Bob Slater

Rotary's Life After Stroke Program

  • LAS is a Rotary Community Services District Endorsed Program  (DEP) that is Vocational based.

  • Rotary in conjunction with Stroke Association of Victoria (SAV) sources Rotarians and Friends of Rotary who can assist Stroke Survivors to re-engage with community activities and/or paid work.

  • SAV organises Peer Mentors (stroke survivors) to assist with early confidence building, and Rotary is called in later when the stroke survivor is ready to re-engage in the community or work and is finding difficulty and/or does not have the confidence.

Reason for Program

  • Approximately 12,000 Victorians per year have a stroke, and 65% survive. Stroke survivors are of all ages and an increasing number are younger and of working age.

  • Rehabilitation is generally 12 months and few have sufficient sick leave and other leave entitlements that ensure they retain their employment. Even those who have their jobs held may not be able to resume duties due to permanent physical and/or cognitive impairment.

  • Assistance in the form of mentoring and advocacy by Rotarians with appropriate vocational experience and connections can make the difference. LAS is the process whereby the right Rotarian is found for each participating stroke survivor in order to find a satisfying engagement.

Bob is a retired Senior Australian Army Officer and Civil Engineer who for seven years was also CEO of an Aged Care organisation. For many years, he has served on Community Boards and is a former President of Engineers Australia (Victoria Branch). He is a Rotarian with the Rotary Club of Kew and is a former District Director of Vocational Service and Assistant Governor in Rotary District 9800. In 2015, he received a District 9800 PHF for his Life After Stroke program and a RI President Vocational Leadership Award for this and other Rotary vocational programs he has initiated.
 
In 1992, Bob was made a Member of the Order of Australia (AM).
 
Bob has a driving interest in mentoring and the use of networks to find solutions to difficulties faced by many stroke survivors and carers seeking to reclaim their previous life. Bob's wife, Ruth, had a stroke in 2006 and they found the process for stroke rehabilitation far from satisfactory. After much perseverance and despite a number of hurdles over the following 12 months, Ruth was driving again and back at work albeit with changed conditions that needed to be championed.
 
Based on this experience, Bob has initiated a Rotary mentoring program that through the Association is being developed to engage the Rotary network and individual contacts and influence, to assist stroke survivors back into meaningful activity, including the workforce where appropriate.