The Rewire therapy team continued to expand its participant numbers and its staffing throughout 2020–2021. Service delivery was peppered with changing restrictions across the year impacting on both our Brain Injury Awareness week launch and our participant Christmas party.
The first went ahead with some limitations and the second unfortunately was cancelled. Additionally during November we experienced our first absolute restriction to telehealth services only during the sudden lockdown. Fortunately this was only short lived, and we continue to blend telehealth service delivery with face to face engagement as appropriate to participant needs and circumstances. The Christmas party was also rescheduled as an Easter party to ensure we celebrated with our participants and had some social time all together after much imposed isolation.
Outreach services to the Riverland commenced in November and we continued to develop our services to the region during the year. Participants and their families in the Riverland were eager for the specialist support from Brain injury SA staff and we continue to explore ways to better service regional communities.
Our Rewire therapy staff have increased their intake of students from both Flinders Uni and UniSA for placements across all three Rewire hubs. This was a significant and welcomed achievement during the pandemic when placement opportunities were limited.
Our Speech Pathology team have continued to provide regular placements for a total of 16 Speech students from Flinders Uni across our three Rewire hubs during the year. Our Occupational Therapy (OT) team have significantly increased the number of student placements provided , especially at the start of 2021, when 6 OT students completed their placement in the space of 6 months.
Our Physiotherapy team continued to provide student placements for Flinders University students in our Southern Rewire hub as well as broadening our intake to include UniSA students as of the start of 2021.
At Brain Injury SA (BISA) we celebrate the contribution made by students in both our service delivery and its development. In March, our Speech Pathology students started the “Catch-Up” groups in each hub, under the supervision and support of our Speech Pathology team. Providing a combined opportunity for social engagement and practice of skills in communication, they have proved extremely popular. They have provided much needed support and contact throughout the uncertainty of lockdowns for those who have attended. Each week has a set theme, which is chosen by the participants and helps to support the success of the groups.
BISA remains committed to ensuring Rewire staff are enabled to keep developing their skills, and are well supported to ensure they can deliver the best possible services. In July, staff engaged in the inaugural ‘Refresh’ week where the team focused on new learning, exchange of ideas and self-care. Throughout the year individual opportunities for professional development have continued along with the monthly Rewire in-service meetings, providing staff with a wide range of outside speakers to support continuous and specialist professional development and our inter-disciplinary approach to service provision.
Participant Story: Paul Bovington
From the very start, Paul made his passion for running very clear to his Rewire team.
Paul had tangled blood vessels (arteriovenous malformation) rupture in his brain whilst he was running in 2018 resulting in a stroke. Sidelined from his injury, he has had his eyes set on returning to running with the goal of running a marathon. Paul has worked diligently with his gait and running retraining and is on-track to come full circle on this feat in August this year.
Paul has shown success not only in his running rehab but has also managed to earn himself full-time work and recently attained his driver’s license once again!
“When I first came to Brain Injury SA, I knew I only had one goal on my mind – I wanted to run again. Having suffered hemiparesis on my left side from a stroke, I knew my goal was going to require personal commitment and dedication, but it was just as important to have assistance from an organisation who would not only buy into my goal, but go the extra mile to ensure I could achieve it! This is exactly what Brain Injury SA has done for me!”