A Personal Support Worker Offered To Help Me
[ Monday October 10th 2016 at 2:00 pm ]
Today is Thanksgiving Monday in Canada. I am not able to have today off from my mobility issues or the needs of my body for physiotherapy. Something very special happened while I was at the facility where I do my physiotherapy. I am very grateful I attended today.
After I finished using the swimming pool for my water based physiotherapy a personal support worker spoke to me. I've had several short conversations with her boyfriend while in the change room. She offered to help me in any way possible.
The batteries in my electric wheelchair are worn out. I have new upgraded batteries in my possession. They both won't physically fit into the battery compartment of my wheelchair. They are wider than my previous batteries. The effect of my worn out wheelchair batteries is like driving around a vehicle which is constantly on 'E' and about to run out of fuel. I've been very close to running out of battery power and not getting back home a few times during the past month.
I told the personal support worker about this. She gave me the solution I've been searching for. A client she had suffers with ALS (also known as Lou Gehrig's disease). This terrible disease causes your body to slowly shut down. A high end power wheelchair is necessary for someone experiencing this debilitating disease. Some of these extra functions include power tilting, seating and foot rest. Someone in the advancing stages of ALS will require the wheelchair to reposition their body.
To support the enhanced functions an auxiliary battery was bolted to the frame of this individuals power wheelchair. I am going to do this to my wheelchair. One battery will sit within the battery compartment. The other will be bolted to the frame of my wheelchair where an accessory (such as oxygen canister or crutches holder) would bolt to the frame of the wheelchair.
What this is going to do for me is provide the electricity necessary to get me back and forth from the facility where I do my physiotherapy during the winter months. My current batteries are very deteriorated. When this project is completed it will have addressed my most immediate concern in maintaining my mobility through my power wheelchair. I love using the swimming pool and thoroughly enjoy the children and youth who attend the Family and Youth Swim.