery, but through it all his positive relaxed outlook and determination to shape his life on his own terms along with support from the team at The Granada Centre helped him progress towards his goals.

Mark found that the informal but supportive approach to rehab at The Granada Centre really suited his personality. The focus was on participation in life rather than purely functional rehabilitation and Mark was able to work on goals that were meaningful to him and he responded well to advice and encouragement from therapy staff.

Find out more about The Granada Centre for Neurological Rehabilitation and how we can support you or a family member.

St John of God Hauora Trust has recently published its Annual Report at https://stjohnofgodannualreport.nz.