Technical Aids Service team offers hands-on training on new mobility equipment
State-of-the-art mobility equipment such as prosthetics and motorized wheelchairs keep limited-mobility clients moving, active and independent. But there is no substitute for a guiding and skilled hand in helping clients to make the most of their technical aids.“We’re here to promote our clients’ safety, comfort and quality of life, whether for an elderly person who has had a stroke, a youth who has been in a car accident or an adult with Multiple Sclerosis,” says Jane Frances Parayno, an Occupational Therapist with the Constance Lethbridge Rehabilitation Centre’s Technical Aid Service.
“Our team works closely with partners in the community, including physical rehabilitation therapists and technicians, occupational therapists and nurses, to ensure that technical aids are used in an optimal manner. We also direct them to the available resources so they can provide better and more efficient care to their clients, patients, and residents.”
Evaluations or re-evaluations for a new or existing wheelchair are carried out at Constance Lethbridge or a satellite centre in Kirkland, but up to 80 per cent of clients are evaluated at one of 120 partner establishments across the island of Montreal, whether in long-term care facilities or CLSCs. The Technical Aids Service also offers monthly wheelchair clinics at CIUSSS West-Central Montreal facilities, including Jewish Eldercare, Maimonides, Mount Sinai, and in homes situated on the territory of the Metro, Côte-des-Neiges, Parc-Extension, Benny Farm and René-Cassin CLSCs.
Partners travel to Constance Lethbridge for skills upgrade
Specialized training takes place every three years at Constance Lethbridge through a series of lectures and workshops. This year, on October 6, the Technical Aids Service team introduced 75 colleagues from throughout the healthcare network to new equipment, with an emphasis on wheelchairs. Participants learned how to:
• operate and adjust wheelchairs and positioning components
• navigate specialized motorized wheelchairs that enable clients to drive with a head or foot control
• improve their wheelchair skills, in the new Constance Lethbridge wheelchair training room
“It’s great to have contact with our partners in the community, to share our knowledge and answer questions,” says Daniel Maheu, who has been working as a Wheelchair Positioning Technician at Constance Lethbridge for 30 years.
“Our clinical team worked hard over a period of six months to put together an informative and interactive day,” reports Philippe Massicotte, Manager of the Technical Aids Service for CIUSSS West-Central Montreal. “Judging from the participants’ feedback, the day was a great success!”
For more information, contact the Constance Lethbridge Technical Aid Service at 514 487-1891, extension 273.
