Homegrown independence

Only weeks earlier, a stroke had taken the use of her entire left-hand side and her belief that she would ever live independently again. Now, she can dress herself, go for walks to her local library and is working towards the day she will get back to her job.

“It’s all thanks to the occupational therapists that helped me get back to my routines,” she said. “I am just a few months into recovery, but they have instilled in me that I need to make progress, I am resolute that I will.”

Monica had always lived life to the full. She works in security at Lloyd’s of London and commuted to the city, a job she adores. But, one Saturday evening in early September last year, everything changed.

“I was pouring a glass of wine, when I felt like I was swaying from side to side,” she said. “I went to bed and hoped it would pass. The next morning, it hadn’t. I still couldn’t walk properly. I brushed it off, which I shouldn’t have.”

Later that day, her speech started to slur as she was mid-phone call to some builders doing work on her house.

“The man became worried about me. He told me he thought it might be a stroke’, said Monica. “I called 999. Within 10 minutes, the ambulance was outside.”

At William Harvey Hospital, scans confirmed everything she feared. Monica remembered: “My whole left side had no feeling, I couldn’t move. I lay there thinking, what am I going to do? I even wondered why I should carry on if everything I knew had disappeared.”

To push through the tough early days, Monica drew on her past: “In my 20s I studied health promotion at the University of East London. One of my major placements was working with people who had HIV, to help them believe there was life after diagnosis. Lying in that hospital bed, I had to tell myself the same thing.”

Monica spent several days on the stroke unit at the Kent and Canterbury Hospital and was then transferred to our stroke rehabilitation unit at Westbrook House in Margate, where she stayed for a month

Work with the physiotherapy team brought the first sparks of progress and Monica caught the bug for pushing herself, every day.

Monica with the team at Westbrook House

Monica said: “The first time they helped me stand or take a few steps with the bars for support, it was a ‘wow’ moment. My body remembered something. It wasn’t gone forever.”

But it was occupational therapy (OT) that helped Monica return to everyday activities, even though her hand was permanently affected by the stroke. OT specialists, first at Westbrook and later in her own home, focused on rebuilding her confidence and adapting tasks she struggled with, such as dressing herself, or handling small objects.

Learning to get dressed again was a turning point for Monica: “My occupational therapists showed me how to support my weak arm with the strong one. Being able to dress myself meant I could put myself to bed when I wanted. You don’t realise what freedom feels like until you lose it and once I had this new technique to help me dress, everything was easier.”

Vicki Pout, KCHFT’s Stroke Team Lead said: “Occupational therapy isn’t only about movement, it’s about restoring identity. Our job is to help people rebuild the skills that matter to them, whether that’s brushing their teeth, getting dressed, cooking, or going back to work. We start with their goals, not ours.”

Going home became Monica’s main goal, but that home needed to be safe and ready to support everything Monica needed.

She said: “I was so determined, I had a mortgage to pay and I live alone because my husband passed away many years ago.

“When I left Westbrook, I could see I wasn’t going to instantly return to my old life. I needed more support at home and things in place to make sure I was able to function there and get better.”

Apprentice Occupational Therapist Caroline Palmer, added: “A simple equipment change can mean someone washes, cooks or sleeps without fear of falling. Independence isn’t about doing everything alone; it’s about having choice again.

“We help arrange things in the home. For Monica, we made sure she had a frame to get to the kitchen and lounge. She also had her toilet raised for her, to help her take a seat more easily. Small things that make a big difference.”

With her home adapted with rails on the walls and other things, like special supportive cushions for the sofa, Monica is now setting new goals for the future.

She said: “Driving was freedom for me. I used to drive to the station for work and loved getting out and about. When I couldn’t do that anymore, it felt like part of me had been taken away. Getting that back is my motivation for the long term.

“Recently, my friend took me to the hospital as a passenger and getting into the car unaided was a great moment, but getting back to driving one day would really be incredible.”

For the rehabilitation team, Monica’s determination will play one of the biggest roles in her getting back to what she loves.

Vicki concluded: “Monica’s attitude has really helped her to move forward and setting goals is such a big part of that. Seeing our patients progress makes everything we do worthwhile. We wish Monica every success on her recovery journey.”

Our Community Rehabilitation Team helps people regain independence, rebuild everyday skills, and return to the activities that matter most.