Short-Term Restorative Care is Helping Paul to Reach His ParkRun Dream

Southern Cross Care SA, NT & VIC's Short-Term Restorative Care Program has set Paul Needle back on track to return to his beloved ParkRun. Paul has completed over 300 ParkRuns, most of them as a volunteer tail walker at the Mount Barker event. He walks at the back of the pack at a leisurely pace and makes sure no one gets left behind.

It’s an important activity for his physical, mental and social health.

With several health conditions impacting Paul’s ability to walk the 5km ParkRun route, he recently had to stop attending.

“My health was going downhill a bit, there were a number of things that were going wrong,” Paul said.

So with Paul’s permission, his children enrolled him in the Short-Term Restorative Care (STRC) program.

During the program Paul was assisted with exercises to help him build strength and fitness, and had an occupational therapist visit to assess what would make his life at home more comfortable and safe, so that he can continue to live independently for longer.

Paul now has a walker, a walking stick, an alarm watch and a range of other personal care supports.

Each program participant sets goals they want to achieve over the course of the eight week program.

Paul’s goals were to become healthier, be happy, and of course return to ParkRun!

Now finished with the program, Paul has definitely worked towards the first two goals and, with ongoing exercise support at The Pines Health & Fitness Centre, he expects to return to ParkRun in February.

“It has just helped me a great deal,” Paul said

“I mean I was able to go to the botanic gardens the other day for a tour with people and I took my walker and I was able to wander around and see everything.”

Paul said the support he received through STRC was “excellent” - he was even impressed by the fact that he was informed of all the people who would visit him and the services they would provide in a list - with pictures of their faces so he knew exactly who they were.

Living in a retirement village in Melrose Park, Paul participates in the village’s indoor bowls and the exercise group as part of his health regime, as well as spending time with his three children and seven grandchildren.

His link to the Mount Barker ParkRun is his daughter - who can’t wait until Paul can rejoin his favourite activity.