Alison Gomes Da Silva, Specialist Neurological Physiotherapist and Centre Lead at the INC presented “The Use of Neurotechnology to Enhance Rehabilitation Outcomes for Spinal Cord Injury” at Hugh James annual Spinal Injury Conference in Cardiff.
Accompanied by to Blatherwick, Spinal Cord Injury Service Lead, both commented on how motivating it was to be surrounded by healthcare professionals, service providers and spinal cord injury survivors who are passionate about improving the lives of people living with spinal cord injuries.
Ali tells us: “An interesting day at the Hugh James conference hearing from Spinal Cord Injury professionals, solicitors, the charity sector and spinal cord injured people. We heard really inspirational stories of what people have achieved following their injuries, including returning to work as a surgeon, sailing across the Atlantic and working in high level software design through voice activation and head control technology. Hopefully my talk helped to expand horizons about what is possible with intensive therapy and technology in spinal cord injury rehabilitation”.
Complex Care Packages – Is There A Better Way?
Our relationship with the medicolegal sector is a crucial one for us; we are at the sharp end dealing with the impact and consequences of what is funded for patients and how it translates to their quality of life after injury. We are a strong voice with a large number of clinicians and patients, which brings an extensive and credible experience bank and so we are able to bring insight and perspective to the lawyers dealing with the start of the journey. This brings opportunity for meaningful change; for example we believe that the funding of a piece of technology needs to be less of a standard element of a claim, but an organic process of clinical reasoning – often the device chosen is obsolete after a couple of years, or requires care staff and family members to be regularly trained and the device settings progressed depending on the patient presentation – but these associated costs are not provided for, so the device is not used after a while. Often, the money would have been better allocated on hiring a device for a time or undergoing a block of intensive MDT therapy to reach a set of goals or capabilities, before choosing which piece of neurotechnology would be more life-enhancing, at the right time, rather than buying something which the newly injured person outgrows or which is superseded by a much better alternative once they have lived in their community environment and the real long-term challenges are unveiled. Our depth and breadth of clinical expertise is a huge strength and we are regularly asked to present at conferences, symposiums and in-house events; it is an integral part of our ethos and we are proud to be presenting at the SIA Rebuilding Lives conference in June where we will expand and explore this theme further alongside our legal professional colleagues. We are committed to engaging with the sector to share our insights and to influence a rethink on how together, we can better serve the needs of a population whose needs and circumstances can change dramatically, and to find a way to be more responsive to those requirements, ultimately to maximise their opportunities and enhance their lives.
Spinal Cord Injury Service at Hobbs Rehabilitation
Hobbs Rehabilitation offers ongoing post-discharge rehabilitation for those in the recovering from spinal cord injuries, with a focus on fostering independence and enhancing functional abilities. Our Spinal Cord Injury Service, which encompasses both inpatient and outpatient care, is multidisciplinary and customised to meet each individual’s specific needs and goals.