Frustration is inevitable when your life changes very suddenly. People with disabilities as well as caregivers should consider how they express their frustrations. As persons with disabilities, we do become frustrated with our own inabilities; at those times cute aphorisms like “otherwise enabled” do not help much. I watch rugby,...
Ida’s Corner
Reinventing purpose
When a spouse loses physical mobility through a spinal cord injury (SCI), it is a life-shattering experience for both partners. It takes great purpose to rebuild. I recently heard of a man who tragically lost his wife in a car accident. His life was shattered. However, he tells of how...
Imperfectly perfect – a tribute to those who care
In our quest for perfect solutions, we should not lose sight of pragmatism – finding a workable solution in an less-than-ideal situation. Earlier this year, at the QASA Annual General Meeting (AGM), one of the attendees showed me a photograph of a ramp that was built to the back door...
Lost in space
A spinal cord injury is life-changing for the injured person as well as their spouse or life partner Spinal cord injuries (SCI) are hugely traumatic. We deal with the death of a part of ourselves and we turn inwards. There is the battle to survive, followed closely by the battle...
Facilitators who care make the world go around
A facilitator is someone who knows they are not able to resolve an issue and instead find someone who can. These are the people who make it all happen. The Biblical disciple, Andrew, was the brother of Simon Peter, the head of the disciples (as Rolling Inspiration readers of the...
Food for thought!
People with mobility impairments have specific dietary needs that must be taken into consideration to ensure their wellbeing – and this involves more than just watching their weight and fluid intake To find out more I chatted to Charlene Grimsehl, a dietitian at the Netcare Rehabilitation Hospital in Johannesburg, where...
WTF versus WYM
Our attitudes govern our lives, but it is the relationships we build that add spice and make it all worthwhile In recent weeks QASA proposed a “What the F***” cartoon campaign to demonstrate the frustration of people with various forms of plegias against structural inaccessibility, such as occupied disability parking...
Compassion Fatigue
It’s a phenomenon that can affect all caregivers – especially those taking care of family members or loved ones. Have you ever felt so tired and despondent that you wished that your caregiving responsibilities would just go away!? And have you ever secretly wished in a moment of frustration that...
Proactive patience
The virtues of grace, compassion and empathy are invaluable, but they also need to be accompanied by calm perseverance. In previous articles I have encouraged caregivers to show compassion and grace when working with clients. But it’s time to talk about the practical application of these mind-sets! I want to...
Getting funding
If the motivation for funding for wheelchairs and appliances is clear, focused and timely, the battle is more than half won I serve on the Management Committee of QASA and am also a medical adviser to a number of medical aid providers. I often review applications for ex gratia assistance...