EDITORIAL REHABILITATION - RESTORE TO EFFECTIVENESS OR NORMAL LIFE BY TRAINING. Concise Oxford Dictionary 7th Ed 1982 In this issue th e re is a review o f a new b o o k by P a t D avies dealin g w ith th e tre a tm e n t o f ad u lt hem iplegia. In it she states th a t th e relearn in g o f w alking afte r a n insult to th e b ra in takes m any m o nths if n o t years. “R e h ab ilitatio n should, th e re fo re , b e re g a rd e d as a n ongoing p ro cess if op tim al resu lts a re to b e a tta in e d a n d th e n m ain tain ed ” . A n d w here d o w e sta n d in this c o u n try w ith re g a rd to reh ab ilitatio n ? D o w e m anage to reh a b ilita te o u r patien ts fully? D o w e even try? In th e hospitals a p a tie n t w ho has su stain ed a cereb ro -v as­ cu lar accid en t is disch arg ed o n c e his c e re b ra l co n d itio n is stable. I f h e is lucky tre a tm e n t will b e arra n g e d , b u t tra n sp o rt is th e problem . In o rd e r to save m oney all ho sp ital tra n sp o rt h as b e e n drastically red u ced . T h e re h as b e e n m uch talk o f tre a tm e n t in th e “com ­ m unity” . B ut w hat facilities exist in th e com m unity? W e have n o reh ab ilitatio n c en tres a n d th e re a re very few com m unity p h y siotherapy po sts to co p e w ith dom iciliary physiotherapy. T h e re is in fact no s tru c tu re in th e H e a lth Service fo r th e reh ab ilitatio n o f ad u lt p atients. W e a re fo rtu n a te in having sp ecial schools w hich can co p e w ith physically h a n d ic a p p e d a n d b ra in d am ag ed children. B ut th e re a re n ot enough o f them . A n d facilities fo r th e ad ults barely exist. T h e re a re so m e convalescent h o sp itals w hich w ere never p la n n e d for re h a b ilita tio n a n d th e re a re to o few p h y siotherapy posts. T h e p riv ate p ra c titio n e rs d o n o t have th e sp ace, sta ff o r tim e to co p e w ith g e n e ra l reh ab ilitatio n . R e h a b ilitatio n is n o lo n g e r th e m ainstay o f p h y siotherapy p ractice. T h e re is a ten d en cy to specialise a n d th e p o o r lady w ith a fra c tu re d n eck o f fem u r is sen t h o m e u n ab le to even m ove in th e b e d , let a lo n e get u p a n d walk! It is tim e th a t th e p ro fessio n h as a long h a rd look a t th e re h ab ilitatio n scene. A s a p ro fessio n w e have a very low prio rity in th e H e a lth Service. T h a t is o u r fault. W e m ust b e se e n to succeed. P a tie n ts w ho w ere in c a p a c itated m u st w alk o u t o f o u r d e p a rtm e n ts in d ep en d en tly , ab le to c a re fo r th e m ­ selves. W e n e e d to show th e a u th o ritie s th a t this is w hat w e c a n achieve a n d th a t this is essen tial fo r a h ealth com m unity. It costs less fo r an eld erly lady to c a re fo r h e rse lf in th e com m unity th a n fo r h e r to b e in stitutionalised. T h e physically h a n d ic a p p e d m ust b e a c c e p te d in th e w o rk p lace a n d re d u c e th e n e e d fo r s h e lte re d em ploym ent. T h ey sh o u ld b e physicallj in d e p e n d e n t. B u t w e m ust g e t th em th e re . In d e p e n d e n c e is th e nam e o f th e game! L M DAVIDS Reference: Davies PM. Right in the Middle. Berlin: Springer-Verlag, 1990:266 V SOUTH AFRICAN SOCIETY OF PHYSIOTHERAPY P O Box 47238, Parklands 2121 3 Junction Avenue, Parktown, Johannesburg 2193 Telephone: (011) 643-5934, Fax: (011) 643-5934 President Mrs Molly Levy Honorary Life President Prof J J Craig Honorary Vice-Presidents Prof A Falkson Prof R B Goldschmidt Prof T Noakes Prof S A Strauss Prof D Weich Honorary Life Vice-Presidents Miss Lois Dyer Miss Elizabeth Botting Chairman Prof Jo Beenhakker Vice-Chairmen Miss Sheena Irwin-Carruthers Mrs Joyce Morton General Secretary Miss Lo-an Roux P O Box 47238, Parklands 2121 General Treasurer Mrs Rena Bernstein Journal Editor Miss Lyn Davids Physiotherapy Department, Red Cross War Memorial Children's _______________ Hospital, Rondebosch 7700_______________ National Executive Committee Mrs Marion Butler, Mrs Narina Gilder, Mrs Frances Glauber, Mrs Maureen Klemp, Mrs Anne Miot, Mrs Yvonne Seaman, Mrs Anita Stewart, Mrs Ntina Themba Public Relations Officer Mrs Elena Stock BRANCH SECRETARIES Border: Wilma Stevens: 63 Bonza Bay Road, Beacon Bay 5241 (0431) 27350 (w) 47-4735 (h) Eastern Province Marion Butler: 6 Jutland Crescent, Park Drive, Port Elizabeth 6001 (041) 55-6161 Goldflelds: Joanne Kisbey-Green: P O Box 6312, Riebeeckstad, 9469 (0171) 900-4274 Natal Coastal: Ashia Jamal: P O Box 4543, Durban 4000 (031) 21 -1127 306-4793, Minutes: Niri Naidoo Natal Midlands: Kathy Behrens, 219 Boshoff Street, Pietermaritzburg 3201 Northern Cape: Celna Wentzel: Posbus 215, Kimberley 8301 (0531) 33372 (w), 22344 (h) Northern Transvaal: Gerda Marais: P O Box 27804, Sunnyside 0132(012)345-1160 Southern OFS: Annatjie van Straaten, Fallopiusstraat 12, Hospitaalpark, Bloemfontein 9322 (051) 47-2185 (w), 22-4927 (h), Southern Transvaal: Linda Neuhaus: P O Box 72064, Parkview 2122 Correspondence; Membership: Brenda Price: P O Box 72064, Parkview 2122 Western Province: Cindy Faull, 17 Coniston Way, Pinelands 7405 (021) 531-8564 V Bladsy 2 Fisioterapie, Feb'ruarie 1991, dee147 no 1 R ep ro du ce d by S ab in et G at ew ay u nd er li ce nc e gr an te d by th e P ub lis he r (d at ed 2 01 3. )