Personalisation of Equipment Helps With Wellbeing

Call it OK. So Jackie, can you tell me about um what equipment that you use and why it's important to you and how you use it? Um, going back just over a year, well, probably a lot longer than that, really. I've been struggling with my back. And it got to the point where

Getting in and out of the bath to have a, well, getting in and out to have a bath was impossible. Um. And so I, but I could get in

To have a shower, but it was a struggle. So I've got um grab rails. Fitted And they were the best thing for me at the moment, at that time

So with the gradwells, I kept tutoring along and doing what I needed to do. Then all of a sudden I realised, I'm not tall enough. I can't get my leg over the bath at all

So they had to provide me with a step. Right, to step up. But what they also provided me with was a bathboard, so that if I got tired while I'm having a shower, I can sit down

Yeah, and have a shower. Um, rather than sit on the edge of the bath, which is what I was doing, which is obviously dangerous. So, um, those are the things I've got in the bathroom

I've also got a grab rail near the toilet. To help pull myself up again. Um, and those are what I've got in the bathroom

And then The OT, the occupational therapist came and she said, you know, let's see you getting into bed. I couldn't get, uh, not that I couldn't get into bed, but it was a laugh watching me get into bed. It was like, uh, grabbing hold of the bedclothes and pulling myself up, and she said, No

No, no, no, no, no, you need another step here. Yeah. So, um

You should put a step there um. Uh Going downstairs, um. We've got scrub rail fitted at the bottom of the stairs because there's a, there's just a small bit at the end where I'm putting my hand on

Um, I would like to call it a shelf, but it's not. It's just a little square bit where it's like a stump. And I could slip off it

And she, and she picked up on that and she said, No, you need a grab rail there. Um, in the kitchen, I've got. Perching stool

Right. Oh, So, you know, whether I'm cooking, I get tired or whether my son who's also disabled. He likes cooking and I just and wants me to just supervise him, I can sit and supervise him

While he's there rather than stand and hover over him, which is what I used to do, but now I do a lot of sitting. Um, And outside the back door, there's a step as well. So a lot of things are more like steps to in the home

What I've. My oldest purchase for me last year because with work I had to go abroad, and I can only walk so far before. The pain takes hold and I need to sit down or whatever, and he said, I'm not, I, I don't want you going abroad and everything being ruined because you're in pain

So he bought me a wheelchair from the mobility shop where I live. And they were really good, they were like saying. You know, things like um

This one, you need someone to constantly push you in. This uh this other one, you can manoeuvre yourself, so you, you know, someone might put you somewhere but you want to get closer to the, The table or the desk, you can wheel yourself closer. So, you know, they were very good at advising me

What to get. Um. So he purchased that, and he also purchased as well, a walking frame with a seats

So that I can still continue to be mobile when I can. Yeah. But have the seat there that if I ever get to a place where I just

Can't do anymore, um. Then I'm to sit down. I mean, I've only got to walk past 6 houses to get to the shop

I get halfway, and I'm leaning on the lamppost, you know. Yeah. Yeah

So, by having this, it's giving me the freedom. Um, and the independence as well. Yeah, absolutely

To do what I need to do. So, thanks to my oldest son, I've got the, he's paid for the most expensive things because he, you know, I says, Oh no, I'll wait for the OT. He says, Mum, you'll be waiting forever

Yeah, for the OT2. Give you these, and are you going to get them at the standard that you want or at something that you like? Yeah, where. You know, the, in the mobility shop, the, the guy, yes, he's making, making money, so he will show me the good one and whatever, and I'll say I can't afford that one

I can't afford that one, try this one, sort of thing. Um, but I could try them all. Yeah

Where with the occupational therapist, the OT you are given equipment, you're not actually. Shown the equipment that you're going to get. Yeah

So you have no idea what you're going to get. Um, You know, the grab rails now have gone from the perfectly smooth ones to ones with, Like little ridges all the way round, so. You know, you, it's a chance that you could grab onto it a little better, um, rather than slipping if you've got one hand and things like that, but I didn't know that

Antonio I'm going down this path. But I'm beginning to find out more. Right, yeah

And do you think that, so the grab rails, could they be improved upon then? You know, it's, I have seen in my time, in my time sounds like I'm. I'm like I'm old, but not that old. Um

In the last 10 years I've seen 3 versions of grad rails. Right. And the one I like most is the one I've got in the bathroom, which is like a

Um, a curve, it's, um, it's, it's almost like an hourglass shape. But it's got a ridge on it at the same time, so no matter how small or how big your hand is, whether or not you can make a big grip or a small grip, you know, there's some place on it that you can hold. Right, OK, so it's got

It's not just like one. Um, Width no. So it's more um

What do they call it, ergomonicer yes ergamonic. Yes. Yeah

Um, so that's what I've got in the bathroom, but on the stairs I've got the one grip. Right, um, you know, because they've been dispatched at different times and at different times. Um, and the step is the same thing because I thought

I've got a step for the bathroom, it would be the same step I got for the bedroom to climb on my bed, and you'd think I'd be climbing up ladders and stuff, but I just couldn't, just couldn't get on the bed, um. But the steps were different, right? And where the one in the bathroom's a solid white step. And the one in the bedroom's white as well, but it's in 3, well, I've not pulled it apart, but it looks as if it's in 3 pieces, and you can use

Use whatever level you want or need. OK. So it's adaptable

Yeah. Yeah. Mhm

So, um, you know, but is one better than the other, do you think, for you, or? The one in the bathroom has got like. It's made for the bathroom in the sense of the surface of it. Right, yeah, yeah

Um, this one, I'm. I think it's a lot a lot smoother. So, you know, you're not really getting on it with wet feet

So there's less chance of you slipping. Um. So out of the two, I can't, I I couldn't decide which which one I like better because they both do slightly different jobs

They're just like, yeah, yeah, yeah. I suppose that's quite good actually, isn't it, that you've got. You know, that they are thinking in the design and, and giving it to you, the right ones to use

Well, yeah, yeah. Um, that was the OT, but I didn't have a choice. No, OK, yeah

You know, I was given these. I didn't know if there was anything better out there or. Um, if they came in a bright pink or or anything like that, you know, you're literally given

Everything is white, or the step out stairs I like is a honeycomb on the top, um, in blue, trying to remember now, and black going around the outside. Right, OK. Um, but again, that's got the, oh, what you call them, little legs on them that you can adjust

OK, yeah, yeah, to bring them up to the level you need them or. Oh, yeah, it's quite adaptable that step. The one outside, yes

Yeah. Do you think there's any, can you see, did you have any sort of challenges, um, accessing equipment, or, um, do you find any challenges with the equipment that you use right now? Um, the challenge for me is sometimes getting in and out of the car. So it means I've got to change my car to get right with the wheelchair because it's a lightweight wheelchair

But it's still, I can't lift it. It's nothing to do with wheelchair, it's me. Yeah, yeah, yeah, um

So, you know, I tend to, if I have to go anywhere and I'm on my own and I drive, I tend to use my walker. Right. I can get that in and out of the car, the wheelchair, I can't

If I've got someone with me. Um, then I've got the choice of what to use. Yeah

I suppose it depends on how you feel that day. Yeah, it really does. If I'm travelling, if I'm travelling to a

Seminar or webinar, not webinar, seminar or a presentation, I tend to use my wheelchair because the journey alone wears me out. Yeah. Um, But you have to then rely on or you need to book passenger assist

When you're in a wheelchair, as I've. Well, I did book it, but they forgot to take me off the train and I ended up somewhere else. Oh my gosh

Yeah. And that's a, that's a tale in itself, yeah. Yeah

Yeah. Yeah, I can understand. Yeah

Um, but yeah, I, I have both of them in the car at all times unless, you know, I've got other people travelling with me. Um. And if other people are travelling with me, then the wheelchair's fine

Yeah, yeah. So you haven't changed your car, but you feel that you might need to change your car, so I, I will possibly need to change my car. Um, So that I can somehow

Be able to access the wheelchair? Because I can't lift it up. I don't know whether or not. I know you can buy portable ra ramps that you can wheel things up and put them in

I don't know if that's an option. I don't know. Yeah

Yeah. And it's not something I am looking at doing just yet. No

Because I've only really started using the wheelchair or accepting that I need this type of support. Um, Since May June last year. Yeah, right

So. It's still quite a new thing for me. And I will go to do things and then get get part where they will realise I can't do this

Oh yeah, you know, um, so. Yeah, everything's still quite new for me, right. Do you see how, have you got any ideas on

How, um, providing equipment or, or the equipment that you have could be improved upon. I think it's a matter, yes, I think it can be improved upon the, as I said before, the choice, the colour, you know, a wheelchair has gotta be black. Why has it got to be black? Well, that's what you've got, a choice of black, or probably a little bit of trim going with the red or the blue, but on the whole, it's black

Yeah. And I. And in some ways I can understand that

It hides the dirt a little bit, or. It's not what I would choose. Yeah, you know, if there was a choice, and I didn't have a choice to choose a wheelchair, don't get me wrong, but there's nothing on the market

As far as I know any of the collar. Um, But like the things like the steps and stuff for your house and the gra the grab wells are always white, um, and it's great if you've got a white bathroom and it fits in with your bathroom, which most people have. Mhm

But you know, I might be one of these that's probably got a a purple bathroom that wants, you know, I just think sometimes a little bit of colour. Mm. And it takes it away from being looking so medical

Yeah. You know, um, everything is right, it's medical, everybody knows what it's for and yeah. You know, you walk past the house and there's a grabbo on the side of the house and you know exactly, yeah, what it do

Um, So it's, it's a bit of your privacy. Hm, let's go. So those are the things I would be looking at is, you know, looking at the colour, is there a, you know, it could be something you can put, I don't know

A sleeve on You know, um. And you can Jazz it up with whatever. Sure

It'd be nice, it would be nice to be given the choice, even if you've got to pay. Extra, probably. Yeah

Yeah, but I'm sure there's ways around it. But they're not, they, as far as I know, nothing's been created in any other colour. No

um. Except why, yeah, so I suppose it's, yeah. I don't know anything about it really, but I suppose it's about the manufacturers

And I expect there's only a number of manufacturers, few number, I don't know, manufacturers, probably internationally, which would make it all. It, I don't know either. Well, you know, I just think

In this day and age where we are. Saying that everything is to be personalised. Yeah

Why can't we personalise some of the equipment that we're having to use? Yeah. You know, um, If we all had And this has happened anyway, if we all had black handbags and we all put them down, you pick them all up and you're like uh. And until you look inside

You don't know who's is who's. Yeah. I know that

I know that from, um, my mum, she used a wheelchair for a while. And, um. We always had the thing when we'd take her out, you know, you'd go somewhere where we go out together and um

You'd go somewhere and there'd be other people who had wheelchairs as well and then you just, all the wheelchairs are all just modelled up and you're trying to takes ages to work out who is what because like you say, Jack, they're all the same. Yeah. And I had the experience going way back, I mean, years and years ago where

Um, I had a buggy, and I took both my boys to Jamaica to see my mom and dad. And I'm waiting for my buggy to come back round on the this treadmill thing. And the one that came round

It was the same make, what tattoo? So I'm like, that is not my buggy, you know, so I'm like. Say to the guards or whatever that was there. Mine is like that, but it's clean

Yeah, yeah, that's all I could say, mine is like that, but it's clean. So he says, OK, let's report it as a missing item. Right

As we're walking up to report it. I spotted it. All right

And the, the guy was really nice, he said, don't say anything because we don't, you know, we don't, just in case, don't say anything, and he intervened and she's, this woman was saying, no, it's hers, it's hers, and I said. Well, you don't know, it could have been a four-way swap of bookies, you don't know because. Well, yeah

Yeah, and um And the way I was able to prove it was mine, one, because I'd labelled it, and 2, on the bottom of the seat on the wrong side, I'd written my name, my surname. That's so good, Jackie. So there was no questions asked

I bet she was thinking she was having a bit of an upgrade on her buggy. Oh, I'm just thinking, how would you not know? Yeah. Yeah You know, and you'd probably think, oh

Uh, this, this one's my here. Oh, do you want no nobody will notice until we're, we've gone or, you know. But yeah

um, so it's the same sort of thing, isn't it? It's about making sure it's different in some way. Mm. Um, travelling with your suitcase

A lot of West Indians, and probably, um, this is very stereotypical. Um, we tie a scarf. Yeah, on their suitcases

So that they can identify them. Yeah, exactly, yeah, yeah, right away. And um

And you know, and I, I like I say, it's very stereotypical cos it's something I, I kept saying to my mum and dad, what are you doing that for? Nobody else is doing it, you know. But they were saying everybody's got a suitcase like this. If, if you've got to take everyone off, look at the label, yeah, yeah, it takes time's time

If you make with a particular material. Yeah, then you can identify it. Yeah

But now they're making suitcases of all colours, sizes and shapes. Yeah. So it's a matter of equipment now

Yeah, same, yeah, yeah. You know, um, I suppose it's because it's such a. You know, like a wheelchair or a walker, you know, they're so personal, aren't they? You you

You know, they're part, they become almost like part of your body. Yeah. Yeah, kind of want it to be something that you

Really like. Well, yeah, I mean, I do know that, especially with children's. Wheelchair, they do get a choice of colour

Right. Um. But I'm not sure

If adults wheelchair that are not moulded to their body, not, Made specifically for them, have that choice. Yeah. Yeah

And it would be nice Not that I'm getting rid of mine, mine, mine's, I can't do that, my son will never forgive me. Right. Um, So I think that's us then, Jackie, I think we've covered it all

Is there anything else you'd like to say about using equipment, maybe about, I mean, we've talked a little bit, we've talked about the equipment, we've talked about what enables you to do. Yeah. But if there's the only other thing I can think of is, and I don't know if it comes under this, is my youngest son

Um, He's has got special needs and he uses, he has orthotics, orthotically made purpose made shoes. Oh yes, yes. Now those are limited as well, very, very limited in style, design, whatever

Now I managed to find. A company that were making these shoes for the NHS. And it took me so long to get these NHS shoes that I went straight to source

Right. And we were talking and the lady says, Joshua, what, what sort of shoes? And he said, Batman shoes. They made him

Some black shoes with a bit of yellow, was it Batman with the yellow? Yeah, yeah. And like, and then got motives. Oh, and stuck them on the shoe

And this then went to. This man went to the NHS because by the time that they were doing this. The appointment for the NHS came through and they were like, how did you manage to get these? Mm

And he got these Batman shoes. He also had, um, Spider-Man ones. Wow

And You know, and it, it made such a difference to him rather than the bulky, heavy. Velcro boots he had to wear, they were, they were in. You know, the colour of Spider-Man and Batman and and that makes such a difference

Yeah. His self-esteem, you know, he, he, he sort of, his shoulders went up and look at me, I'm in these shoes, you know, and. And he was taking photos of his shoes and sending it to everybody and anybody

And I just think. That is what it did to a 25 year old. Mm

And for years he'd been wearing these. Black, brown. You know, can't get trainers, cos that was something else I'll say, why can't we get trainers in these that don't make them

Yeah. They don't make them. Well, I asked that many times, but they did, they started making

Or it's the same company, I think it was the same company and I've gone directly to them. Yeah. And they've made them

And whenever I got shoes from them, they fitted. Right. You know, they got, they got Joshua, they did a mould off his feet, they went back, um

They built the shoe, but didn't put the sole on the bottom. They made sure everything was in the right place. Then they put the sole on the bottom and then they posted them out

Oh, don't, you're not, don't need to come out again, we'll post them to you. Oh. Was that quite how local was that to you, Jackie? Um, about 20 minutes away

No, really? Wow, that's really good, isn't it? But then they closed down. Oh no, no, um, so now we're back to. Boring It shows it is possible to do it, doesn't it? Shows it's completely possible to do it

It is. It is possible and. For every generation as well, you know, yeah, you want some Nike, you want to look like you've got something trendy on Nike or Reebok, whatever it is

They put the stripes on. They put some stitching on, you know what I mean, to make them fit. Yeah

If you fit in. Yeah. And that was all that was all Joshua wanted was a pair of shoes that made him feel

Special. Yeah. Yeah

Um, and I, we've still got them, they. They don't fit in now, but we've still got them. I'm gonna, I'm gonna try

And see if we can get another pair. But it's very unlikely. Yeah

Very unlikely, um, well, let us know how you get on with it, Jack, so. Good to know, wouldn't it, because if you can create a demand, you know, that's good for. That's the thing

It is, I mean, when Joshua started wearing these special shoes, he was, they, they didn't even fit him properly. Um, he wasn't even walking, but because they knew he was going to have very flat feet. Yeah

At the age of 18 months, I think, he was in these Pedro boots. Right. And oh gosh, the bruises, those boots caused me on my hip

It was unbelievable. Yeah, um. So he's worn the same type of shoes

Yeah. From 18 months. And he's now 35

Right. Yeah. The only difference we've done now is, and I've insisted on it, is, That it's got to have Velcro, you are not making him independent, you are making him dependent on someone being, being around to tie his shoes and, and I really fought for that

Um, And I got them. Yeah, good, got them, but it just means that you've got to, sorry um. It just means you've got to fight all the time

Yeah, for everything you want. Yeah. So, but yeah, that's my success story, you know, in all this

Yeah, it's great. Thank you so much for sharing that. It's um

I love that story. It's great. It's uh it's a shame that they closed down and it's a shame that it's not offered, isn't it? You know, and the same with the wheelchair being the different colour wheelchairs being offered to children, but not to adults

Why not to adults as well? I may be wrong on that, because I've not gone down the OT department. Right, OK, no, well, but I've not seen them in the shops, and if. They were in the shops

Yeah. The guy would have said, you know, we haven't, we got this in blue. You'd have to wait for it to go or whatever, but no

No, no. So yeah, we just need more personalised equipment. Yeah

Um, so yes. Thank you so much. I'm gonna stop recording there

Uh, here we go..