New Guide For Prevention And Treatment Of Pressure Sores Released By Sci Ontario
Spinal Cord Injury Ontario has recently announced the release of a new guide for preventing and treating pressure sores. The guide is a plain language version of the 2013 Canadian Best Practice Guidelines for the Prevention and Management of Pressure Ulcers in People with SCI.
Most people living with SCI can expect to experience a pressure sore at one point in their life. Pressure sores can seriously affect people living with spinal cord injuries. SCI Ontarios guide explains how to identify pressure sores, prevention strategies, treatment options, and identifies which professionals to speak with about skin health.
The development of the guide was based on the latest research, expert recommendations, and peer consultation. The goal was to increase education about pressure sores while using everyday language and using pictures to help explain important points.
A videoconference was held in April 2015 to launch the new guide. It featured a panel of peers and professionals sharing experience related to treatment best practices, prevention strategies, and what to expect and challenges during treatment. The webcast included a asking people to sign up to become part of a movement that addresses and resolves the systemic barriers associated with pressure sores.
The guide is available in both English and French on SCI Ontarios website. Visit the website to watch the webcast or download the guide.
Funding support for this project was provided by the Ontario Neurotrauma Foundation .
Halifax Health Medical Center
Halifax Health Medical Center is the only trauma center in area with neurosurgery coverage, involving the critical care team, ICP, EEG and invasive monitoring for head injury patients.
Join us the fourth Thursday of each month at 3:00 pm for a support group.
Contacts:
Gail Sunderland at 363-5880
Website: https://www.halifaxhealth.org/articles/help-stroke-survivors
Comprehensive Care After A Spinal Cord Injury
For more than 60 years, Casa Colina has been a leader in care for those recovering from spinal cord injury , offering one of the most comprehensive SCI treatment programs in the country.
Our care continuum spans the entire treatment and recovery process, including acute hospital rehabilitation, short-term residential rehabilitation and day treatment, home and community services, outpatient care, education and support groups, and more. Patients are admitted to the area of care most appropriate to their level of injury, and all services are customized to accommodate their unique needs.
Overseen by a physician certified in physical medicine and rehabilitation and supported by theCasa Colina Research Institute, our experienced clinicians andresidents-in-training combine state-of-the-art methods with proven clinical pathways to help those recovering from SCI face the challenges of their injury, increase function, and improve their quality of life.
Also Check: Suing For Negligence With Injury
Long Term Care For Spinal Cord Injury Patients
Individuals with SCI should also have an ongoing, life-long plan to help prevent respiratory complications. Maintain proper posture and mobility and sit up in your wheelchair everyday and turn regularly in bed to prevent buildup of congestion. Coughing regularly is a useful technique in avoiding respiratory complications individuals can use machines to help them cough, have someone perform manual assist coughs, or perform self-assist coughs. Individuals should wear an abdominal binder to help assist the intercostal and abdominal muscles.
Individuals with SCI should attempt to follow a healthy diet and manage their weight. Weight management is important because respiratory problems are more likely to occur if an individual is too underweight or too overweight. Drinking plenty of water is important because doing so helps the body in many ways, and water helps to keep congestion from becoming thick and difficult to cough up.
Do not smoke under any circumstances! Smoking not only causes cancer, but other harmful effects include a decrease of oxygen in the blood, an increase in congestion in the chest and windpipe, a reduction in the ability to clear secretions from your lungs, a destruction of lung tissue, and an increase in the risk for respiratory infections such as pneumonia and bronchitis.
Here are five breathing exercises that you can do at least two times a day to help your pulmonary system.
Expert Care Can Prevent Complications And Hospitalization
Acute and chronic secondary complications are real concerns for individuals with a catastrophic injury because they can lead to unexpected hospitalizations. For example, people with spinal cord injuries are at higher risk of urinary tract infections and pressure wounds, and individuals dependent on ventilators have a higher risk of respiratory infections. BAYADA caregivers are specially trained to provide care that is both attentive and proactive, helping to prevent these complications as much as possible, keeping our clients healthy and at home.
Read Also: Assault Causes Bodily Injury Family Violence Texas
Specialized Nurses Can Provide Specialized Care
Many home care providers offer general nursing and personal care services for clients with TBIs and SCIs. BAYADAâs care is different. At the core of our BAYADAbility rehabilitative specialty care is our dedicated team of CRRNs who have in-depth knowledge and experience caring for individuals with catastrophic injuries. These experts are always available to provide guidance, training, and support to the clinical managers, nurses, and aides who are caring for our clients with TBIs and SCIs.
This unique approach to rehabilitative home care means that our nurses and caregivers have the experience, resources, and training to truly understand our clientsâ needsboth physical and psychological. From providing tracheostomy and ventilator care, to offering support and education, to being a consistent source of motivation and encouragement, BAYADA Nurses and Aides bring expert care and peace of mind to our clients and their families.
Living On Your Own After Spinal Cord Injury
Living on your own after spinal cord injury can be challenging. Often, both the person with SCI and the family members or caregivers have to make adjustments to their home and lifestyles. Navigating the complex system of resources can be frustrating for everyone. It is important for you to know about services that might help to support your needs.
After SCI it is also important for you to advocate for yourself. Case managers and clinical staff at the UPMC Rehabilitation Institute can help you navigate the system.
There are a multitude of services available to persons with SCI. Unfortunately, eligibility for services may vary based on age, income, assets, and other personal demographics. If you were injured on the job, then workers’ compensation may assist with some of your services. If you are returning to school or to work, you may be eligible for additional services. Some persons with SCI may be eligible to receive financial support via Social Security.
Recommended Reading: Workers Comp Vs Personal Injury
Why Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation At Neulife
- Our spinal cord injury rehab program includes clinical evaluations, medical care, and therapeutic activities customized to meet the goals, needs, and abilities of each patient. The comprehensive rehabilitation services are focused on helping patients recover activities of daily living skills using compensatory strategies and mobility aids to achieve a seamless transition into the community.
- Education and caregiver involvement are key components of the treatment plan. Caregivers are invited to actively participate in the rehabilitation process. The NeuLife team fully understands that spinal cord injuries have both physical and emotional impacts and the need for support is high. We are here for you and your loved ones.
- We help patients with spinal cord injuries successfully transition to life at home, work, or school, and in the community. We offer a continuum of care even after the course of spinal cord injury rehabilitation is over, so as to guarantee a complete transition to normal life.
Young Disabled And Stuck In A Nursing Home For The Elderly
america.aljazeera.comSpinal Cord Injury:Quadriplegia
Alabama and other states are slow to join federal programs aimed at getting young people care they need at home
Paul Boyd has two lives.
In one life, Boyd is a graduate student in counseling at the University of Montevallo, a small liberal-arts school about 30 minutes from where he lives. After class he sometimes sits on the porch of a coffee shop talking with a group of locals and college students.
In his other life, the 37-year-old Boyd is a resident of Chandler Health and Rehab, a nursing home in Alabaster, Ala. He drives the hallways in his sip-and-puff wheelchair, chatting with older residents like Thelma, who clutches a plastic baby doll to her chest.
Boyd is a tetraplegic. Because of an accident when he was 19, he cannot move his body below his collarbone. But mentally, he is healthy, with a sharp sense of humor and a love of trivia. For nearly five years, he has been fighting to leave the nursing home where he lives and move back to Montevallo, his hometown.
The problem is that Boyd cannot care for himself alone. He needs someone to feed him, to bathe him, to stretch his legs and arms in the mornings to prevent muscle atrophy. He lived at home for 10 years after his accident, and when his family members spoke about putting him in a nursing home, Boyd had two stipulations.
They met neither requirement, Boyd said.
States slow to act
Catch-22
Read Also: Workers Comp Ankle Injury Settlement
How Much Time Does A Person Recover From Tbi
Some people can completely recover from a mild traumatic brain injury. Others may suffer few impairments that may not even be noticeable. However, many times following mild to moderate injury, significant deficits will remain with the patient for life. How the individual is affected is going to depend on the area of the brain that suffered damage..
Immediately following injury there is a time that can last from weeks to months known as spontaneous recovery, during which the brain works hard to repair damaged neurons. Some people may require assistance for the rest of their life with daily functioning. Many cases will exhibit a return of functional skills even years following the injury.
How Is The Severity Of Tbi Determined
The degree of injury to brain will vary from case to case and can range from mild to moderate to severe. The severity and location of the damage will affect how greatly the neurological system is impacted, which will then regulate the functioning of other body systems. Following the initial injury, the Glasgow Coma scale is used to determine the responsiveness of the individual. For long-term prognosis, the utilization of the Glasgow Outcome scale will help predict how likely it is that the individual will return to their normal level of functioning, or not. The lower the rating on the Glasgow Coma scale indicates a greater amount of damaged has occurred. There are similar scales used to determine level of consciousness and responsiveness, which all help indicate the severity of the injury suffered. It is not usually evident until the rehab process how greatly the individual will be affected on a long-term basis.
Don’t Miss: Assault Bodily Injury Family Violence Texas
Spinal Cord Injury Model System Centers
The National Institute on Disability, Independent Living and Rehabilitation Research funds 14 Spinal Cord Injury Model System Centers in the U.S.
SCI Model System Centers are national leaders in medical research and patient care and provide comprehensive services, from the point of injury through rehabilitation and reentry into full community life.
These facilities are currently located in Alabama, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Washington.
Each Center contributes to the SCI Model Systems Data Center, participates in independent and collaborative research, and provides information and resources to individuals with SCI, their family and caregivers, healthcare professionals and the general public.
Phone: 206-685-4181
What Are The Long
When your recovery from your spinal cord injury in Los Angeles is almost complete, and it becomes obvious that you need long-term care, you may be concerned that a nursing home or similar facility is your only option. However, according to the United Spinal Association, while this may be your best solution, there are others that you should consider before making the choice.
Self-care involves a wide range of tasks, and even though you may be able to take care of your own hygiene and physical needs, inability to complete the following may make living alone difficult or impossible:
There are organizations that provide some of these services, and you may be able to access enough of these to live independently. However, if you or a family member is a homeowner, and it is not safe for you to live alone, you may be able to have the house or a building on the property adjusted so that a caregiver may live with you, but in a separate space.
For help with more personal needs such as dressing and bathing, there are group homes and assisted living facilities that offer this type of care, as well as the more general support mentioned above. You may be able to stay in your own apartment or room within the facility, but live more independently than you would be able to in a nursing home. This information about services and housing options available for spinal cord injury victims is general in nature, and should not be interpreted as legal advice.
Categories
Recommended Reading: Hyperextension Of The Knee Injury
Rockledge Brain Injury Support
This group meets on the second Wednesday of the month from 7 to 9 pm. No street address given.
Contact:
Chris Jeavarde at 321-637-0009 or
Sarasota, Florida
BIG Brain Injury Group
This group meets on the second Monday of every month from 1 to 3 pm and it emphasizes learning to do things independently.
Contact:
Mary Morris at 941-351-9545 ex 105 or
Meeting place:2989 Fruitville Road, Suite 101Sarasota, FL 34237
Expert Spinal Cord Injury Team
Our highly trained, physician-led Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation Team understands that recovery means adapting to a new way of life, and takes a compassionate approach focused on providing the physical, cognitive, emotional, and medical attention needed to maximize our patients recovery. By collaborating with patients, their loved ones, and other experts on our team to design treatment plans specific to each patients recovery needs and goals, our patients are empowered to achieve their highest level of recovery.
Our expert clinicians regularly conduct clinical research and present their studies as leaders in the field of spinal cord injury recovery. All of our SCI therapists have the opportunity to take part in ongoing training through the Brooks Institute of Higher Learning, allowing them to continually enhance their education and further their understanding of developments in the field that can help our patients.
Read Also: Personal Injury Attorney Miami Fl
Spinal Cord Injury Support Groups
Don’t go through the changes in your life after a spinal cord injury alone. There are many national support groups with people who went through something just like you and are waiting to connect.
What made me most excited was to be able to help my family, being able to pull the burden out of them that theyve been struggling with. Thats what made me feel the best. Everything else to come, is to come. And were going to live life how we have been, just not going to have to worry about buying the supplies that I need.
A crucial thing to remember in your recovery process is that you are not alone. Even on the days where you feel as though nobody understands, there are people who have been in your position, and probably can relate to exactly what you are going through. There are a great deal of spinal cord injury support programs which offer you and your loved ones invaluable guidance and support in order to get through the tough times that often come along with spinal cord injuries.
Some hospitals and rehabilitation centers offer support programs for both inpatients and outpatients sometimes even for people in local communities looking for support with their spinal cord injuries. Below is a list of various support programs, both online and in person, that may give you that extra support you need.
Personal Care Assistants At Home Health Solutions For Sci / Tbi Clients
Some persons with SCI or TBI may qualify to have personal care assistants. The need for a personal care assistant typically varies with the level of injury. For example, a person with paraplegia may be less likely to need a personal care assistant than a person whose arms are also weak from SCI . Depending on age, financial status, and other factors, a person with SCI may qualify for funded personal care assistants or may choose to pay out of pocket for assistance. In either case, it is important for the person with SCI to know how to hire and manage caregivers.
Home Care Services
Recommended Reading: Does Health Insurance Cover Work-related Injuries After Settlement
You Can Move Out On Your Own And Here’s How
There are a lot of people out there who have never lived alone, and I’m not talking about wheelchair-users I’m talking about millions of people in this world. This includes my mom, my sister, my brother and several of my friends. Many people are simply not comfortable with the idea of living alone. Theyre too scared and theyre not even paralyzed.
If you cant move over 75% of your body then you might have a real reason to be scared of living alone, but even then, many people with severe paralysis live alone. It’s always a good thing to try to do, even if it’s not something you want to do for the rest of your life. If you can prove to yourself that you indeed can live on your own without your parents or others meddling, it’s a great feeling, especially after youve come home from the hospital and feel nothing like your old self-independence-wise.