After surviving a stroke last year, Bev Douglas was told that she would never walk again. But after a little TLC in our hospital wing, some personal physiotherapy, unstinting encouragement from husband Bob and sheer determination on her own part, Bev is now mobile again.
I’m telling Bev’s story because it illustrates two important points. The first is that hospitalisation of the elderly is not the start of an irreversible process of decline. With proper care it is possible for some elderly patients to start living an active life again. This is important because mental resilience plays a huge part in any recovery.
The second is that while Bev’s acute care was provided by hospitals far from here, her follow-up care and the treatment that led to her recovery was provided locally. She is not a resident of Kerikeri Retirement Village, simply a resident of our town. And as a community facility it was our privilege to be able to get her to the point where a personal physiotherapist could take her the final mile.
It’s true that our District lacks suitable acute healthcare facilities. But without the dedication of hundreds of carers and health professionals locally we’d be a lot worse off. To these people, in Kerikeri Retirement Village and in other places around our communities, I salute you.
