Back to Search
Eighty-two-year-old Connie Zammit swims seven days a week.
Her love of swimming has inspired others and, depending on the day, she's usually joined by four to six ladies, all of whom consider Connie to be the unofficial leader of their 'swim club'.
It wasn't that long ago, however, that an unexpected injury had Connie wondering if her swimming days were over. “I was rushing around and tripped over my shoes,” she said. The fall broke her pelvic bone – an injury that led to a 40-day stay on Brampton Civic Hospital's Rehabilitation Unit, where she said she received excellent care.
Although she had a great experience at Brampton Civic, she's happy to be back home – and even happier to be swimming again. She credits her smooth transition back to her daily dip to Recreation Therapy and participation in the Aqua Rehabilitation Program, a community reintegration partnership between Brampton Civic Recreation Therapists and the City of Brampton.
This integrated approach to care – one that goes beyond the hospital walls and into the community to help empower patients – is part of the future of health care and a guiding direction in Osler's 2019-24 Strategic Plan and emerging Central West Ontario Health Team (CW OHT).
“Our role as Recreation Therapists is to help patients get back to doing the things that give their lives meaning and purpose,” says Amanda Kidnie, one of eight Recreation Therapists at William Osler Health System. “We want our patients to flourish when they leave the hospital and becoming active in community recreation helps them lead healthy lifestyles and reduces potential re-admissions to the hospital.”
Amanda felt, early on, that Connie was a perfect fit for the Aqua Rehabilitation Program, which puts a Recreation Therapist directly in the pool with the patient to provide encouragement and ensure they are safe. “I knew that getting back to the pool after recovering from her fracture was not only physically therapeutic, but also vital for Connie’s ongoing social and emotional wellbeing.”
She was spot on in her assessment.
Today Connie is thriving and can't imagine life without swimming – or her swimming buddies. “It's a social thing, yes, but we get our exercise in too. We chat, but we're moving around all the time,” she says. “Swimming is what keeps me young. People can't believe how well I'm doing.”
Subscribe
