A Stroke Survivor’s Q &A-Episode 5.

Hullo Again, Thrill Seekers and Fellow Time Travellers, it’s time for another Stroke Survivor’s Q &A-No.5 in the current series.

In tonight’s program. I discuss any learnings that may be useful to other Survivors; my request for an exit interview [which went down like a lead balloon] and motivation.

So, Lights, Camera and hereeees Brian.

As you are now almost 7 years into your stroke rehab journey, are there things that you have become aware of that may be of assistance to other stroke survivors?

Yes, definitely I think the most important thing about a successful rehab is that there must be a purpose to your rehab.

That you are just not doing exercises for the sheer sake of keeping some physiotherapist or clinician happy.

The basic quality of any rehab programme is that is for YOUR benefit. It must be relevant to your post stroke needs/lifestyle; realistic and most importantly measurable!

if it is not, then it's just a series of exercises which could appear meaningless and would be detrimental to your motivation, and post stroke life.

if you are struggling with your rehab plan, PLEASE PLEASE have a chat to the physiotherapist or clinician and ask them for some additional guidance,

During your talk today you mentioned that you would have liked some form of induction when you visited the rehab gym for the first time. Could you please let explain a little bit more about that

Yes, it was the first time that I'd ever visited a rehab gym when I was wheeled into the stroke rehab gym [three days after I had my stroke] at Bankstown hospital.

Everything was strange, even the noises were unfamiliar; the equipment I've never seen before. It would have been a good idea for a clinician to sit with me for 5 or 10 minutes and explain what was happening in the gym and what would happen in the gym as part of my rehab.

In a way, it is remarkably like when you enter a new workplace - there is a formal induction process.

You mentioned when you were about to be discharged that you asked the Manager, Rehab did he have time for an Exit Interview. Could you please explain why you asked to have an exit interview?

Well, it was simple, I'd had been a client of the Rehab staff for four months and in that time, I had plenty of opportunity to see how they delivered their rehab to stroke survivors and with my experience in service/process delivery in the corporate world I thought that I would be able to give them some feedback.

Sadly, I did not have the interview on Discharge Day, but I did make up some months later whilst I was an outpatient. I had what I can only describe as a brief exit interview which I felt was a bit of a shame.

However, I did have the opportunity to speak with a very senior executive of Allied Health who was very appreciative of my feedback

What matters did you raise in your exit interview

I mentioned the fact that was a lack of understanding by some Stroke Survivors of the synergistic nature of the elements of the rehabilitative process. Whilst the physiotherapy aspect was excellent there was no similar understanding that was given to me by other areas of rehab activity.

I needed to be totally familiar with each activity, the objective of each activity and how important they combined as my overall rehabilitation plan

This was somewhat lacking however I must admit it has now been rectified and there has been a total communication between the strike survivor in the clinical staff

Did you have any issues with motivation?

Absolutely none. I’m a driven person anyway and the clinicians I was dealing with in the Rehab Gym [especially the physios] were on top of their game,

They were empathetic, engaged and totally professional in their way in the way they went about their interactions with strike survivors. In short it was an excellent example of workplace culture.

Together with my physio we developed a rehab plan which was measurable; relevant; realistic all the factors that you would want in a meaningful rehab plan and then we went about achieving that.

The result of my sojourn in the rehab gym was at the end of 16 weeks I was able to get up out of my wheelchair and walk out of the rehab gym to the applause of staff and fellow stroke survivors.

This was a testament not only to me and my commitment, motivation but to the high level of clinical delivery by the rehab staff.

Bearing in mind when I first entered that gym [three days after my stroke] I had 0/5 strength in my right side, hemiparesis on the right side of my face and a feeding tube,

As one doctor described me “Brian, you were a f@#king mess”

Brian A Beh, Stroke Survivor

Lifelong Member of the Hopalong Cassidy Fan Club

Poet, Philosopher and Child of the Cosmos

Winner "Improving Life After Stroke" Category

Stroke Foundation of Australia 2021 National Awards