Healing Through Art: Loyalist Students Lead Innovative Stroke Rehabilitation Program 

Loyalist College’s partnership with Community Care for South Hastings is breaking new ground in stroke rehabilitation. Through an innovative art-based program, Occupational Therapist Assistant and Physiotherapy Assistant (OTA/PTA) students are gaining valuable experience while helping stroke survivors in our community find creative paths to recovery. 

“Prior to the pandemic, Community Care for South Hastings reached out to us to see if there was a way that we could build a relationship for supporting stroke survivors in our area,” explains Heather Golden, Program Coordinator for the OTA/PTA program. “We were just beginning to formulate a plan before the pandemic hit.” 

When faced with unprecedented circumstances, the program demonstrated remarkable resilience and creativity. 

“We pivoted,” Golden shares. “Throughout the pandemic, our students offered virtual social, cognitive, and mobility exercise-based groups. We were able to connect stroke survivors from as far as Bancroft, all the way down to Prince Edward County, who we otherwise wouldn’t have been able to reach.” 

The impact was profound for participants navigating isolation during an already challenging time. 

“The group members repeatedly told us how our students got them through the pandemic,” Golden notes. “The students really pulled them together and they made it fun.” 

Expanding to Art-Based Rehabilitation 

Today, the partnership has evolved to include an art-based rehabilitation program that represents a significant shift in community-based care. “This type of therapy has only been done with inpatient stroke survivors,” says Golden. “We are the first group doing it with stroke survivors in the community.” 

With support from students, stroke survivors participate in a series of planned and structured drawings where they use both their affected upper extremity and their non-affected upper extremity. This adaptation serves individuals at various stages of their recovery journey, including those who are five or more years into recovery.  

The initiative has already seen successful implementation, with plans for continued growth. Students are also contributing to the program’s sustainability by documenting their experiences and approaches for future cohorts to reference.  

As the program continues to evolve, it stands as a powerful example of how Loyalist College bridges classroom learning with community needs, preparing students for creative approaches to health and rehabilitation.