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WCMT-Melissa-Kelly

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5. General Recreation<br />

a. Burke offers general recreation Programmes which may be therapeutic, such as<br />

entertainment, social Programmes, horticulture activities, music, games, crafts<br />

and a variety of other activities.<br />

Paraplegic Centre, Notwill, Switzerland<br />

History<br />

From the moment I stepped onto the train platform in Notwill, I knew there was something<br />

special about this place. Instantly, accessibility was apparent and I learned how the community is<br />

built to support those with a SCI. The Swiss Paraplegic Centre (SPC) in Notwill provides its<br />

patients with an extensive range of world-class treatments, services and medical care in a setting<br />

that supports all areas of wellness. The centre provides individually-tailored, comprehensive<br />

treatment in three phases (acute, reactivation and integration) through the use of very highly<br />

skilled staff and state-of-the-art equipment.<br />

The (SPC) was opened by Dr Guido A. Zäch in 1990; he began his journey in the 1960s and<br />

went on to establish the Swiss Paraplegic Foundation (SPF) in 1975. During my visit, I was<br />

fortunate enough to meet Dr Zäch as he was attending the Paraplegia Athletics which was held<br />

on-site. The SPC is a privately owned clinic, which is acclaimed nationwide, specialising in<br />

primary care, acute treatment, comprehensive rehabilitation and lifelong care of people with SCI<br />

and similar syndromes. The SPC has 140 beds, including an intensive care unit. The annual bed<br />

occupancy is over 99%.<br />

Interesting to note is that 1100 people are employed from 80 vocational backgrounds, speaking<br />

more than 35 different languages.<br />

The specialist clinic is part of the Swiss Paraplegic Group (SPG), which forms an integrated<br />

network for the comprehensive rehabilitation of people with SCI. The network is supported by<br />

the SPF, established in 2000 and has a strong research arm employing over 50 staff.<br />

Notwill’s Approach to Rehabilitation<br />

The aim that the comprehensive team work towards, is to re-establish a patient’s personality and<br />

lifestyle to the fullest possible extent, with a holistic approach to treatment that includes mental,<br />

<strong>WCMT</strong> Research Fellowship 17

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