Community rehabilitation groups

A stroke can be a debilitating event, physically, mentally, and emotionally. For stroke survivors living in impoverished areas, the challenges can be even tougher. The HSSGs response to this need is our third, and most valuable program, our community rehabilitation group. These groups take place in Strand; Somerset West (and surrounding areas); Lwandle/Nomzamo/Zola; Grabouw; and Macassar.

In 2023, due to current economic situation and limited funding opportunities we were forced to restructure this service and we now offer bi-weekly community rehabilitation groups facilitated by a various qualified Allied Healthcare professionals such as Physiotherapist, Occupational Therapist, Biokinetists,Speech therapist, Nurses and counsellors. The aim of the group is to provide a therapeutic environment in which the beneficiaries are equipped with the necessary skill to continue to recover from their stroke. These skills include physical rehabilitation, cognitive stimulation, psychosocial support, and health promotion. These services can help stroke survivors regain their physical strength, manage their mental health, and rebuild their sense of confidence and self-worth. Through evidence-based therapies such as physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, and counselling, stroke survivors can gradually improve their overall quality of life. With the guidance of a professional, stroke survivors can learn how to adapt to their new life circumstances and find ways to navigate new challenges. No matter the obstacles they face, therapeutic services help our stroke survivors take control of their health and rebuild their lives.

The occupational therapist conducts a need assessment within each group and creates a program that has rehabilitative benefits for all engaging in the group. This is often challenging due to the increasing number of stroke survivors, and this puts a strain on the organisation as we do not have the staffing component to offer individualised care to each beneficiary. We are fortunate to have physiotherapist, speech therapists and occupational therapists who volunteer their services to us pro bono, at two of our groups, but this has a limiting effect on our groups as we are not able to oƯer the same services to each group. Based on the needs of our group members our occupational therapist completes referrals to specialised services such as the prosthetics and orthotic clinic (in Pinelands), Western Cape Rehabilitation Centre as well as other support services such as psychologist, social workers, and other allied health professionals.We are seeing an increasing need to seek the consultation of a social worker as our group members are facing issues of elder abuse, family issues as well as placement issues. The HSSG is unable to provide this level of support to our members and would like financial support to be able to pay for the services of a sessional social worker to equip our beneficiaries with the necessary knowledge they need to manage their current situations.

To assist our group members accessing our community rehabilitation groups we need to provide wheelchairs and mobility aids such as crutches, walkers and hiking pole, are essential for stroke survivors who have difficulty walking or standing on their own. They provide independence and freedom of movement, allowing survivors to participate in activities they enjoy and maintain social connections. Furthermore, wheelchairs and mobility can help improve physical health and reduce the risk of falls, which is particularly important for older adults. Unfortunately, many stroke survivors do not have access to wheelchairs due to financial constraints or limited availability in their communities. This can have a significant impact on their quality of life and well-being.

The requirement for this project is the occupational therapist salary as she is essential the the running of the groups, funding to be able to contribute towards the therapist petrol to get to the groups as well as a remuneration to the therapist who contribute their services to us. Furthermore, we need to purchase more wheelchairs and mobility aids in order to assist our beneficiaries in accessing our services.