THE DERBY CITY NSCIA NEWSLETTERJULY 2006 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The Derby City Chapter of the National Spinal Cord Injury Association Network- Serving Kentuckiana.
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Message From the President Dear Members & Friends- August's meeting will be held at Frazier Institute, 220 Abraham Flexnor Way, Louisville, in the 10th floor dining room at 6:30 p.m. - David Allgood
HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY!!!
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All articles in this month's issue are from the Internet. CALL FOR ENTRIES VSA Arts is sponsoring an art contest that is open to young artists ages 16-25 living in the United States who have a physical, cognitive, or mental disability. A disability is defined as an impairment that substantially limits a major life activity. The deadline for entry is Friday, July 14, 2006, midnight (MST). Artists will be notified by Friday, August 17. Results will also be posted on www.vsarts.org. Prizes are: Grand Prize-$20,000. First Award -$10,000. Second Award-$6,000. For entry, shipping, and other instructions, visit www.vsarts.org. VSA Arts is an international nonprofit organization founded in 1974 by Ambassador Jean Kennedy Smith to create a society where people with all disabilities learn through, participate in, and enjoy the arts. VSA arts provides educators, parents, and artists with resources and the tools to support arts programming in schools and communities. VSA arts showcases the accomplishments of artists with disabilities and promotes increased access to the arts for people with disabilities. Each year millions of people participate in VSA arts through a nationwide network of affiliates and in more than 60 countries around the world. It is affiliated with the John Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.
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THE DERBY CITY NSCIA NEWSLETTER | ||
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Derby City Area Chapter ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION The Derby City Area Chapter of the N.S.C.I.A. is a membership organization for individuals with spinal cord injuries, their families, and health professionals. Founded in 1984 as a Charter Member of the N.S.C.I.A., it was incorporated under IRS Section 501 (c) 3 as a not for profit organization. The Board of Directors consists of the Officers, Past President and the Board Members At Large. *** PRESIDENT VICE PRESIDENT TREASURER LIAISON TO FRAZIER INSTITUTE FUNDRAISING CHAIR CORRESPONDING SECRETARY/WEB MASTER PAST PRESIDENT BOARD MEMBERS AT LARGE- Mike Perry NSCIA Editor- Barbara Davis Visit Our Website at The Derby City Area Chapter newsletter is brought to you through the generous support of Frazier Rehab Institute. |
BARRIER-FREE LIVING FOR HOME COOKS About 60 million Americans have some type of disability that limits their physical activity. And, millions of baby boomers will need a more barrier-free environment in the next 20 years. But even serious physical limitations need not prevent participation in cooking and other kitchen activities. Tips on barrier-free living (such as sufficiently wide doors for wheelchairs and appropriate counter height) can be found at many sites, among them Tim Carter's Ask the Builder (www.askthebuilder.com -search for “barrier free kitchen design") and the Accessible Condition found at .htm This is no cottage industry. For a look at innovative ideas coming out of an English company specializing in kitchen design specifically for disabled people, go to Saint Roach Fitted Kitchen at .html. Once the counters are the right height and the floor is easy to stand on, it's on to the every day business of cooking. One leading producer of kitchen gadgets and utensils designed to make life a bit easier (for all) is Oxo at www.oxo.com and its line of Good Grips utensils. Based on Universal Design principles, Oxo's kitchen tools run the gamut-from can openers to mango splitters-all designed to be comfortable for the widest number of people possible. All Oxo tools have easy-to-grip handles that are oversized. There's also a full line of gardening and cleaning tools available here as well.
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THE DERBY CITY NSCIA NEWSLETTER | ||
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Refrigerator Calendar
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PRIVATE SCI ROOM AVAILABLE FOR VA PATIENTS Veterans who have suffered a spinal cord injury now have a facility in which they can recuperate comfortably and conveniently during a hospital stay at the Veterans Administration Center in Beckley, West Virginia. “We took a ward with four beds and made it into an in-patient room with every possible convenience for a person with a spinal cord injury,” said Janie Flanagan, SCI coordinator. “There is no obstacle to getting around in the room, even if they have a large power chair.” The spacious private room is equipped with automatic doors leading into it and includes a private accessible bathroom. There is a floor-level shower and automatic sink and commode. An airflow mattress on the bed prevents pressure sores and skin breakdown. A wall TV can easily pull out right in front of the patient. “Everything is user-friendly,” Flanagan said. “Everything is automatic and operates with touch-button ease. Everything is state-of-the-art and provides the very best comfort and convenience we could provide.” The West Virginia Division of Tourism sent a CD with permission to download any of a number of beautiful scenic spots. Flanagan chose several, had them enlarged and framed and had them placed on the walls of the room. “Our veterans can enjoy a scene from every season of the year and have a sense of the beauty of the outdoors,” she said. There is also a patient education display available for reading materials. Nearly 38,000 veterans live in the 12-county area served by the Beckley VAMC, Flanagan said. There has been an increase in the number of patients with spinal cord injuries, and that trend may continue as a result of the conflict in the Middle East. Patients with multiple sclerosis can also benefit from the SCI room. “MS is a neurological disorder that impairs the ability to function. Patients with MS will also be able to use this room,” Flanagan said. |
LIVING WITH SPINAL CORD INJURY The changes are dramatic and quite profound. They begin immediately, whether the damage results from injury such as a motor vehicle accident, diving, gunshot wound or disease process, for the individual the course is the same. It usually means there is 12 months of healing and rehabilitation. It means becoming intimately acquainted with dozens of health care professionals, including doctors, nurses and both physical and occupational therapists. Ultimately it will mean learning to live again within the community, returning perhaps to either work or school. People do not become different when they become paralyzed; they have the same loves, the same sense of humor, desires and expectations. They do, however, need to find a new framework with which to live their lives. The long term picture of people with spinal cord injury is far more optimistic than it was only two generations ago. Then it was simply a matter of how long it would take to succumb to a fatal infection of the urinary tract, bed sores or pneumonia. In World War I, 50% of soldiers with SCI were expected to die within two weeks, which they usually went ahead and did. Things did not change much until the mid 1940's and they have continued to progress since then. So is there a cure coming? There are many answers to this question: “maybe”, “probably”, “ looks promising”, “let's hope”, and “they are working on it”. But what is really happening? Clinical trials have begun for several treatments for people with long term paralysis due to SCI or multiple sclerosis. Despite plenty of optimism nothing is yet certain. The bottom line with a spinal cord injury is the damage that is done to the central nervous system. The nervous system is composed of two parts: the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord) and the peripheral nervous system (all the rest). When damage is done in the peripheral nervous system those nerves are capable of regeneration. In the central nervous system scar tissue rushes to the area, so that although the nerves may be growing to attempt reconnection they are blocked by scar tissue. That now leaves us with (Continued On Page Five) | |
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LIVING WITH SCI, CONT'D treating, and learning to live as independently and healthy as possible with, a spinal cord injury. Occupational therapy addresses maximizing independence in SCI which often will include teaching the patient how to find, interview and hire personal attendants as higher level quadriplegics will be unable to live completely independently. Occupational therapy will help patients increase their ability to sit upright and balance themselves while working on eating and personal care skills such as hygiene, skin care, with breakdown prevention education and wheelchair mobility. They will learn wheelchair transfer techniques, dressing and bed mobility. The occupational therapist will assist with re-entrance into community life at a maximum level of independence by linking the patient with resources, advocacy/self help groups, peer support systems and recreational facilities. The changes are dramatic and profound. The myths surrounding spinal cord injuries (“you know they can't have sex”) must be debunked. Along with the emotional and physical adjustments people with spinal cord injuries must adjust to a body that requires meticulous, regular care just to stay alive. Critical is the quality of ones bladder and bowel management, skin care and in some cases, respiratory care that determines not only how well a person faces the community but how long he or she will live. Self neglect may turn into passive suicide. It can happen in an instant and the changes are dramatic and profound.
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FOR SALE!!!!***
97 Mercury Sable LS; station wagon. Leather interior; 6-cylinder; 6-passenger seating; rear-facing third seat; Braun wc topper; Monarch hand controls. 93,000 miles. Price negotiable. Call Ruth @ 239-9754 after 5 p.m. 2001 Dodge Intrepid. 30,000 mi; leather interior; automatic transmission; Braun overhead wheelchair carrier & hand controls. Call Ruth at 239-9754 after 5 p.m. *2003 Ford F-250 lift-equipped green/gray van; leather seats, TV, DVD player. Playstation hookup, am-fm radio. Rick Miller, 937-2245. *Shower Chair; 2 yrs old, negotiable; Invacare 900 Action Power Chair; 4 yrs. Old; $600. Call 448-5296. *Cookbooks for Sale: Recipes compiled by Chapter members; $10:00. Call David @ 589-6620. *Video tapes for sale. Various topics related to spinal cord injuries. Call David Allgood or Buddy Lawson. ***If assistance is needed to pay for any of the above items, contact Kentucky Assistive Technology Loan Corporation at for information on loans at 5% interest to qualified candidates.
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You are cordially invited to join us! The Derby City Chapter of the National Spinal Cord Injury Association We meet: WHEN- Third Monday of every month from 6:30 to 9:00 PM If you wish to be a member, donor, and/or be on the mailing list of the Derby City Chapter of the National Spinal Cord Injury Association please complete and mail the following form to the address below
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