Acute rehab services for Eastern Cape

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1 Rehabilitation Acute rehab services for Eastern Cape There is a huge demand for acute rehabilitation services in the Border area. Our new 16-bed unit will significantly improve access to these services, and our expertise and experience in this highly specialised field will bring new hope for persons disabled by traumatic brain or spinal injury, stroke or other debilitating diseases. The new development underscores our steady growth, from just 28 beds when we established our first unit in 1999, to over 150 beds currently in six rehabilitation units in Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal and the Free State, says Dr Nilesh Patel, national manager rehabilitation. The East London unit will accommodate a broad spectrum of rehabilitation services and will be staffed by a comprehensive interdisciplinary team including a rehabilitation doctor, nursing staff, therapy professionals such as speech, occupational and physiotherapists, as well as psychologists, dieticians and a social worker. We will also work closely with various organisations in the Life Rehabilitation is expanding its acute physical and cognitive rehabilitation services to the Eastern Cape, with the opening of a new unit at Life St. Dominic s Hospital in East London by mid Eastern Cape to ensure that rehabilitation services in the region are streamlined and strengthened as much as possible, he added. The new development fits in well with Life Rehabilitation s structured expansion strategy to extend our services to regions and communities where these are viable and most needed. We are well on our way to providing a national network of quality, specialised rehabilitation units, says Dr Patel. Life Rehabilitation is also in the process of expanding Life Entabeni s rehabilitation facilities in Durban to probably double its existing size in the near future. A facility upgrade is also underway at Life New Kensington Clinic in Johannesburg, while Life Pasteur Hospital in Bloemfontein is expanding from 15 to 27 beds. Last year, Life Rehabilitation opened a specialised stroke unit at Life Little Company of Mary and a neurological and spinal rehabilitation unit at Life Eugene Marais Hospital, both in Tshwane. Disabled team shines in business relay The KPMG-JHI Business Relay, held towards the end of 2006 in KwaZulu- Natal, was an excellent opportunity to expose the abilities of wheelchairbound people to the business fraternity as well as the general public. The rehabilitation unit at took advantage of this occasion by organising accessibility to the race for disabled athletes. Daniel Baijnath of Life Entabeni, left, and Martin Visagie of the company Mr Wheelchair, right, were the only disabled team to enter the relay. Sharon Rawlins, admissions consultant, back, captained the team. KPMG-JHI allocated a separate lane for them, and they were accompanied by Life Rehabilitation employees Lesley Vezi, Thabane Nxumalo, Zandile Sibiya, Dr Hugh Staub and Estelle Buys, who offered support and assistance. The team completed the 15km in good time, and was welcomed into King s Park with enthusiastic applause. Page 3 Neuro CPD calendar for 2007/8 Page 6 New Entabeni team ISSUE 7 autumn 2007

2 training and networking NDT course enhances quality of rehab Estelle Buys, physiotherapist at Life Entabeni s rehabilitation unit, assisted with the presentation of an adult NDT course A professional rehabilitation team treats many patients with similar diagnoses, but the patients are vastly different depending on their mental status, level of trauma, support systems, previous health status and personal circumstances. It is thus essential that therapists have the skills and knowledge that equip them to evaluate the clinical challenges they are faced with, and to make individual decisions for each patient. One of the sets of skills that underpin the physical handling of patients is neurodevelopmental therapy (NDT) skills, and for this purpose, Life Rehabilitation in Durban hosted a three-week long adult NDT course on the evaluation and treatment of adults with neurological lesions. Mary Reilly, an experienced trainer and physiotherapist, was the instructor, with Estelle Buys, a Life Rehabilitation physiotherapist who is currently training to become an instructor, assisting her. The course accommodated 15 participants - nine occupational therapists, five physiotherapists and a speech therapist. Life Rehabilitation ensures that a high percentage of its professional staff is NDT-trained. Rehab teams sparkle in National Quality Awards Two Life Rehabilitation teams were amongst the ten finalists in Life Healthcare s National Quality Awards for Both teams excelled in presenting the outcomes of the projects to the company s senior management during the awards event held early this year. Nina Strydom, rehabilitation standards manager, and a team from Life Entabeni Hospital launched the project that championed the employment of disabled people in Life Healthcare through a process that includes competency evaluation, workplace adaptation and employee education. The project has already been instrumental in a number of successful appointments in the Life Healthcare network. Corina Botha, therapy unit manager, Heleen van Wyk, physiotherapist, Christina Fourie, nursing services manager, and Nelia Fourie, nursing unit manager, all from Life Pasteur Hospital, initiated the other finalist project, focused on implementing a user-friendly and effective method of managing functional risks in wards where patients are functionally compromised. The system educates staff, patients and families and ensures high levels of awareness in managing the common risks in care, for example, slips and falls. Both teams reinforced the high standard and creative commitment to quality service delivery in Life Rehabilitation units, as well as to the disabled community at large. The Life Entabeni team: Nadia Cozzi, hospitality manager (second from left), Nadia Vice, HR practitioner (third from left), Bronwen Glaeser, unit manager trauma (fourth from right), Nina Strydom, rehabilitation standards manager (third from right), and Jill Dunstone, theatre manager (second from right), seen here with Helene Clement, GM healthcare services (far left), Mike Flemming, managing director (fourth from left), Dena van den Bergh, GM national healthcare functions (fifth from left), and Kathy Wundram, national standards manager (far right). The team from Life Pasteur, from left: Dr Michelle van Zyl, rehabilitation doctor, Corina Botha, unit manager therapy, and Heleen van Wyk, physiotherapist, pictured here with Dr Nilesh Patel, national manager rehabilitation. 2

3 training and networking Neuro CPD events calendar for 2007/8 Life Rehabilitation has put together an exciting CPD programme, featuring topics for all rehabilitation professionals with a special interest in neurology. The events can be viewed on The focus will be on skills training and various one to three day workshops will be hosted by different Life Rehabilitation facilities, featuring recognised experts. Each expert will cover theory and practical skills training as well as patient/equipment demonstrations. In addition, participants will be able to practice within the structure of the event. Should you be interested in further details, please contact Leslene Pükke at leslene.pukke@lifehealthcare.co.za or on for a brochure. The joint congress of the Southern African Spinal Cord Association (SASCA) and the Southern African Neurological Rehabilitation Association (SANRA) will be held at the International Convention Centre in Durban, from 4 to 7 September For further details please contact Alison Shaw at or royalh@mweb.co.za. Technology solutions for rehabilitation A full-day seminar on the latest low to high technology solutions to rehabilitation challenges was held at Life Riverfield Lodge in November. Guest speakers covered augmentative and alternative communication, software options for cognitive rehabilitation, therapeutic electrical stimulation, treadmill-based unweighing and gait retrainers, pressure mapping for seating and general assistive devices. Therapists from all over the country attended and used the opportunity for networking and discussion. Gillian Coetsee, occupational therapist in private practice, is seen here demonstrating the use of functional/therapeutic electrical stimulation on patient Mr Pieter Bothma. In the background is one of Life Riverfield Lodge s physiotherapists, Philip Avraam, standing next to patient Mrs Leonora Barnett, who also kindly allowed the speakers to demonstrate treatment techniques on her. CPD TOPICS: Facilitation of breathing for speech intervention Alternative and augmentative communication Splinting in neurological disability (including the use of Botox ) Upper limb rehabilitation in spinal cord injury Sexuality in disability Using Brunnstrom and Rood s neurotechniques in practical therapy Upper limb therapeutic electrical stimulation and splinting Implementing NDT principles for nurses Sensory integration in adults Seating for neurological disability Cognitive and visual perceptual rehabilitation in neurology Private/public sector networking As part of our commitment to networking and sharing ideas, Life Rehabilitation s team of rehabilitation doctors recently visited the new Western Cape Rehabilitation Centre in Lentegeur, Mitchell s Plain. The WCRC is a customised, state-of-the-art facility with 156 beds. The unit is an amalgamation of the rehabilitation services previously offered by the Western Cape Department of Health at Karl Bremer and Conradie Hospitals. Rehabilitation doctors from both the private and public sectors discussed several 3 issues and opportunities to network. There are probably less than 20 medical practitioners who practice full-time in the field of rehabilitation medicine in South Africa and currently there are no postgraduate training programmes available for medical practitioners who want to specialise in the field of neurological and spinal rehabilitation. Featured here, front from left to right, are Dr Hugh Staub, rehabilitation neurologist at, Dr Helen Sammons, WCRC, and Dr Anna Marx from Life Eugene Marais Hospital. Back from left are Dr Krys Mon from Life Riverfield Lodge, Dr Stefan Erasmus, WCRC, and Dr Elana van Brakel, WCRC.

4 programme enhancements NKC therapy pups boost patient and staff morale The innovative therapy dog programme at Life New Kensington Clinic featured in the previous issue of our newsletter was recently publicised in the Sunday Times and in Beeld. A film crew from Kyknet s Kwêla programme also visited the unit to capture the interaction between patients and the dogs, and get first hand comments from patients and staff on the value of the programme. The concept of using resident therapy pets was formed while the unit s case administrator, Charlene Kruger, watched a television programme on animal assisted therapy. Realising that patients get lonely and often have pets at home that they miss terribly, the team decided to start a pilot project based loosely on the concept in the television programme, as well as on international therapy dog programmes to add value during their patients stay in the rehabilitation unit. Firstly, Life Healthcare s safety, health, environment and quality (SHEQ) principles were implemented with regards to the introduction of animals in the unit. Following that, Charlene experimented with a few breeds before approaching a top breeder of Golden Retrievers, who donated a puppy. Benjamin was introduced into his future workplace in October 2006, at the age of eight weeks, and was welcomed with open arms by both patients and staff. His immediate impact on morale was so overwhelming that the team decided to introduce his brother, named Bobby, a few weeks later. This has worked well, as the dogs have different personalities, which together accommodate a wide variety of patient needs. The puppies now join Charlene on her daily care rounds to dish out their special brand of cuddle therapy, which is eagerly awaited by patients. Charlene is a registered judge with the Kennel Union of Southern Africa and a member of the SA Board for Companion Animal Professionals. She will be writing her final exam in animal behaviour in March with Professor Odendaal from Onderstepoort, where she is also enrolled in an animal assisted activities course. Charlene has done several courses in animal psychology, training, movement and temperament. Power Plate adding value to physical rehabilitation Many therapists, biokineticists and fitness fanatics are currently using the Power Plate Advanced Vibration Technology to enhance their treatment sessions and training programmes. Several studies have been conducted to confirm the positive effects achieved. Life Pasteur s unit has trialed Power Plate in their programmes. Former Springbok flank Andre Venter, who was an inpatient in the unit, had a daily training session on the Power Plate to complement his rehabilitation programme. Andre was very impressed with the machine and this intervention clearly contributed to his improvement. Other patients in the unit have also used the Power Plate with positive results. The Power Plate is a vibrating platform on which the patient positions himself in order to perform a certain exercise routine. The duration and intensity of the vibration is selected carefully for each individual s needs and capabilities. The Power Plate operates on the principle of generating a continuous special stretch reflex called the tonic vibration reflex in all involved muscles. For most people in conventional training situations, a maximum of 40% of available muscle fibres per muscle are recruited. The Power Plate vibrations claim to recruit between 95% and 97% of muscle fibres. This also means that the deeper posture and stabilizing muscles, such as the spinal muscles and the pelvic basin muscles that are normally hard to train, can be stimulated. The device is designed to increase metabolism, muscles strength, flexibility, circulation and fitness. 4

5 going the extra mile Wheels for Huyiberto came to the aid of a man who crawled into church on his hands and knees, where Jabu Mnanzana, rehabilitation ward clerk at the unit noticed his plight. Jabu, with many years of experience in the rehabilitation environment, was so moved by Huyiberto Mahlalela that he approached the unit for assistance. His request resulted in the donation of a wheelchair to Huyiberto, who now gets around much easier. Back, left, are Jabu Mnanzana, Erina Steyl, occupational therapist, and Huyiberto Mahlalela. Recreation part of rehabilitation An outing to the Umgeni River Bird Park, to mark the National Day of the Disabled, provided patients from Life Entabeni s rehabilitation unit with a welcome break from their daily routine. Outings form part of the rehabilitation programmes and are essential in exposing patients to experiences outside of the safe hospital environment. This is an important part of pre-discharge preparation, says Leanne Arlow, recently appointed practice manager at the unit. The group was transported to the park courtesy of the QuadPara Association and had the opportunity to enjoy the huge variety of birds in the park and attend the bird show, before sharing lunch together. Back, from left, are staff members Rassool Khan, Crystal Moosajie, Dusti Booysen, Tracey Bruce, Raymond Davisworth, René Erasmus and Vash Woompath, with patients, front from left, Vernon Nyembe, Musa Vumase, John Clapperton, Bezile Mokoqama and Mbongwa Nhlangulela. Kneeling with the unit s youngest patient, Fezile Dludla, is staff member Lesley Vezi. Surprise visits for Pasteur patients The new year got off to a great start for some of Life Pasteur s rehabilitation patients when they received unexpected visits from the Minister of Defence, Mr Patrick Lekota, as well as Cheetahs coach Rassie Erasmus, and Naka Drotske, captain of the Cheetahs who won the Currie Cup in Rassie and Naka brought the cup with them as a special surprise for patient and staunch Cheetahs supporter, Alwyn Nel, insert, on request of former Springbok flank Andre Venter, also a patient at the time. From left to right are minister Patrick Lekota, Sarah Koahela, enrolled nurse, Andre Venter and Alrina Boom, hospitality attendant. 5 Stroke Services Seminar Life Little Company of Mary recently held a breakfast seminar, which also presented a great opportunity for visitors to see the new facility and to gain understanding of the services being offered. LCM s dedicated stroke service, which is unique in this country in its ability to deliver services throughout the continuum of care from acute care to acute rehabilitation to outpatient therapy are delivered by specialised teams. The need for this service is illustrated by the fact that patients are traveling from throughout Gauteng and much further afield for the services.

6 updates Riverfield team s wealth of experience featured on TV The skilled therapist team at Life Riverfield Lodge recently shared their first-hand experience of the impact and potentially devastating results of motor vehicle accidents on camera for an Arrive Alive TV campaign. The footage, which included short documentaries on patients at the unit, was aimed at educating the general public on safe driving practices. Life Riverfield Lodge, reflecting the model in Life Rehabilitation, has a core team of experienced therapists who have been at the unit for a number of years. Their wealth of experience and team cohesion ensure that patients are receiving intensive, comprehensive and individualised treatment. Another huge advantage that an experienced core team creates is the establishment of an ideal environment for younger therapists who are interested in rehabilitation, to develop and learn sound rehabilitation knowledge and skills. Seen here are, back, Dean Donaldson, therapy manager at Life Riverfield Lodge, front, left to right, Philip Avraam, physiotherapist, Lynne van Zyl, dietician, Liliena Geyser, physiotherapist, Sulice Pietersen, speech therapist and Rolene Hovsha, psychologist. Insert: Monica Dube, social worker. New staff Sonja Wright is a clinical psychologist who has wide and varied experience in a number of different areas, including private practice, foreign affairs, correctional services and corporate employee assistance. She recently joined the rehabilitation team at Life Eugene Marais Hospital. Sello Matona is the newest recruit within the therapist team at Life New Kensington Clinic. He qualified as a physiotherapist at Medunsa and was previously employed at AngloGold Ashanti and in government. Life Rehabilitation at Entabeni welcomed Romy Perkins to the team as clinical psychologist. She completed her first year Masters at the University of Durban Westville, and has worked at Addington, King Edward and RK Khan hospitals, Ilembe District Health Office and in private practice. New Entabeni management team A new management team has been put in place at the rehabilitation unit at Life Entabeni Hospital in January. This forms part of a restructuring strategy to accommodate the expansion of the unit to double its current size. Heading the unit as rehabilitation practice manager is Leanne Arlow, centre, who will manage the full interdisciplinary team. Leanne previously worked in s general high care unit where she was involved with neurological, orthopaedic and surgical patients. Her organisational skills, high level of motivation and passion for patient care adds huge value to this very dynamic unit. Sr Ashika Kaliyan, right, has been appointed as nursing services coordinator. She has been with the unit since its inception, and has gained extensive skills and insight into dealing with the unique challenges of the rehabilitation process. Ashika has experience in intensive care, neurology and rehabilitation nursing. Dusti Booysen, left, occupational therapist, is the unit s new therapy services co-ordinator. She enjoys the field of neurological rehabilitation and is currently completing her third year of Masters in Public Health through the Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. RFL goes underground Life Riverfield Lodge s clinical team recently visited AngloGold Ashanti s Tautona mine, to experience first-hand the working environment of mine workers who are referred for rehabilitation post-injury. Seen here are staff members from AngloGold Ashanti and Life Riverfield Lodge. 6

7 professional profiles OCCUPATIONAL THERAPISTS Essential and valued members of Life Rehabilitation One of the biggest shocks that people experience after a disabling illness or injury is the loss of function whether of a physical, emotional, communicative, social, and/or self care nature. There are so many things that active able-bodied people achieve in a day, without a second thought making a cup of tea, buying a loaf of bread, brushing teeth, climbing out of bed, getting dressed that it s difficult to imagine the change in one s life should these skills be compromised. Occupational therapists are trained to manage the challenges brought about by compromised function, and to teach patients to compensate for the losses in function, be they physical or psychological, or to adapt and retrain some functions that have changed due to disability. In the rehabilitation environment, occupational therapists focus on therapy relating to activities of daily living (ranging from simple tasks like washing and dressing, to advanced tasks like budgeting, shopping, getting around and interacting appropriately in a social environment), mobility and general emotional adjustment related to daily function. Another important facet of their contribution is the significant amounts of time they spend in educating families regarding function and adaptation of function, as well as assessing the challenges that patients are likely to encounter in their home and work environments, and facing these challenges together with the patient and family. Occupational therapists are essential and valued members of rehabilitation teams employed at Life Rehabilitation, working closely with other professionals to ensure optimal independence and a return to productive life for all of our patients. Occupational therapy assistants (OTAs) are responsible for assisting occupational therapists in providing the occupational therapy service, including support with wheelchair mobility and maintenance, cognitive and perceptual groups and craft groups. They also play a large part in patient education and teaching self-care activities. Elma Heyns (OT) Life Pasteur Hospital Marethe Erasmus (OT) Life Eugene Marais Hospital Marista Snyman (OT) Life Eugene Marais Hospital Riaan du Toit (OT) Life Riverfield Lodge Kläre Heine (OT) Life Riverfield Lodge Sharize Lategan (OT) Life Riverfield Lodge Rowena Voss (OT) Julie Neil (OT). Miriam Krawitz (OT) Erina Steyl (OT) Alison Camp (OT) Deshni Naidoo (OT) Janine Muller (OT) Emily Coetzer (OT) Life Little Company of Mary Lesley Vezi (OTA) Nelly Ntuli (OTA) 7

8 Jan Sibiya a picture of positivity Jan Sibiya, a 45 year-old bus driver, was involved in a bus accident in July 2006, and was admitted to Life Eugene Marais Hospital with polytrauma including extensive fragmented fractures of both lower legs. The extensive nature of the fractures ultimately forced doctors to perform bilateral amputations, directly below his knees. Once medically stabilised, Jan was transferred to Life Rehabilitation at the hospital. From his first day of admission, Jan launched himself into his rehabilitation programme with great enthusiasm. His attitude was so overwhelmingly positive that staff initially suspected that he wasn t accepting his condition or coming to terms emotionally with his loss. Jan continued though with his daily programme, working up a sweat in the gym and in group exercises, rapidly increasing his physical strength and endurance. Very soon, Jan was able to perform all physical and functional activities independently and was zipping around in his wheelchair faster than any ablebodied person could walk. His rehabilitation was lengthy, as it took a long time for his stump wounds to heal enough to allow for prosthetic fitting. Jan finally received his prosthetic limbs in December and could stand on his own two feet for the first time in over four months. He has since been discharged, determined to resume his life and vowing to go back to work as soon as possible. We remember him for his pragmatic outlook and indomitable spirit, and his positive approach to life. Wedding bells for spirited couple The rehabilitation team at Life Pasteur Hospital was privileged to witness the recovery of two young people who were determined not to become the victims of their disabling injuries. In January 2004, Alan James and his fiancée, Anescka Henning, were involved in a motor vehicle accident which left them with significant injuries. It was never thought that they would ever have the capacity to get married and live independently. However, their physical limitations did not stand in the way of their happiness and they got married in November The rehabilitation team was not only actively involved in their rehabilitation process, but some team members were also present on their wedding day. Alan was left with impaired upper limb function and Anescka has no active movement in her legs. He has managed to find employment and the couple is living in a townhouse, managing well with all the domestic challenges, and complementing each other, even from a functional perspective. Contact us 148 South Ridge Road, Berea Durban 4001 Tel: Fax: rehab.entabeni@lifehealthcare.co.za Life Eugene Marais Hospital 696 5th Avenue, Les Marais Tshwane 0084 Tel: Fax: rehab.eugenemarais@lifehealthcare.co.za Life Little Company of Mary 50 George Storrar Drive, Groenkloof Tshwane 0181 Tel: Fax: rehab.littlecompanyofmary@lifehealthcare.co.za 23 Roberts Avenue, Kensington Johannesburg 2001 Tel: Fax: rehab.newkensington@lifehealthcare.co.za Life Pasteur Hospital 54 Pasteur Drive, Hospital Park Bloemfontein 9301 Tel: Fax: rehab.pasteur@lifehealthcare.co.za Life Riverfield Lodge Southernwoods Road, Nietgedacht Johannesburg 2001 Tel: (or when the lines are down) Fax: rehab.riverfieldlodge@lifehealthcare.co.za Life St Dominic s Hospital (opening in mid 2007) 45 St. Mark s Road, Southernwood, East London, 5201 Tel: Fax: rehab.stdominics@lifehealthcare.co.za Life Rehabilitation National Office Oxford Manor, 21 Chaplin Road Illovo 2196 Tel: Fax: leslene.pukke@lifehealthcare.co.za Review is published by Life Rehabilitation for distribution to rehabilitation stakeholders. Editor: Marietjie Shelly, communications manager, Life Healthcare marietjie.shelly@lifehealthcare.co.za Tel: Life Healthcare Oxford Manor, 21 Chaplin Road, Illovo 2196 Private Bag X13, Northlands 2116