Rehabilitation calls for patience, but it is worth it

At the start of a new year, we are bombarded with motivational messages and resolutions.

Lose weight, get fit, take up new hobbies, ditch bad habits: it’s all too easy to make – and then often to break – well-meaning New Year’s resolutions.

But what does this mean if you are a patient undergoing rehabilitation after an injury or illness?

At Nurture Health, we look at the new year in the same view as we view our patients: it means different things to different people.

Every patient is unique and we carefully tailor medical treatment for each individual.

With that in mind, here are a few pointers for your rehabilitation journey in 2025.

Set realistic goals

At each of its network of hospitals across South Africa, Nurture Health helps all patients to aim for achievable goals.

Cognitive rehabilitation, neurological rehabilitation, and physical rehabilitation all proceed at a different pace.

This means that you should not compare yourself to other patients, but rather focus on your own health. This means listening to your body and respecting what it can – and cannot – do.

Our professional team of caring healthcare specialists will be able to brief you on what to you can realistically expect to achieve, without raising impossible hopes.

Be patient

Bear in mind that whether it is stroke recovery, injury rehab, or another condition that brings you to us, almost any therapeutic treatment will take time.

At our rehabilitation hospitals we are aware that your medical care needs may extend to out-patient services after discharge.

Follow-up appointments and exercises that you can do at home will help to maintain the progress you have already made, and they also will help to prevent future injury.

Do not skip the steps recommended, with appropriate intervals of rest, or it may lead to complications later on.

We also will help you to stick to your treatment plan, which may include physical therapy or rehabilitation equipment.

Celebrate every win

When it comes to disability rehabilitation each improvement, no matter how small, is a move in the right direction.

If you are able to manage your pain levels more effectively, for example, or walk a few steps further than you were able to walk the day before, then this is cause for celebration.

You may be able to mark progress in other tangible ways. If you are able to move from a wheelchair, to crutches and then to a walker, that might be a sign of greater strength and mobility in your body.

We see each transition as a win!

Emotional support

Even if your medical treatment is going well, there may be setbacks, and times when you feel despondent, frustrated or depressed. Do not neglect your emotional well-being.

The professional team at Nurture Health includes psychologists and social workers who are there to help you if you are struggling emotionally, or feel demotivated. Caring communication and empathetic listening are part of what they do.

Mental rehab is as important as physical so stay connected with family and friends as well as our healthcare team. All of them can offer much-needed encouragement and support.

Moving forward

As we move forward into 2025, we would like you to stay as committed as we are to your recovery.

We hope that prioritising your own health and wellness will be your main new year resolution.

It can be immensely empowering to feel a sense of control over your medical treatment journey. The habits you form now will help you stay strong, enhance your independence and prevent setbacks in the future.

Always remember, at Nurture Health, “if there’s a way, we’ll find it!”