Automotive Innovations | 1000
Main St. Bridgewater, MA 02324 (508) 697-6006 |
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New England's Premier Adaptive Dealer. | Certified
Collision & Auto Body Repair Center |
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Am I ready for a wheelchair van |
“I’m Not Ready…”
I’m not ready to give up the fun car. Despite all the good, logical reasons for continuing to drive those cars, many find it difficult to deny nagging shoulder pain, decreased tolerance for the hassles of car transfers and chair loading, or the simple fact that they don’t have the energy they once did. Making a change is a dilemma many survivors confront each day.
The pain and fatigue can come from the distance of the transfer, since getting as close to the car seat as to a bed is difficult. Another consideration is the height of the transfer. Having to lift up or down in the process of doing a transfer adds considerable extra stress to shoulders. Also muscling the chair itself in and out of the car can cause more pain and do damage. And, just the sheer number of transfers continues to accumulate over time. What results from all this is usually joint pain from the neck all the way down to the wrist often arthritic in nature, and often accompanied by tendinitis. The joint pain, the arthritis, the tendinitis are the body’s way of saying that what you’re doing isn’t working very well and is causing some harm. Researchers have also linked fatigue to future problems, including depression, lower quality of life and, in some survivors, the need for both more durable medical equipment and help from others. As car transfers and chair loading become more difficult, many people report curtailing activities in order to avoid the transfers. Too often therapists encounter aging clients who are giving up things they enjoy – fishing, traveling, even working – because of pain and fatigue. Still, even though people find themselves giving up activities, they resist making the changes necessary to avoid the hassles, the pain, the fatigue. For many it comes down to wanting to fight off the realities of aging with a disability for as long as possible. The arguments are predictable, in part, because they’re so valid: like we said before, big vans are inconvenient and hard to drive, they cost too much, people like the physical challenge of doing transfers. Often it’s an image thing.
Regaining independence following injury and rehab was for many the single most significant achievement of post-paralysis life. Giving up the car may be viewed as giving up not only by the survivor but also by those around him. Yet, making the changes and using the lift may be necessary to maintain that highly prized independence: Isn’t getting there far more important than just exactly how it’s done?
Reason #4: $$$$$ People even some who are unemployed and on Medicaid buy vans and somehow find ways to pay for them. Worker’s Compensation, Medicaid Waivers, Vocational Rehabilitation and the VA are all government programs which may help with funding. Charitable organizations such as Easter Seals are a possibility. Fraternal organizations may provide help. Some banks issue extended loans and Independent Living Centers may offer low interest loans. Lower cost home equity loans may also be an option. There are always fund raisers through church, civic or community organizations. And used equipment, or used modified vans are also possibilities. We tend to figure out necessities.
More often than not, the decision to switch from a car to a van is one of many decisions which contribute to the lifelong process of adaptation to disability. Adaptive equipment helps narrow the gap between aspiration and ability, between wants and needs, and allows us to do so comfortably and safely. Adaptive equipment can help avoid pain, preserve energy and prevent future problems. New equipment can preserve time and energy and help enhance as well as maintain both independence and quality of life. Quality of life may be the prime consideration for switching from car to van. The switch is a matter of preventative maintenance a change which may allow us to keep the function we have and maintain the quality of life we desire. How we regard these changes can be as important as the changes themselves. This is one of more than 20 educational brochures developed by Craig Hospital while it was a federally-funded Rehabilitation Research & Training Center on Aging with Spinal Cord Injury. The opinions expressed here are not necessarily those of the funding agency, the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research of the US Department of Education. For a hard copy of a METS brochure, click on your selection above and hit the “print” button on your browser. If you’d like to ask for one directly from Craig Hospital, you can contact us by telephone at 303-789-8202, or you can e-mail us at HealthResources@craighospital.org |
Our Location: 1000 Main St Bridgewater, MA 02324 Call (508) 697-6006 for sales or call (508-697-8324 for 24 hour service. Email Us: shop@ai1.com Service - M - F 8:30AM to 4:30PM Sales - M - F 9:00AM to 6:00 PM |
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