Hard work and determination help Streamway resident achieve mobility goal
Wanda Greacen is now walking independently after 12 months of participating in the home’s physiotherapy program
Hard work, focus and lots of determination have helped a Streamway Villa resident improve her mobility to the point she can walk independently.
When Wanda Greacen moved into the Cobourg, Ont. long-term care home she required a wheelchair and was finding it challenging to stand – even with assistance from staff members.
But after a year of working hard to reach her goal, Wanda is walking independently with a walker and enjoying an enhanced quality of life, thanks to her determination and some help from the physiotherapy team.
Wanda’s journey to improved mobility began not long after she moved to Streamway Villa and met physiotherapy assistant Harita Patel, whom she would work with for the next 12 months.
Wanda set her own goals and she worked with the physiotherapy team to create a routine that would help her reach those goals, Harita says.
Wanda and Harita worked primarily on range-of-motion and strengthening exercises, gradually adding weight to the movement as Wanda progressed at a fast pace.
Range-of-motion exercises improve joint function, and strengthening exercises improve muscle function.
Wanda also focused on balance and co-ordination exercises which helped her to improve her gait. Wanda exercised often and stuck to her schedule tenaciously, Harita says.
“These (exercises) helped her a lot to improve her mobility and helped her switch from a wheelchair to a walker,” Harita tells The OMNIway.
Physiotherapy programs are an important part of life in OMNI Health Care long-term care homes. For many years, residents have worked with physiotherapists and physiotherapy assistants to achieve goals to improve their mobility.
Dedication and motivation are very important, and Wanda was dedicated and self-motivated, Harita says. Harita says she would sometimes start her shift to find Wanda already waiting for her.
“Motivation, dedication and consistency are very important,” Harita says, adding Wanda was a “very dedicated” resident.
And what does Wanda think of the progress she has made since moving to Streamway Villa?
“(I was) raised a poor, old country girl; I didn’t enjoy life growing up,” she says, “but since I have been here at Streamway, I feel like a chicken coming out of an egg.”
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PHOTO CAPTION: Pictured above, Streamway Villa resident Wanda Greacen greatly improved her mobility by participating in the home’s physiotherapy program.
