Week 3

The long awaited, highly anticipated week had finally arrived. Week three .

Week three began with the usual home-visits where we saw repeat clients within the Niwe and Ngwelezane area. The value and impact of these on members of the community was not fully revealed to me until Monday as community members were grateful and glad to see us but our progress was not visibly evident to me yet. This proved to be a day where Mr and Mrs X dared to hope for more for Mr X, seeing  possibilities and strengths in Mr X that will make a difference in both their lives. It is this renewed hope and room for progress that showed me the value and change this can bring to our patients lives, especially within the community context where there aren’t easily accessible services and the focus on rehabilitation within a functional community framework is not highly probable.  This hope in Mr and Mrs X was ignited by Mr X successfully saying his name by the end of the session. The disbelief and joy in the caregiver and patients eye at this feat proved to all present that there are still possibilities and areas that are a strength not just weaknesses. This was important for us to witness as therapists as it not only revealed to us the emotional state of the caregiver and client and how they viewed their ability after the stroke but also the affect of these attitudes and thoughts on therapy and their investment and trust in the process. This event proved how motivation and hope have a big role to play in rehabilitation and how one aim can open up a persons world again, or get them closer.

The day of the IDDSSI project proved again how working together as a team not only makes things work but how observing and using areas of strength in group members gets the job done well.The most important lesson we all learnt as a team was confidence. Not only in our selves as professionals but as people first, a team then in our areas of expertise. It is this that encouraged interaction between CCG’s and demonstrators and helped us reach our goal to inform and teach. It is this confidence we had in each other that made things transition and run smoothly with everyone being on the same page without having to constantly consult and communicate during the event.

This eventful week ended with my visit to QNH, a truly rich experience. The QNH experience not only exposed us to new conditions and interesting cases but also showed us much you as a therapist colour the situation. Observing Lillian with patients but most importantly the mothers and families showed us what family centered intervention truly looks like and how as a therapist it is not your expectations and goals that matter but those of the child and family. The natural and completely holistic way in which she assessed and treated each client resulted in progress and a successful session every time. The focus was not on the targets but on the mother and child. And it is this that translated into therapy, pushing past the expected goals venturing into bigger domains. The focus on the families needs not only motivated the families to heed her suggestions and follow up with home progammes etc  but also created a real relationship and space where clients flourished.

Week three proved to be one of many lessons and successes, but the greatest lesson being becoming a therapist that builds true relationships with clients and their families to not only ensure success within therapy but encourage practice as a true clinician and not a technician.