Author: Gill

Around 50% of the 11,000 people in England who have a stroke each year needs ongoing care and support with their daily lives afterwards. Balance problems, in particular, are common. Rehabilitation aims to help people regain function and independence. It is often thought that after a stroke the greatest potential for recovery and improvement is within the first few months. It was interesting to read a high quality review recently which challenges this and shows that task specific exercise therapy can improve balance long after the original stroke. Good balance is essential for efficient walking and many activities of daily living, and these help to live a more independent life. Stroke survivors often experience decreased confidence and quality of life after leaving hospital. Good balance is likely to reduce falls…

Following a few experiences both good and bad recently I was thinking about how the experience makes you feel towards the company. As I sit here, I am (yet again) waiting for British Gas to turn up. The thought process started when our hot water tank deposited its contents through the floor and the light fitting below. As a British Gas Home Care customer, we thought we had 24/7 cover as per their advert. To start with they did not have a phone number and all communication was online with a robot, an engineer was booked for 12 – 18:00 that day. An engineer eventually turned up at 23:30. We had found a phone number and again it was only communicating with an automated system where you could change or…

Yesterday (thurs 29th April) was my first day as a volunteer with Experience Community who offer many exciting outdoor adventures for people with disabilities. On a Thursday they run an adaptive cycling session at Leeds Urban Bike Park. They have a fleet of many and varied adaptive cycles for exploring the woods at Middleton on the tarmacked and unsurfaced trails. I accompanied two ladies using electric assist Mountain Trikes and had a lovely walk through the woods and enjoyed the sight and smell of the bluebells as they carpeted the woodland. Later in the afternoon I accompanied a gentleman on his hand cycle, unfortunately we got caught in a hail storm but had been out for around an hour prior to that exploring new paths and enjoying the dappled sunlight…

Positive Points: COVID Keepers Channel 4’s The Last Leg coined the phrase COVID Keepers to describe habits started during the pandemic that have become very beneficial to us. COVID Keepers are those habits that we started over the course of the pandemic and would like to continue after life returns to ‘normal’. After I heard the phrase, I decided to give it some thought: what have I started doing over the past 12 months that have served me well and that I would like to continue doing? And these are my COVID Keepers:   Yoga I have started doing more yoga, especially before breakfast. It seems to really wake my body and mind and set me up for the day. I feel more productive and focused while feeling less stressed.…

I realise that this is being published right at the end of LGBTQIA+ history month but this is a personal perspective. Firstly the acronym; L= Lesbian G= Gay T= Transgender Q=Queer I=Intersex A= Asexual or All += other identities and preferences. As someone who grew up feeling as comfortable as one can in their own identity and gender I have always wanted to understand and learn from people whose experience is different from mine. People who identify as a different gender from what they were assigned at birth, people who feel they don’t conform to what is perceived as ‘normal’ or ‘conventional’ in terms of sexuality. I had a great opportunity recently when a good friend of mine who I have always know as a lesbian or gay woman asked…