For a decade, CONNECT Lake Country has been helping rehabilitate people living with brain injuries.
CONNECT has helped more than 200 residents in its 10 years, and three-quarters of the people have moved home afterwards, instead of moving into long-term care. At the celebration June 21, staff and residents celebrated how far the community has come.
“It’s all about the people and helping them redesign their lives and to gain control of things they’ve lost control of,” said CONNECT’s chief operating officer Patti Flaherty.
“Our real focus is being part of a community and contributing in a way that makes lives better for the people who work here, live here and live around us. It’s about individual stories, but also contributing to the world to make it better.
The CONNECT community is a close-knit condominium that houses up to 42 people living with brain injuries as they recover and rehabilitate from injuries. It was created to be a transitional residence for residents as opposed of living in long-term care alternatives, and has become a leading service in Canada.
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CONNECT was started 24 years ago in Langley and in addition to the location in Lake Country, a third rehab centre is being developed in Hamilton, Ontario.
The Lake Country location was opened in partnership with Interior Health, and the CONNECT’s rehabilitation models have given the residents a different type of recovery option within a community-supportive environment.
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The Lake Country CONNECT staff and residents were the guests of honour at Friday’s celebration.
John Sherwood, CONNECT CEO, said that their strength is inspiring.
“We’re about helping people,” he said.
“Helping people redesign their lives and change their lives for the better. (The staff) has been able to provide support to the residents and the community.”
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