Specialist nursing care following a spinal injury: Rueben's story

In October 2019, Rueben moved to Greenside Court following a spinal injury, unable to walk and with limited use of his hands. With the support of our in-house team, Rueben has progressed well with his rehabilitation and has achieved his goals of being able to walk and hold a drink unaided. 

When Rueben first moved to Greenside Court, he renounced himself to the situation and felt that he wasn’t going to get better.

Over time, our Life Skills Team built trust with Rueben and worked with him to identify some small rehabilitation goals – he wants to hold a drink unaided, be able to walk again and be home for Christmas.

Together, we agreed Rueben’s goals, set out a plan and worked alongside a Physiotherapist to support him with his rehabilitation.

Building arm strength to drink unaided

Rueben has worked with the Life Skills Team and Physiotherapist to build his arm strength.

Over the past year, the movement in his hands and arms has returned significantly, and he can now hold a cup and drink independently for short periods of time.

Individualised exercise programme to support movement

Rueben expressed that he’d like to walk again – and despite this being a challenging ambition, he’s very determined to make it happen.

The Life Skills Team and Physiotherapist works with Rueben through an individualised exercise programme.

He’s built his body strength and can make movements independently, such as sitting up in bed and positioning himself at the end of the bed to transfer. This means that Rueben doesn’t require a hoist and can transfer using the Rotunda. He enjoys sitting in his comfy chair and is using his electric wheelchair independently on a regular basis.

Due to his progress, the team has worked with Rueben to set a plan to support him to walk again.

He started using a zimmer frame, and with the support of the team, has progressed from standing with assistance to now being able to walk around the unit with the frame, with minimal assistance.

He’s also been practising turning with the frame, with great success.

Rehabilitation journey

Maximising his independence has uplifted Rueben’s mood, mental health and general wellbeing, and he’s feeling positive as he continues his rehabilitation journey.

We're looking forward to working with Rueben as he progresses on his journey. 

Specialist nursing care with Exemplar Health Care 

Our care homes provide specialist nursing care and rehabilitation for people living with a spinal injury.  

Spinal injuries can affect anyone at any stage of their life. We support people who have acquired their spinal injury through trauma, such as an accident, or from disease or degeneration, such as a tumour, blood clot or hemorrhage.

Spinal injuries require significant physical, emotional and social adjustment by the injured person and their loved ones. We understand these challenges and that’s why our approach is personalised to the individuals that we support – we work with them, their loved ones and professionals to design a care plan that’s tailored to their needs and goals, and enhanced through meaningful activities that make life more fulfilling.

If you're looking for a complex care placement, get in touch with our Referrals Team.