Part 2 of Paul’s Story…
My introduction to a wheelchair began while I was an inpatient at Lodge Moor Spinal Injuries Unit back in 1980, after sustaining a spinal cord injury in a road traffic accident when I was just seventeen.
At that time, it seemed standard practice for people with paraplegia to spend around 12 weeks on bed rest, lying almost completely flat with a lumbar pillow supporting the lower spine. During the final weeks, the bed would gradually be raised a little more each day to allow the body to adjust to sitting upright in preparation for getting out of bed.
One day, the senior physiotherapist came over and said it was time to order my wheelchair so it would be ready for my first day out of bed after those 12 weeks. While I was still lying flat in my hospital bed, he took a few quick body measurements and, within moments, announced, “You’ll have a 16-inch width Everest & Jennings folding wheelchair.” That was the extent of the assessment. There was no detailed evaluation of my posture, seating position, lifestyle or future mobility needs – just a few basic measurements to determine the seat width.
Looking back, it is remarkable that such a brief assessment was considered sufficient for a wheelchair that I would rely on every day for years to come. It bears little resemblance to today’s comprehensive wheelchair prescription process, which considers everything from posture, pressure management and biomechanics to lifestyle, independence and future needs.
In fairness to the physiotherapist, there was little else he could do. Everest & Jennings wheelchairs offered very few options for adjustment, so his hands were largely tied.
Continue reading Paul’s story here with Part 3.
