It’s Blooming Lovely at Rehab Therapy
Two of the garden beds planted and attended to by patients receiving rehabilitation therapy at Whakatāne Hospital’s Te Koru Rehabilitation and Therapy Unit
By Eilidh McGillivray, Team Co-ordinator/
Physiotherapist Rehab Therapy Team Whakatāne.
Patients receiving rehabilitation
therapy at Whakatāne Hospital’s
Te Koru Rehabilitation and Therapy
Unit have been enjoying the fruits of
their labour.
This in turn builds their confidence and shows them that just
because their functional level may have changed it doesn’t mean
that the things that are important to them cannot be achieved.
These beds allow patients to
practice returning to some of
their pre-admission hobbies
and provide an opportunity
to learn new techniques to
allow them to continue with
them on their return home.
Following the very kind donation of vegetable
plants and flower seeds by Social Worker Kim
McClure some of the more green fingered patients
were able to get their hands dirty in the therapy garden making
great use of the raised plant beds. These beds allow patients to
practice returning to some of their pre-admission hobbies and
provide an opportunity to learn new techniques to allow them to
continue with them on their return home.
With a little nurturing from both patients
and therapy staff, the flower and veggie
gardens are positively blooming. The
vegetables will find their way into the
rehabilitation kitchen where patients
will be able to practice and participate
in meal preparation and kitchen tasks
to again demonstrate a return to their
previous daily routines post-discharge.
Staff are already planning for the winter garden plantings while the
patients are making the most of the chance to work, rest and play
in such a positive space.
Health Science students
prepare for University
By BOP Clinical School Business Leader,
Sarah Strong.
Thirteen tertiary students attended
a one-day session covering an
introduction to Health Sciences
and Undergraduate Medicine and
Health Sciences Admission test
(UMAT) held at the BOP Clinical
School.
the Undergraduate Medicine and Health Sciences Admission Test
which must be passed by students to qualify for Medical School.
The student feedback
was very positive as they
appreciated the insights
into study and realities of
the career path they have
chosen.
Feedback was very positive, the students attending were from a
variety of schools including from Tokoroa and Cambridge. UMAT is
16
The workshop was delivered by James
Gilling who is currently a fourth year medical
student at the University of Otago and has
been delivering this session for the past three
years. Dr Adrianne Pimental also spoke to the
students about study and becoming a doctor.
Adrienne was a Trainee Intern with the BOP
Clinical School in 2013 and is now a Urology
Registrar at Tauranga Hospital.
The student feedback was very positive as they appreciated
the insights into study and realities of the career path they have
chosen.