Are you working with or know patients that are experiencing Spinal Cord Injury/Disease? Washington University Occupational Therapy has programming and information for you to share with them!
Persons with Spinal Cord Injury/Disease may benefit from knowing about opportunities below.
First, the Enabling Mobility in the Community Lab is seeking research participants to complete a phone or on-line survey about their experiences and needs during the Covid-19 pandemic. Participants volunteer their time but will receive community resources catered to their needs. Resources range from assistance with grocery delivery and internet services to personal care assistance services. For more information, contact Kim Walker at (314) 273-7010 or walker.k@wustl.edu.
If you are a wheelchair user, it is particularly important to periodically wipe down the most commonly used surfaces of your wheelchair during the Covid-19 pandemic which include: handrims, push handles, arm supports, wheel locks, removable footrests, and tires. Also, washing your hands is incredibly important. Any virus that might be on your hands is transferred to your handrims as you push your wheelchair. Also, if you push on your tires instead of your handrims, you are basically touching every surface over which you roll, so you may want to wear gloves if unable to use handrims. To clean your handrims, you can use washcloths or paper towels and apply antibacterial soap and push around the house, sliding the washcloths on the handrims as you go. Or, wheelchair users can have someone push them slowly in the home, while they wipe down the handrims. Be sure to maintain social distancing of at least 6 feet as wheelchair users tend to sit lower and are more vulnerable to infected saliva droplets and aerosols from persons standing. Wearing a face mask in this instance would be beneficial.
For more information on Covid-19 for persons with Spinal Cord Injury and Disease, see the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation site: https://www.christopherreeve.org/blog/daily-dose/covid19
For more information on the remote and in-person group and one-on-one programming available for persons with spinal cord injury and disease for the fall, contact Carla Walker at walkerc@wustl.edu or (314) 273-7011. If a new wheelchair or environmental evaluation is needed please remember we provide those OT services for adult and pediatric patients.