Feature After his
Feature After his accident, Peter spent 20 years living in his local hospital, and it was here he received his first introduction to travelling. He was in his mid-20s when a young orderly opened his eyes up to the world outside the hospital by simply asking Peter, “Have you ever been away?” Peter had never been away, but that question kick-started a life of travel and new experiences. He started off small, with a weekend trip to Sydney where he fell in love with Manly’s café scene and beaches, and quickly graduated to weeks away in Perth, Darwin and Adelaide. An avid motorsport fan, he followed the racing cars across the country, revelling in the sights, sounds and hype of this high-intensity sport. Of most note, however, was Peter’s trip to Thailand, which he describes as interesting and eye-opening. Many locals had never met a man in a wheelchair and were naturally curious about him, with people coming up to Peter and touching his arms. Later on Peter was told these locals thought he was a very lucky man because he was able to get out and about with his disability, and they wanted some of his luck to rub off on them. With laughter, Peter remembers his first ride on a tuk-tuk, where he was convinced he would fall off onto the ground. It was this fear that inspired him to take extreme precautions on a 4-wheel drive trip just a couple of days later, where he was strapped to the chair like an Egyptian mummy with sheets. Reflecting back on 50 years this year, Peter agrees with the local Thai people – he certainly has been lucky. His support network was dedicated to taking him everywhere possible, and ensured there were no limitations to his dreams. When asked what he wants others to take from his story, Peter’s message is simple: don’t let anything stand in your way and don’t let your disability hold you back. Peter’s story is a great example of the fact that with the right support you can achieve anything you set your mind to. The team at Independence Australia congratulate Peter on achieving 50 years in a chair – what a milestone! To find out how to access our services call 1300 032 774 or email theteam@iagroup.org.au 10 Independence Australia
NDIS Spotlight Do you need a Continence Therapeutic Plan? Continence is often a topic that arises when participants are developing their NDIS plans. If your continence issues are due to your disability, your continence products and aids should be supplied through your NDIS plan. A Continence Therapeutic Plan needs to be developed by a continence nurse specialist. The plan aims to help participants optimise their bladder and/or bowel function and maximise their independence to complete everyday tasks, such as work, study, volunteering and childhood play. A continence nurse specialist will work with you to develop a therapeutic plan that suits your needs, such as learning how to use the toilet independently, gaining night-time control, and developing strategies to help with challenging behaviours around toileting. The continence clinician will help you choose appropriate products and teach you how to use equipment to manage your bladder and bowel needs. Are you eligible for the NDIS? Firstly, it is important to establish if you are eligible for the NDIS. Potential participants must meet a number of criteria, including the following: 1. You usually need support from a person, or equipment to do everyday things for yourself because of an impairment or condition that is permanent 2. You are an Australian resident 3. You are under 65 years old Please visit www.ndis.org.au for more information about becoming an NDIS participant. If you answer YES to any of the following questions, you will need a continence assessment as part of your NDIS plan: ☐☐ ☐☐ ☐☐ ☐☐ ☐☐ ☐☐ ☐☐ ☐☐ ☐☐ Do you experience complications such as urine leakage and related skin irritation? Do you experience regular urinary tract infections? Do you experience regular blocked catheters? Do you experience difficulty using the equipment prescribed to manage your urinary incontinence? Do you require assistance to use your urinary continence equipment? Do you experience regular uncontrolled loss of stool (bowel accidents) and related skin irritation? Do you experience regular constipation? Are you confused about what equipment and aperients (oral medication to assist with your bowel program) to use? Do you avoid participation in work or leisure activities because of your incontinence? Inform – Autumn 2018 11
