Independent Living
Our Independent Living Officers provide direct support and advice to people who have recently incurred a Spinal Cord Injury (SCI). The information they give is always geared towards ensuring that the individual achieves greater independence.
The Independent Living Officers - all individuals who have a Spinal Cord Injury themselves - support both patients in the Spinal Centres around the UK and our tenants living in Aspire properties. The information they are asked for varies massively, but issues such as funding, benefits, care packages, housing, debt management and mobility are all common topics – all the aspects that, when utilised effectively, allow for independent living.
Patients on a Spinal Centre are given a lot of information by the specialist staff. While this advice is essential, it is also a lot to absorb in a relatively short period of time and, with topics including - but by no means limited to - medical equipment and care, personal care, care packages, mobility, funding opportunities, grants available, benefits to claim, nutritional advice and ways to sleep, it is no wonder that many patients can be overwhelmed. Often this daunting array of information leaves the patient with added anxiety, fearing that they might have missed something or misunderstood a key issue. Our Independent Living Programme helps patients, and their family and friends, by working closely with the Spinal Centres and other organisations to collate and absorb information that will help in dealing with life after discharge.