Rehabilitation; a sisters rant
Before I go any further I would like to say thank you to Anita’s physio’s and that I appreciate what they have done to help my sister. But for the rest of you����.
After 10 months in Rayners Hedge my sister Anita finally signed herself out - to say she was depressed is an understatement.
Rayners Hedge is a rehabilitation facility for brain injury patients. My sister was assigned to this facility in Aylesbury because there were no facilities available to her in her hometown of Milton Keynes. My sister’s rehabilitation team consisted of an occupational therapist, and physical therapist, and a psychologist.
Over the ten months my sister has been receiving treatment at this facility she has made improvements. She has gone from having no movement in her left side to gaining some use in her left hand and arm and being able to stand, and take a couple of steps with help. In the first hospital Anita had braces/splints on her left arm and hand and also on her foot to keep them straight. These devices were supposed to be on for two hours and off for two hours� Was this done, no it was not. I know for a fact that when I was there with my mum we did it and when Howard was there he did it. I guess the nurses figure they don’t have to do their job if a family member is visiting.
Since being at RH my sisters therapy has consisted of writing exercises, and facial exercises (which she does on her own), but her main objective has been the HOPE of walking again. With this in mind, her physio’s have worked hard in getting Anita to stand and walk. And as of today, all of their hard work has paid off and Anita can stand and can take a few steps with the use of a quadrapod and assistance.
It has recently been brought to my attention that the neuro doctor of this facility had been contacted by my sister’s employer who wanted a prognosis for my sister. This doctor told the employer that is was unlikely that Anita will make significant functional improvements. If that is the case, then why have the physio’s in this facility spent ten months and worked so hard in getting my sister to stand and walk? Are they incompetent? No, I think not. I think these therapists do think Anita has the possibility of walking again� It may take years, but the hope was still there. To take away someone’s hope can demoralize a person. That doctor took away my sister’s hope and crushed her confidence. And why can’t she work? Anita has a physical disability at the moment she is not brain dead! And how dare he imply such a thing. Anita is perfectly capable of working� it is up to her whether she wants to or not.
During the last ten months Anita has had ‘counseling’ sessions and the therapist has been trying to get Anita to accept the fact that she will be in a wheelchair and it is something that Anita has to come to terms with. That’s all fine and dandy for a therapist to say, but this therapist doesn’t know my sister. My sister is one of the most independent women I have ever met and to take away her independence is the worst thing anyone could do. Telling my sister she needs to accept a wheelchair is not being realistic. And if this therapist had taken the time to get to know my sister she would know this.
In all honesty, I don’t think RH has been a positive experience for my sister or for any of us. Anita’s husband Howard has had to fight tooth and nail to get Anita the therapy she is entitled to, which is more stress than he or my sister needs to deal with. This facility has not been supportive of Anita’s physical needs and it has not provided my sister with any emotional support (apart from antidepressants). I think this facility has done the bare minimum for my sister and nothing more.