Jess, Kye’s occupational therapist, has been working with him to meet his NDIS goals and improve Kye’s quality of life. His previous wheelchair was not fit for purpose, so Jess prescribed a new powered wheelchair that would increase Kye’s independence and ability to perform everyday tasks.
Jess worked together with ILS (Independent Living Solutions) and Kye to brainstorm the best wheelchair to fit his physical and functional needs. During the delivery, Andrew from ILS explained to Kye the features of his wheelchair -how to operate the joystick, adjust the armrest and charge the chair. The session also allowed Kye to practice using the chair in his apartment -for example, getting off the sofa into his chair, from his chair into bed and making sure the chair could manoeuvre around the apartment without hitting any obstacles.
Jessica and Andrew also adjusted the footrest and headrest to ensurethe wheelchair fit his body positioning and posture whilst providingmaximum comfort for Kye. The power chair was fully customised, including a custom pouch to store Kye’s belongings. Kye is a big supporter of the Rabbitohs, so his chair was ordered in red, green and white and had a slot for a flag pole to display his Rabbitohs flag.
“Kye’s new wheelchair has the supports he needs to improve his independence in so many ways which is exciting. For example, his old wheelchair didn’t have thigh guards so his knees were always falling outwards and hitting his surroundings like door frames which led to open wounds and infections. We considered this when scripting his chair, and now the thigh guards prevent his knees falling outwards. The new chair also has more functions including a lift function so that he can reach items at the shops that are located on higher shelves, meaning he won’t need to rely on asking a stranger for assistance but can do it by himself.”
– Jess, Occupational Therapist
If you are interested in our Occupational therapy services, get in touch today or phone 1300 390 222.
