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Photo of Angela Cook and close friend, Claudette Levy at Angela’s home in St. Margaret’s Bay, Nova Scotia.
A car accident in 1999 left 35-year-old Angela Cook with a spinal cord injury. No longer able to walk, Angela now needed a wheelchair to get around, but this didn’t slow her down.
While she was still recovering in hospital, Angela designed a wheelchair accessible home on the shores of picturesque St. Margaret’s Bay.
Once she returned home, Angela took up kayaking to stay physically active and continued to enjoy her many interests. She also resumed her career at Nova Scotia’s Office of the Auditor General as an auditor and accountant, driving herself to and from work in her accessible van, complete with hand controls.
In 2016, about 17 years following the accident that left Angela with paraplegia, she experienced her first stroke, which was followed by two more strokes over the next few years. These strokes left Angela with limited use of her right arm and the inability to swallow or speak. In 2016, the healthcare team referred Angela to Nova Scotia Health Continuing Care to determine the supports she needed to return home from hospital.
Now in an electric wheelchair, Angela requires tube feeding for her meals and medication. Her Continuing Care coordinator, Natasha Kerr, arranged for Angela to receive daily visits from a local nursing agency to manage her hydration, medications, wound care and other personal medical needs. In addition, she is visited daily by a local home support agency that helps with her personal care and physical and speech exercises.
At home, Angela also has the equipment she needs to live independently. For example, her bedroom hosts a hospital bed arranged by Continuing Care through the Red Cross Bed Loan Program. Angela also receives assistance from Nova Scotia Health occupational therapy and physiotherapy to enhance her independence. “Continuing Care reviews my funding to make sure I am accessing all of the support available,” said Angela.
“What I love about my job is the opportunity to problem solve, as every person’s situation and needs are different,” said Natasha. “I fundamentally believe that if someone can be in their own home, we should do everything we can to help them,” she adds. “If an individual is in hospital and are not sure if they can return home, I would encourage them to explore all options and to not make any big decisions until they return home (if this is possible).”
When you look around Angela’s well planned, spacious and tidy home, you see walls filled with art, family photos and awards, including a long-service award for 35 years of service with the Government of Nova Scotia. “I own my home and I like to live at home as I enjoy my alone time,” said Angela.
Outside, Angela’s home boasts picturesque gardens, rock walls and a community of birds, including a family of robins that have made a permanent home among the floorboards of her back deck. “In the summer, I like to look at my plants, read books and do puzzles,” said Angela.
In addition to building a home that meets her needs, Angela has built a strong support network. She has many neighbours and friends she can count on in her tight knit community.
Angela also receives frequent visits from her close friend, Claudette Levy. “Without the support and resources provided by Continuing Care, Angela would not be able to live in her own home,” said Claudette. “Angela is truly grateful for the resources and commitment that the province provides for individuals to live independently with the dignity and ability to manage their risks in their own homes. We are so thankful for Natasha from Continuing Care, as she is an amazing advocate for Angela.”
If you or your loved one need assistance to remain in your home in your community or require support following a recent hospital stay anywhere in Nova Scotia, you can be referred to Nova Scotia Health Continuing Care. For more information or to make a referral to Nova Scotia Health Continuing Care, please call 1-800-225-7225 (toll free in Nova Scotia). Continuing Care will work with you or your loved one to create a plan of care that is right for you. For more information, visit https://www.nshealth.ca/continuing-care.