News Story: UK SCI Patients Being Sent to Nursing Homes After Rehab
They discharge an estimated 20% of paralyzed patients into nursing homes in the UK due to a lack of accessible community housing available!
This shocking statistic comes from research by Aspire, a spinal cord injury charity in the UK who obtained hospital discharge data on hundred of paralyzed patients. The charity said that the care facilities are often unsuitable and can lead to patients suffering psychological damage.
Aspire is supported by researchers at Loughborough University who conducted interviews with spinal cord injured people who have lived, or are living, in nursing homes. These patients reported a low quality of life and other physical injuries including pressure sores, infections and broken bones.
Patients also reported:
A lack of independence
Damage to relationships
Isolation
Boredom
Participants said that care home staff were regularly not able to help them out of bed until midday. And in some cases people were left in bed all day if the home was short-staffed.
Brian Carlin, chief executive of Aspire, said: “All too often, people with spinal cord injury find themselves discharged to somewhere totally unsuitable and, as this study confirms, care homes are often the very worst option for someone recovering from a traumatic spinal injury.
“As a country, we’re still celebrating the fantastic success of GB’s Paralympians this summer. How many of them would have had the opportunity to compete if they’d spent months or years confined to a room in a care home? Thousands of people are being robbed of the basic ability to get on with their lives.”
Here at Men’s Liberty we felt so appalled by this story and wanted to share. Regaining independence after a spinal cord injury is integral to happy and healthy living for years to come. Our Customer Care Representatives talk to these men all the time and they know the difference that freedom from incontinence can make in their lives. However, for those of you in the UK, alternatives like Men’s Liberty are available through our partners, CliniMed.
“I would recommend Liberty to anybody who is active in life and just wants to get out. Just because you’re in a chair doesn’t mean you have to be tied down to your house. Liberty lets you get out and do the stuff you enjoy.” ~ David D., T7/T8 Para
“Liberty helps me keep up my work pace. Before Liberty, if I had to go to the bathroom, it was a production. In fact, Liberty has taken a major problem and made it nonexistent.” ~ John W.
Original Story: http://www.channel4.com/news/care-homes-worst-option-for-people-with-spinal-injuries