This week, Livability Icanho welcomed Her Royal Highness Princess Anne and special guests to the official launch of a specialist piece of rehabilitation equipment. Livability Icanho have enhanced their rehabilitation provision, with the first Vector Body Weight Support System in the UK specifically for use by people with acquired brain injury/stroke. The new equipment not only enables gait training but also provides a safe environment for strength, balance and functional training, for instance getting up out of a chair or from the floor.
A royal celebration
Clients, family members and carer’s shared their first-hand experiences of the impact of the Vector Support System, working with Livability Icanho and how they have been supported on their rehabilitation and transition back into the home, work and adapting to a new life.
Installation of the Vector System was made possible by the generous donations from HITs Foundation, various trusts, Icanho staff and individual supporters, who fundraised an incredible £180,000.
“Life can change in a split second. Out of the blue, anyone of us can experience a serious injury and need the life changing specialist rehabilitation and complex care that helps people get back on track. Seeing how Icanho innovates to enable clients to have a quicker, safer and more comfortable journey on their road to recovery has been wonderful. The new Bioness Vector System is exemplary, and testament to how the staff here go above and beyond whilst trying new ways to support those who have suffered brain injury,” said HRH Princess Anne, Livability Patron
Rosemary Gravell, centre manager and Clinical Lead for the service said: “As a charity, Livability is passionate about breaking down the barriers for disabled people so everyone can live a life that adds for up them. We know that people with brain injury go on a massive journey of rehabilitation and without the right support, the transition back from acute rehabilitation support to home and community life can be hard.”
The launch also included demonstrations that displayed the breadth of Livability Icanho’s holistic rehabilitation approach including emotional support, upper limb mobility work and cooking skills.
A word from Livability Icanho clients
Kevin Moon, Livability Icaho client, said, “I came in a wheel chair and I left walking”. After his rehabilitation, Kevin returned to work for the police.
Rosy Payne, Livability Icanho client’s wife and carer said: ‘the recent acquisition of the Vector has been marvelous for my husband, he is still learning to use it and he describes it as quite a “strange feeling”. It has succeeded in catching him when he has fallen and it is beginning to give him some confidence. My husband is it looking forward to using it a great deal more, growing in confidence and gaining more mobility’
Patricia Bendall, Livability Icanho client, said: ‘Eight months I’ve been coming to Livability Icanho, and amazingly enough I have found that I have become incredibly creative since I got banged on the head. I can’t thank Icanho enough, the people here are so amazing’. Trisha has recently completed a City and Guilds course in embroidery – gaining a distinction. She gifted her physio with a small, intricate embroidery of a brain as thanks for her treatment.
[thrive_link color=’orange’ link=’https://icanho.org.uk/’ target=’_blank’ size=’medium’ align=’aligncenter’]Learn more about Livability Icanho[/thrive_link]