“You will never walk again.”

Those were the words Sue and her husband, Rob, heard after she suffered a devastating stroke – changing their lives in an instant.

The stroke left Sue with a loss of speech, memory, and mobility issues.

After spending time in the intensive care unit at the Royal Adelaide Hospital and then later at Flinders Hospital, Rob and Sue then received the news they were never expecting to hear.

“The doctor told us Sue had plateaued and that we needed to find care,” Rob said.

After checking out a range of aged care homes in their local area to provide that extra support for Sue, they said AnglicareSA’s Westbourne Park Residential Aged Care home stood out above the rest.

“The people at AnglicareSA were so friendly and welcoming,” Rob said.

During the six months as a resident at Westbourne Park, Sue worked closely with the AnglicareSA team and clinical professionals like neuro physiotherapists, to rebuild her strength and independence.

Those months of hard work and perseverance would pay off as Sue defied her doctor’s expectations.

“Sue doesn’t like talking about herself, but she is very determined,” Rob said.

“We have noticed signs of improvement in lots of things, particularly she had bone replacement surgery in her skull.

“Within a fairly short time at AnglicareSA, she no longer needed a wheelchair, and now, Susie can zoom all around the home at speed on her walker unaided.

“Her vocabulary and movement in her right leg have come back about 80 per cent, and her long-term memory seems pretty good.”

 

 

Sue’s recovery and rehabilitation proved so positive that she achieved something she had once thought was impossible – returning home.

The couple, who have been married for 55 years, are looking forward to resuming life together in their home, supported by AnglicareSA’s home care services where needed.

“I can’t see anything stopping us from doing most things,” Rob said.

“But we are just going to make sure that she has the supports for showering and dressing.

“Sue will continue to improve, and we will start seeing a bit more normality.

“She is capable of anything.”