Thanks to our generous community, $50,000 was raised allowing HDS Foundation to purchase a Bioness Integrated Therapy System (BITS) – the first in Niagara – for Hotel Dieu Shaver.
BITS is an advanced "all-in-one" multi-disciplinary tool that offers patients engaging, customizable therapy across a continuum of care. Using a large-display touch screen, BITS offers engaging therapy-directed activities to enhance a patient’s coordination, perception, physical endurance, balance, attention, memory and reaction time.
As patients participate in fun activities with BITS, HDS therapists are collecting objective data to help assess the patient’s performance and chart their progress. This instant feedback has been shown to increase our patient’s motivation and encourages them to achieve even higher levels of function.
Chris Pollard, Director of Rehabilitation Services, gives an example of how BITS can assist a patient recovering from a stroke or brain injury.
“Recovering from a stroke or a brain injury can leave patients with impairments to their vision, slowed reaction, balance difficulties and poor neuromuscular control. The BITS system can be customized to ensure each patient’s program is individualized and encourages use of their weaker limb. As the patient progresses, the BITS’ activities can be advanced to challenge stability and endurance while working on visual tracking, peripheral vision and hand-eye coordination.”
With the support of his therapists Stephanie (Occupational Therapist) and Michelle (Rehab Assistant), Colin is completing the Bell Cancellation Task on BITS. This task requires Colin to find all the bells that are situated among many different symbols. Colin is required to scan the screen which helps him focus on detail, allowing him to cross midline with his arms helping him retrain his brain on the centre of gravity. Colin is using a standing frame to encourage weight bearing through his stroke affected side while reaching and scanning left to right encouraging weight shifting, weight bearing through his affected arm and improving his left side vision.
