CAA Niagara allows Hotel Dieu driving simulator to shift gears
Hotel Dieu Shaver Health and Rehabilitation Centre will be upgrading its driving simulator thanks to a $9,000 donation from CAA Niagara.
Several of the hospital’s rehabilitation programs use the simulator to teach its patients to drive again.
“The driving simulator is extremely valuable to our patient’s rehab journey,” rehabilitation manager Jeane Davis-Fyfe said in a news release.
Losing driving privileges after a collision or stroke can result in depression, decreased access to medical care and loss of independence, according to the release.
The simulator advances standard rehabilitation programs by testing different skills, presenting unique challenges and tracking driver progress.
Davis-Fyfe called the simulator a powerful tool for assessing a patient’s abilities and teaching them skills, confidence and independence to get back on the road.
Hotel Dieu Shaver Foundation reached out to CAA Niagara last year about the urgently needed simulator upgrade.
Peter Van Hezewyk, president and CEO of CAA Niagara, said the agency’s donation and partnership is a perfect fit because the club has long advocated for safer roads.
“Hotel Dieu Shaver’s driving simulator is essential in getting patients who may have suffered a stroke, injury or accident, back on the roads safely.”