International Day of People with Disabilities

60 year old man wearing a tee he designed during his rehab from a brain injury

In the summer Mark, who has now been discharged, told us about his time at the RHN

I’m a 60 year old accountant and client director and have been at the RHN since May 2020. On the evening of our office Christmas party, I had a fall, injured my head and was admitted to intensive care in Southampton hospital.

I was in a coma for three weeks and my memory is not sufficient to recall the details of that period, however my family have helped me to fill in the gaps. I’ve been unable to work since my accident and currently receiving specialist support at the RHN to help with my recovery.

After three weeks in intensive care, I was moved to a hospital in Jersey where I was looked after by medical staff and began receiving physiotherapy and occupational therapy. My stay was cut short due to COVID-19 as staff there became unable to support my rehabilitation under increased pressures. I was moved to Overdale Care Home based in St Saviour before being moved back into a general hospital, and then again to Lakeside Care Home.

Occasions out of Lakeside were few and far between due to social distancing and lockdown rules which were strictly upheld and seemed to dictate my stay. The staff were very caring and attentive, and I was able to stay in touch with family (speaking with them through the window from distance or an iPad). There was a lot of effort expended by my wife when transferring my care to the RHN, but we had heard such good things about the expertise of staff there.

My life changed as a consequence of my injury

My daily routine has changed out of recognition. I ceased work after 30 years, required assistance with daily care tasks and struggled being away from my family, lacking contact with them. Vision in my eyes has been impacted, executive decision making and fact checking led to vivid and concerning dreams and my balance was also affected.

At the RHN, I’m encouraged to take on cognitive exercise to improve my memory and organisational skills. I receive regular occupational therapy and physiotherapy as well as interesting ad-hoc activities like music therapy, speech and language therapy and clinical psychology. In my spare time I catch up on my Sudoku puzzle book and other activities other activities sourced from the iPad, but this does not mean that the occasional nap is unwelcome.

My ambition is to recover my faculties 100% to enable me to return to a working life and family

I have had to make a few changes to my home to accommodate my needs, for example we have installed a wet room shower and put in a railing next to a staircase in the house. I have been away from home for a number of months and am looking forward to returning home to the family in the next few weeks.

I have been impressed with the food at the hospital, they say a way to a man’s heart is through his stomach and I am no exception. The food has been hearty, plentiful and tasty. A special mention to the staff in the kitchen. I’ve done some chopping and peeling in lunch group, cooking may become my speciality when I am home!

The time spent at the RHN has made me rethink my life journey. I appreciate the care and attention available if things turn sour – life’s journey is not straightforward – but the care and attention of staff has been exemplary.