Paula Sardina explains the vital role that community equipment plays in her daily life. From a wheelchair and shower chair to a simple foot stirrup she can operate with her teeth, she describes how these tools are essential for her to maintain independence and live a fuller life. Without this support, Paula would be far more reliant on carers, highlighting how even small, practical items provided by social care can have a profound impact on a person's autonomy.

Can I get you to introduce yourself and tell me why community equipment's important to you? Um, hi, um, I'm, um, Paula Sardina. Um, I've, um, accessed social care for quite a long time, and, um, I've got quite a few items of equipment that have been supplied to me. Uh, community equipment is really important because it enables people to maintain independence and to live a fuller life which has better outcomes. Um, I'm using

On a very regular basis, I use a wheelchair, which was supplied to me by social care. Um, and I have lots of other smaller bits of equipment. One of the biggest pieces I use is something very small, which is a foot stirrup, which enables me to lift my legs up onto, um, a chair or, um, onto the bed when, um, I'm sitting there

And I can also, if I can't use my hands, um, because I have problems with them, I can actually, um, grip hold of the top of the stirrup with my teeth, and I can do it that way because of the way it's formed. Um, I use perching stool, um, in the kitchen, um, and in my, um, study. Um, but I also have a, a shower chair in my, uh, wet room

Um, they're just a few of the bits of equipment that really do make a difference for me and enable me to, um, maintain my independence. What would happen if you didn't have that equipment? I'd be reliant on either um a PA coming in more frequently than they do. I have PA support, um, or having to use a company which then really wouldn't meet the time factors of my needs, and I would feel um really dependent and therefore lose a lot of my independence

And what would you tell people that have never heard of Community Equipment about the benefits of it? Definitely um contact um your um social care provider or um if you have a social worker or go through, um I would imagine your GP and just ask for help. With equipment that could make a difference um to you on a daily basis. Uh, we all know that tech is out there, but it's not all about tech, it's about the practical, very small things, even down to, um, I have problems with my hands, you get a stand for your kettle, things like that

Brilliant, thanks very much..

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