Greater accessibility for wheelchair users is needed in hospitals. Fortunately, one hospital has shown what could be possible
Several hospital visits recently have me thinking about the accessibility that should prevail within hospitals as that most patients are not able to move around easily and have difficulty completing their daily tasks.
Most private hospitals have two or four bed wards, each with their own bathroom. However, these are not really wheelchair accessible. It is difficult to enter, especially with a drip stand, and once inside, the layout does not allow much space for moving about.
The basin is in a large vanity with no knee clearance. The toilet is at the standard height of 43 cm from the floor (thus not raised), and there are no grab rails. Most often there is a bath with a shower over it which precludes any access for mobility impaired persons.
This means that patents with mobility impairments end up having to wash and clean their teeth using a basin on the adjustable over-bed table.
This was my experience at one, particular hospital. There was an accessible wet room in the ward, but this was only brought to my attention on the day of my departure. Additionally, the shower cubicle did not allow space for my wheelchair to turn, and the shower seat was not compliant.
Even when there is accessibility, it is lacking with staff’s poor communication or lack of training only making the situations in hospitals for wheelchair users feel a lot more dire.
However, there are some hospitals doing it right. A recent operation that required a specialist hospital, gave me an opportunity to experience what the gold standard of accessibility in hospitals for people with mobility impairments might look like.
On arriving at the Urology Hospital in Pretoria, I was directed by security to the accessible parking area in front of the hospital. The security also offered assistance with getting my wheelchair out of the car and assisted with the door.
Once inside, the admission desks were all at accessible levels with staff immediately knowing which room to allocate to me. They mentioned that there was a specific room dedicated to people using a wheelchair.
On arrival at the ward, it was such a pleasure to open the bathroom door and find a complete spacious wet room with a step-free shower and high toilet with grab rails and wall mounted basin. The heights and placements weren’t all correct, but it absolutely was usable.
While the staff lacked training in how to lift or roll a person with mobility impairments, they were happy to learn in what ways I needed assistance.
Post operation, in ICU, the staff again provided exceptional care with constant checks on my pressure points with a vascular support hose placed on my legs to assist.
As my abdominal muscles were cut, I was not able to transfer as I usually do. The staff arranged for me to have a physiotherapist from the nearby spinal rehabilitation hospital come through to teach me how to use a transfer board.
Surely, all hospitals should have this same training and mind set. Perhaps there should be some guidelines or protocols drawn up for the industry.
If there are other establishments like this one that provides quality accessibility and care, a list should be made available so that wheelchair users can make informed choices!
If you’ve recently had a hospital visit, we’d love to hear from you – the good and the ugly.
You can reach out to the Rolling Inspiration team at rollinginspiration@qasa.co.za or complete our survey on hospitals here.
