Jane Hepenstall's story

Jane Hepenstall, a Speech Pathologist (now in private practice) recalls how it came about.

"The idea for LifeMoves came in 2001 during my work as a Speech Pathologist at the Royal Melbourne Hospital - Royal Park Campus with people who have acquired communication difficulties as a result of a neurological incident such as a stroke. Almost invariably my clients report to me that they felt extremely isolated in their struggle to deal with the change and loss in their life - such as changes in their identity and relationships and loss of self-esteem and confidence. Back in 2001 it seemed that while their rehab programme (which usually comprised a combination of physio, speech therapy and occupational therapy as well as possibly neuropsychology and social work) addressed some of their impairments (e.g. reduced mobility, difficulty expressing themselves), no intervention seemed to equip them with the ability to regain control over their lives to live confidently and independently. It was certainly something that I, as a clinician who had no personal experience of neurological damage; felt I had limited capacity to contribute to. I wondered what would happen if the neuro outpatient rehab programme offered our clients the opportunity to meet with others in a similar situation and share information, experiences and ideas. Research led to the discovery of the Vision Australia Quality Living Group Program, which targets psychosocial adjustment issues for people dealing with the long-term consequences of vision loss. I trained with Vision Australia as a Group Facilitator and the LifeMoves programme was adapted to meet the particular needs of people with neurological injury."

Jane’s involvement with LifeMoves continues today in her role as an inaugural Director of Peers Inspiring Peers.

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