S e r v i c e s

At the Stewart Centre we focus services on an individual’s strengths, interests and need. This may well be part ‘work’, part ‘leisure’, with social rehabilitation and prevocational training as core activities. Click here to download a flow chart of our services Rehabilitation and recovery from a moderate to severe brain injury is a long, slow process. Some of our clients may return to work with the support of a vocational contract or volunteer at community organisations, while others come to the Stewart Centre and that is their place of work and training. Individual, Person-centred, Goal-oriented Rehabilitation Social Rehabilitation Vocational Services Training for Independence Meaningful Activities Fitness Communication Group Workshop Computer Skills Gardening and Horticulture Crafts / Pokerwork Daily Living Skills Community Outings Individual, Person-centred, Goal-oriented Rehabilitation After assessment and referral, the person is interviewed along with family/whanau to establish personal goals for their programme at the Stewart Centre. The focus is on the individual's strengths, interests and need. The goals are measurable, time-framed, regularly reviewed and reported on. Programmes can be for 13 weeks or 26 weeks. The person may be assigned a key-worker and will work with a variety of staff on site, and/or in the community, depending on their personal goals. Social Rehabilitation Pressure to conform to acceptable social standards is powerful. This is an on-going positive process, not a one-off group activity. At the Stewart Centre, rehabilitation is carried out within a social context with emphasis on socialisation and positive behavioural change. We take these social skills so much for granted but they often have to be re-learned after brain injury. As part of social rehabilitation, clients will learn to: Spontaneously exchange social pleasantries Develop confidence to initiate conversation Take turns in conversation without interrupting others Respect people’s private space Use manners that are appropriate Distinguish the difference in appropriate language for different settings Interact with the opposite gender in a way that respects social norms Recognise his or her place in organisations and settings and adjust behavioural response accordingly Monitor tone of voice and modularity Enjoy humour and banter, recognising social boundaries Vocational Services The Stewart Centre offers unique Pre-vocational and Vocational programmes for people who have sustained a brain injury: Self-identification of interests, work values and barriers to working Updating Curriculum Vitae Functional assessment for completion of tasks and projects Work experience Work trials Employment support Training for Independence At the Stewart Centre, our programmes and activities are developed with the following goals in mind: Maintaining and improving functional independence after brain injury. Coaching in activities of daily living such as: menu planning, shopping, budgeting, cooking, health and hygiene. Retraining in cognitive activities such as concentration, memory, literacy, numeracy, personal writing and planning. Further developing social communication, social interaction and speech fluency in a wide variety of settings. Managing fatigue and daily pacing to meet personal need. Improving physical fitness with brain gym, walks, swimming, or attendance at a gym. Developing confidence with community outings, community participation and use of transport. Improving self-esteem by completing tasks and projects that are purposeful. Developing prevocational skills. Meaningful Activities Much research has been done on the psychological benefits of work and the negative effects of unemployment. What is important is the return to a normalised daily rhythm of living, going from the home environment to an alternative environment, for participation in activities that occupy much of the day. There is an expectation of behaviour change in these new settings. This may include appropriate dress, language and interaction. There is an expectation of independent and/or supported activity that is meaningful to the individual in this environment. At the Stewart Centre we focus meaningful activity on an individual’s strengths, interests and need. Rebuilding an often shattered self-esteem is top priority, so activities are structured to ensure success. Activities may well be part ‘work’, part ‘leisure’, with social rehabilitation and prevocational training as core activities. Activities provided can be based on site in the workshop, computer suite, kitchen, garden, and craft areas, or in the community. Participation in the community is actively encouraged at the Stewart Centre with monthly outings and regular social and sporting activities. Joining community gyms, clubs and activities is encouraged. Fitness Fitness activities and programmes are included most days at the Stewart Centre, as physical fitness has many benefits. Brain Gym exercises are done most mornings, providing an opportunity for improving fitness and coordination, as well as helping to activate both sides of the brain for use in daily function. The exercises are geared for different levels of ability and fitness and are done either standing up or sitting down. Once a week a group of clients and some staff go to a local community swimming pool to do exercises in the warm water. The water provides support and buoyancy as well as offering resistance. Clients are not required to have swimming skills, as the aim of the water exercises is not to improve swimming ability, but to help improve muscle strength, endurance, balance, coordination, and to have fun. The time of relaxation in the hot spa pool after the exercise session is much enjoyed by all! Some clients programmes may include individual community gym programmes with the clients being supported by Stewart Centre staff. To promote individual fitness clients are often encouraged to include walking as part of their daily activities. Communication A Speech Language Therapist runs a weekly Communication Group for clients with aphasia. Activities include: Group Discussions Aphasia Education Building Communication Partnerships An 'Art of Conversation' group meets fortnightly to hone client's conversational skills. Activities include: Active listening skills Use of open ended questions Encouragers Body Language Turn-taking Conversation starters Extender questions Workshop The workshop provides a supportive, safe environment for assessing functional ability.  Wooden projects of progressive difficulty challenge and raise self-esteem. Possible projects include chopping boards, planter boxes and stools of various sizes.  Projects can be given beautiful finishing touches with pokerwork At the end of a session, the client is able to measure their own progress and evaluate how well they have done.  The tutors role is to assess for skills that the client may well be unaware of and encourage their development. Learning to use the lathe is one excellent example of drawing out creative skills and abilities. Computer Skills The Stewart Centre is equipped with a modern computer suite providing a variety of educational, cognitive and visual/spatial applications and games. Clients follow an individual programme where tasks are self-paced and a computer tutor is at hand to offer expert assistance as required. There is opportunity to learn: Touch typing Word-processing Letters Poetry and expressive writing Writing articles etc for publication in our quarterly newsletter Spreadsheet Publishing skills Internet - for research purposes Email - to keep in contact with family and friends We also provide support to clients enrolled in various tertiary level courses: UCOL online courses such as 'Problem Solving, Creativity and Innovation' and  'Self-Management' courses. The National Certificate in Computing - Level 2 and Level 3(NCC). These are nationally recognised NZQA qualifications, which are being offered by Manawatu Stewart Centre in partnership with UCOL. Clients enrolled in NCC are able to work on their units onsite at the Stewart Centre, and have extended time-frames on their assignments. Gardening and Horticulture At West Street we have large attractive grounds that provide the perfect environment for real skill training and on-site “work”, supported by wonderful volunteers. We also have a shade house for propagation and seed nurturing. Activities outside include: Lawn mowing Cutting edges Sweeping Composting Growing vegetables in a raised garden designed and made by clients Weeding and hoeing Pruning Sowing seeds, transplanting seedlings Growing plants from cuttings Cutting flowers and flower arranging Creating succulent gardens and hanging baskets Crafts / Pokerwork A wide variety of craft is offered to the clients. We share the skills to learn: Poker working Painting terracotta pots Designing Card making Sewing Painting Jewellery making. We have an awesome selection of craft activities which clients like to participate in. The skills which clients learn at the Centre can be transferred into their homes so they can have a hobby to do independently. Daily Living Skills Everyday activities can sometimes present challenges for people after brain injury, especially those involving sequencing. Numbered steps, good routines and plenty of repetition and practice can assist in re-learning, or developing new strategies, to cope with daily life Activities can be learned on site with support, then transferred to the home environment Daily pacing to manage fatigue is a core activity and essential understanding At the Stewart Centre we individualise the programme and can assist with Daily routines Menu planning and shopping Budgeting, saving and buying priorities Baking, cooking meals, making a cuppa Personal hygiene, fitness, and healthy eating Laundry routines Basic household chores and cleaning routines Weekly schedules, use of diaries, whiteboards Use of public transport and taxis Use of communication strategies and props Re-learning how to write with a non-dominant hand Reading, writing, spelling and numeracy skill training Coping with sensory overload (too much noise, talking, movement, bright lights) Community Outings Boccia - A group of clients from the Centre, join members of the Stroke Foundation to play Boccia. This is a weekly event that is enjoyed by all. We have been playing for 2 ½ years now. Boccia is a game made up of two teams (Red and Blue) and is similar to playing indoor bowls but small coloured leather balls are used. We have come a long way since starting and are now very competitive. We play to win, but accept this doesn't always happen. RSA - Monthly visits to the RSA are a popular outing. We play snooker and/or pool. Taking groups on two different days gives most clients the opportunity to participate. We regularly go on group outings for breakfast or lunch. We like to have barbeques at the esplanade in summer. Every two years we have an exchange visit to Hastings Stewart Centre for an overnight stay, usually on a Marae. These activities have become a great way for our group to socialise and interact with others in the community. Clients love socialising and enjoy the challenge of being able to do a variety of things that once would have been impossible for them. This is an important part of their rehabilitation. We have a lot of fun and our clients look forward to these outings. Staff involve themselves in these activities also, which is a great way to support our clients.