Self-Management Collective
SOCIALS Strokees are a collaborative self-management collective run by peers
Seasoned Strokees are responsible for facilitating SOCIALS. Our group operates with a casual agenda. If it's fun it keeps going. Often word games continue through lunch. If we have a musician in our midst we'll sing and dance.
Stroke discussion will always trump everything. We don't schedule them, they just happen. Expertise from long term Strokees leads to interesting perspectives. Today, instead of dancing we spoke about fear and dependence. This led to.the conclusion that
SOCIALS is the best place to be, with the best people to be with, if you've had a stroke.
Our key elements are love and laughter. As a collective share the pride and joy when someone achieves a new skill. We acknowledge baby steps that non-strokees wouldn't be aware of.
BLAST Turtle Jeanie usually leads exercise. Today she was away. Everyone got in the exercise circle anyway. They chose different stretches and exercises they have learned from past rehab. Combined with so much laughter, it was so much fun making decisions and remembering different exercises. Everyone was so at ease taking the lead. It went on until lunchtime. (Almost two hours)
How many parts of the brain and body were triggered today?
It was amazing. A therapist's dream to have such engaged participation.
We are so lucky to be in this space gratis. It enables us to be self-sufficient and operate on a $5 sliding scale, drop-in donation. The only issue is that we can't grow in that space, nor do we want to become much larger. It's a very successful model for other stroke survivors to create in other communities.
It's a good feeling not to burden healthcare, but to benefit by doing our bit to fill the void.