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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Lucknow Sentinel, 1979-06-20, Page 5( Club for stroke victims Stroke victims around the Wingham area will benefit from a new club being formed here this • summer. The stroke club will encour- age socializing, but it will be much more than a social club. With the assistance of volunteer helpers stroke_uic- tims will be encouraged to exercise and they will receive advice on ways of overcom- ing their handicaps. Bill Woodley, the nursing director at Wingham and District Hospital, is coordin- ating the establishment of the club and two students hired for the summer with the help of a federal grant are doing the groundwork. Hopefully the club will be ready to go with its first members by the middle of this month. Mr. Woodley said the main objective in the forma- tion of a stroke club is to help persons who have suffered strokes regain their stamina through social and physical activities. Club members and their volunteer helpers would get together •for five or six hours one day a week to run through a program of exer- cises and other activities. He is interested in social as well as physical rehabilita- tion so in addition to the exercises the sessions could feature crafts, films, card games and other social activ- ities. There will also be health and diet instruction and suggestions how to arrange 'furniture and adjust eating utensils to make life easier for someone recuper- ating from a stroke. The volunteer workers will play a big role in determining whether" or not the program will be a success and Mr. Woodley is hoping enough people will come forward so they can be paired up with club members on a one-to- one basis. Ideally the same volunteer would continue working with a club member so they can get to know each other, he said. He noted volunteers will probably have to be either retired people or housewives since the club will meet during the daytime. Some training would be nice but it isn't essential, he added; and some people who have them- selves had strokes but aren't badly disabled could become volunteers, encouraging oth- ers with their own exper- iences. Volunteers should be physically fit and healthy. Mr. Woodley said the reason for deciding to form a stroke club is that other groups ,already have access to services locally but there is nothing nearby for stroke victims. A stroke club has been operating weekly at Huronview in Clinton but getting there is difficult for many people from this area.. He also noted that current- ly there is no speech therapy available in this area and said the club hopes to devote special attention to develop- ing alternate communication skills, such as a symbol board, for stroke victims with speech difficulties. The two students, Susan Gurney of Palmerston and Dan Blum of Waterloo, start- ed work last week. Their job is to get the program running and make sure it can con– tinue with volunteers after they leave at the end of the summer. Miss Gurney has a degree in social work and Mr. Blum is in the second year of a kinesiology course at the University of Water- loo. They will have an office in the Nursing Assistants Training Centre for the sum- mer and anyone interested in being a club member or volunteer is invited to contact them there through the hos- pital switchboard, 357-3210. There is no membership fee to join the club, although there will be a nominal charge for the cost of the noon meal provided through the hospital cafeteria. The club will meet in the nursing school during the summer and will have to look for alternate accommodation in the fall. Lucknow Sentinel, Wednesday, June 20, 1979—Pagii..S. We've a group of sun and fun wear... from tiny tubes and tanks to disco skirts and shorts! See! Enjoy The Warm Weather With Summer Wear From Loree's Ladies Wear This .Weekend. Friday, Friday, Saturday & Sunday. Fun For All Ages • LEE'S L.ADIES WEAR Phone 528-3533 Lucknow Located next to the Post Office Drive in today and see the new 1979 Ford LTD Landaus We Have 2 & 4 Doors -In Stock, 2 With Air Conditioning •=7:ri4'S?,%4`.. " ' ' Nrowns.c..- ia.4117#: ' -+iatEa And More Coming MONTGOMERY MOTORS • LUCKNOW . PHONE 528-3007 FORD STRAWBERRIES Pick Your Strawberries TO CARLOW AT c:3 BENMILLER ACRES Open 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday to Saturday WEATHER PERMITTING BENMILLER • STORE 11,2 MILES NORTH OF BENMILLER THEN 1/2 MILE EAST Bring Your Own Containers LISTEN TO CKNX 13415 P.M. DAILY