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As Dirumany Mahalingam’s driver connects with the ball, the sharp crack and whiz through the air brings a broad smile to his face.
“Pretty good,” he says with a laugh.
As a former field hockey player during his time in the Sri Lankan military, Mahalingam was drawn to the opportunity to be enrolled in Providence Healthcare’s golf transition program – a program that runs from June to September and combines golf with rehabilitation.
For 15 years the program has been supporting Providence patients across various units, particularly those in the stroke and orthopedic and amputee rehabilitation programs, to explore a new leisure activity, reintegrate into the community, and for some, return to golf.
The program runs a two-day session once a month with a group of anywhere from five to 10 patients. As participants can range from experienced golfers to those who have never played before, recreational therapists Mary Scarborough and Tracy Martin use the first day to assess each patient’s ability and introduce them to the fundamentals of the game. The second day is a trip to The Docks Driving Range in downtown Toronto to practice what they’ve learned.
“We’ve found with golf that it can often coincide with patients’ physiotherapy goals of improving their balance, grip, hand-eye coordination and their range of motion,” says Scarborough, who is a recreation therapist in the Stroke Program at Providence. “It’s all encompassing.”
Scarborough notes that part of recovery from an illness or accident is also about positive social interactions and a sense of feeling connected to others, which sport can provide.
“The social opportunity is what we really like about golf,” she said. “We partnered with Para Golf Ontario for the program, so it gives patients the opportunity to create a community beyond Providence.”
Golf also has a variety of adaptive technologies to support players who have varying mobility needs and motor skills. For upper extremity amputees, there are specific golf clubs made with the single-arm in mind. Above-knee amputees or those who have difficulty with balance can tee off in a number of ways: sitting on a bicycle seat on a tripod, sitting on a cushion in a wheelchair, sitting in a golf cart with a swivel seat, or standing or leaning against the cart.
“It’s actually a wonderful sport because it’s you versus you,” says Scarborough. “You don’t really have that pressure from a team aspect and you really get to measure your own progress and it can help to build confidence and a sense of mastery.”
This makes it an approachable recreational activity and one patients can continue to pursue after they leave Providence, she adds.
“Last year, we had a father who started the program and continued to go to the driving range with his daughter as an activity they could do together,” says Scarborough. “That’s what the golf program offers our patients: the chance to try something new and to go out with their family members and friends – and make new ones.”
Gallery
By Danielle Pereira. Photos by Eduardo Lima.
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