The document titled “Equipment Matters – Wendy” is a transcribed interview with Wendy, an individual reliant on various types of assistive equipment in her daily life, and a second speaker (possibly her daughter or carer) who provides additional context. The conversation explores the significance of this equipment in maintaining Wendy's independence and quality of life, while also highlighting challenges in accessibility and functionality.
Wendy lists a variety of equipment she uses regularly, including a hospital bed, hoist, shower chair, turning frame, commode, reclining armchair, and a wheelchair. These were largely provided through a supplier called NRS after Wendy sustained a leg injury in 2016 and lost the ability to walk. She indicates that this equipment, although helpful, is primarily operated by carers, as she is unable to use most of it independently.
Among all items, Wendy identifies the hospital bed as her most valued piece of equipment. It is electrically adjustable, allowing her to raise her feet or sit up with assistance, and it is regularly serviced, including mattress replacement when worn or soiled. She finds it comfortable and appreciates that it allows her to maintain some autonomy and comfort in her bedroom.
The commode is also essential to her daily routine, though she admits difficulty in maneuvering it herself, relying on carers for assistance. Despite this limitation, she recognizes its value and notes that its condition is monitored and it is replaced when needed.
Wendy occasionally uses a wheelchair, particularly for going out into the garden on sunny days. However, due to her size and the physical demands on her carers, outings are infrequent. She mentions not wanting to burden the carers, despite the wheelchair being in good condition and helpful when used.
A reclining armchair is present in her room but seldom used due to the additional hoisting required to transfer her in and out of it. This highlights the effort and planning involved in even minor changes in position or setting.
The hoist itself is another crucial piece of equipment, regularly maintained and essential for safe transfers in and out of bed or chairs. It helps prevent injury to both Wendy and her carers and compensates for her loss of mobility and strength.
Accessibility to equipment has generally been smooth for Wendy since her hospital discharge, thanks in large part to her daughters and an efficient care support system. The ongoing service and maintenance of equipment are viewed positively and contribute to her continued ability to live at home rather than in a care facility.
The latter part of the transcript features a second individual discussing a different person’s experience with unsuitable equipment, particularly an ill-fitting hospital bed and the impact on comfort, independence, and well-being. They highlight systemic flaws, such as restrictive criteria for equipment eligibility and the inflexibility of available devices. They emphasize the need for personalized solutions, criticizing the standardization that forces individuals to “fit the equipment” rather than adapting the equipment to the individual’s needs.
Overall, the transcript underscores how vital proper, well-maintained assistive equipment is to the dignity, independence, and quality of life for individuals with disabilities, and the importance of responsive, flexible support systems.
Transcript
That was an American voice saying recording in progress. Oh. Yeah. A computer, a computer voice
Yeah. Voice of the computer. I didn't recognise it
No. I'm sorry. No, you don't need to
You don't need to recognise it. So it just, it's just letting us know that it's actually recording this now. So, um, that's great
So I'll, I'll start asking you some questions, Wendy, and we'll just have a chat. We'll just have a chat about the equipment that you use. So
Do you, so I take it that you use equipment, Wendy, and what equipment do you use? Mhm. Oh, it's written in this, yeah, you read it out, read out your list bed, a bedhoished, hoist, yeah, OK. Shower chair
Right. Turning frame. OK
commode. Yeah. Reclining armchair, right
And a wheelchair. OK. Great
That's quite a list, isn't it? It is. Yeah. And can I ask, where do you, where did you access the equipment from? Where does it come from? You don't know
No, I don't. Sorry. Um, I think most of it is through a company called NRS
OK. So, it would have been arranged originally when you came out of hospital after you broke your leg and you couldn't walk again. So the first bits would have been arranged then
Right. OK. So it's, uh, a sort of supplier, um, via the hospital
Originally, yes. Yeah. OK
And can you tell me about how, what, what pieces of equipment are, um. What, what pieces of what do they do for you for your life, the equipment that you use? What, what, what difference does it make? To you. Uh, It's tricky Well, people help me more than, yeah, but they have to use the equipment though, don't they, to the hoist to get you out of bed? Yes
Yes, um, let me have a look. Well, I'll ask you another question, Wendy. How about this? What's your favourite piece of equipment that you think is really good and is very useful for you? Oh
Or my bed number one, the bed. Why is, why, why is it? Tell me about your bed and why I've got a bedroom on my own because they put um some metal arms so I can try and pull myself up. So I've got a room on my own
um And what what else about your bed? It's comfortable. And you can raise your feet. Yes, I can sit up
And sit up, yes. That's great. And you can use, you can do that with like with with moving there, is it got a control on, is it electric? Has it got electric buttons? I don't see it
Yes, you, you have, it hooks on the side of your bed. Oh, that one, that one, yeah. Yeah, that was for
It's usually your carers move you, you about on that, don't they? Right. Yeah. So is, is, uh, you find, do you find it, is it a, is it a good quality piece of equipment? Is it, does it work well? I find it all useful for me
But your bed, it gets regularly serviced, doesn't it? So it works well. Yes, that's good. I'm grateful for that
And they change a mattress if it needs to because it, the covers get worn out and soiled. Well, torn, isn't it? It gets torn cos it's rubber or whatever like. Oh, that's good
So it gets regular serviced and it, it works well. So are you quite happy with that? I seem to be. That's good
That's good. And any other pieces of equipment that you use which you um. You think that I
mode you like a commode, the commode, yes, one. And obviously that's useful. Very
Yeah. And is it easy to use? The commode. No, I find it quite hard to manoeuvre it underneath my bottom
But that's the start you've got the carers do that for you. Yeah, if they're here. Yeah, yeah, you can't do it, they can't do any of that yourself
No, I've tried sometimes. Yeah, OK, OK. And is the quality of it good? Is it a good quality commode? It seems to be
And, and again, they will replace it when it's got worn. Oh. Yeah
So are you, are you happy with the, that, you're happy with the commode and the I think so. I don't know what else I could do without it. Apart from wet the bed
I, I, are there any other bits of equipment that you'd like to talk about what you use and how it, how it, how it's helped your life, how it helps you? Or wheelchair, if I'm lucky and they feel strong, strong enough to push me out because I'm a big lump. So sometimes I get taken out, but I, I don't worry about it because I don't want to upset the carers, you know, it's gives them so much work. I don't really want to do that
But I I haven't got any option. Yeah. Uh, but, but it gives you the opportunity to get out sometimes
Sometimes I do, but not a lot, and I'm, it doesn't worry me at all. And when it's sunny like this, you can go out in the garden. Yeah, go out into the garden when it's a nice sunny day
Or whatever. That's not and someone takes you out to the garden. Yeah, Carol does
Well usually Vanessa, she's a bit stronger. Oh. And is it good, is your wheelchair good quality? Are you happy with it? Yes, yes, thank you
And you also said that you have a, a, a chair, a reclining chair. Do you wanna tell me about that? I got in the armchair, yeah. I thought maybe using that colour
You haven't used that one that much because you need to be hoisted into it and then hoisted back out again, so it's a lot of, lot of hoisting. So you, you usually turn that one down. Like Who's your ears here
And how easy has it been for you to access all the equipment that you use? How how easy has it been to get hold of it? Yeah. Sometimes it's hard, isn't it? No, but it's been very easy to, to get what you needed. Oh right, it has come conversation
Has it taken, how, how long has it taken, you know, for you, have you had to wait a while for it, or? Well, since I, no, yeah, but that was 2016. That's a long time ago. You've had equipment all that time
Oh, lucky me. I am lucky. No, they have been, they've been very efficient, so it hasn't been, it hasn't been long
Oh. That's good, and it's just. Yeah, well, that's really good, isn't it? But she's she's like you
Yeah, like your secretary. Yeah, definitely your secretary. Yeah, yeah
That's good. Right, so, so, and any other pieces of equipment you'd like to talk about. So we've talked about the chair, the wheelchair, the bed
Um. The hoist is, uh, I'm grateful when they use that because I feel I'm a bit too much for the poor little carers to try and help me in and out of bed and whatnot. Well, yeah, and you, you're not feeling as strong as you were, no
So you can't help yourself as much. I got very much. um, I don't do anything, hardly myself
Yeah. So that's a really useful piece of equipment then and something, yes. And is it, what sort of quality is it? It was quite good, didn't it, Carol? It's, yeah, it's strong, it's strong
It's again service very regularly. Right, so the service for the hoist has been really good as well. Yeah, yeah
And I think because mum has a care package, then the carers might identify if something. Needs sorting. So there's, there may be, it's more than just, um, a domestic household trying to organise these things
Yeah, because she has a care package and so they, they act things. Yeah, sort of in the system. Yeah, yeah
Right. Well, thank you. I don't know if there's anything else you'd like to
I'm just looking to see if there's anything else that I can cover. But I think we've covered most of it. It sounds like you've got quite a good, um, Service with very, very lucky
I've got some lovely daughters. Yeah, no, it's the equipment we're talking about now. Yeah
You've gotta use it. No, but it, what it means is it, it enables you to stay at home, doesn't it? Enables you to live at home because you've got all of this equipment. It's all in good condition, works well, and is all kind of replaced and kept up together
So you can continue to live. No, not me, but you can continue to live here. Yes
I think so. Yeah, well, otherwise, yeah, you might have to end up in a care home, wouldn't you? Or something like that, but. This keeps you here
Yes. That's great. So that's what it's doing for you
The equipment helping you to stay independent and in your own home. Yes. That's very lucky
Yeah. And you've got 2 lovely daughters? 4 lovely daughters. Wow, I've gotta be careful, haven't I? There's 2 of us here
There's only 2 of us here that live here as well. How lovely. Yeah, very lucky
I enjoyed them. Yeah. That's good
Well, that's good. I bet when they were young, it was quite a bit of a handful having 4 daughters, wasn't it? I expect so, I can't remember much. Great
OK. Well, thank you so much for meeting me today and, and talking about your equipment and how it helps you and what you think about it and what you think about the service. I appreciate you spending time to try and sort me and help me
Thank you. It's a pleasure. It's a pleasure
I'm gonna stop recording now. We'll hear the woman's saying. Here we go
And amigo. That was an American voice saying recording in progress. Oh
Yeah. A computer, a computer voice. Yeah
Voice of the computer. I didn't recognise it. No
I'm sorry. No, you don't need to. You don't need to recognise it
So it just, it's just letting us know that it's actually recording this now. So, um, that's great. So I'll, I'll start asking you some questions, Wendy, and we'll just have a chat
We'll just have a chat about the equipment that you use. So. Do you, so I take it that you use equipment, Wendy, and what equipment do you use? Mhm
Oh, it's written in this, yeah, you read it out, read out your list a bed, a bedhoished hoist, yeah, OK. Shower chair. Right
Turning frame. OK.commode
Yeah. Reclining armchair, right. And a wheelchair
OK. Great. That's quite a list, isn't it? It is
Yeah. And can I ask, where do you, where did you access the equipment from? Where does it come from? Oh, you don't know. No, I don't
Sorry. Um, I think most of it is through a company called NRS. OK
So, it would have been arranged originally when you came out of hospital after you broke your leg and you couldn't walk again. So the first bits would have been arranged then. Right
OK. So it's a, a sort of supplier, um, via the hospital. Originally, yes
Yeah. OK. And can you tell me about how, what, what pieces of equipment are, um
What, what pieces of what do they do for you for your life, the equipment that you use? What, what, what difference does it make? To you. Uh, It's tricky Well, people help me more than, yeah, but they have to use the equipment though, don't they? So the hoist to get you out of bed? Yes. Yes, um, let me have a look
Well, I'll ask you another question, Wendy. How about this? What's your favourite piece of equipment that you think is really good and is very useful for you? Oh. Or my bed number one, the bed
Why is, why, why is it? Tell me about your bed and why I've got a bedroom on my own because they put um some metal arms so I can try and pull myself up. So I've got a room on my own. um And what what else about your bed? It's comfortable
And you can raise your feet. Yes, I can sit up. I can sit up, yes
That's great. And you can use, you can do that with by with with moving there, is it got a control on, is it electric? Has it got electric buttons? I don't see it. Yes, you, you have, it hooks on the side of your bed
Oh, that one, that one, yeah. Yeah, that was for. It's usually your carers move you, you about on that, don't they? Right
Yeah. So is, is, uh, you'll find, do you find it, is it a, is it a good quality piece of equipment? Is it, does it work well? I find it all useful for me. But your bed, it gets regularly serviced, isn't it? So it works well
Yes, that's good. I'm grateful for that. And they change your mattress if it needs to because it, the covers get worn out and soiled well torn, isn't it? It gets torn because it's rubber or whatever like
Oh, that's good. So it gets regular serviced and it, it works well. So are you quite happy with that? I seem to be
That's good. That's good. And any other pieces of equipment that you use which you um
You think it, I. Commode you like a commode, the commode, yes, number one. And obviously that's useful
Very. Yeah. And is it easy to use? The commode
No, I find it quite hard to manoeuvre it underneath my bottom. But that's the start you've got the carers do that for you. Yeah, if they're here
Yeah, yeah, you can't do it, they can't do any of that yourself. No, I've tried sometimes. Yeah, OK, OK
And is the quality of it good? Is it a good quality commode? It seems to be. And, and again, they will replace it when it's got worn. Oh
Yeah. So are you, are you happy with the, that, you're happy with the commode and the I think so. I don't know what else I could do without it
Apart from wet the bed. I, I, are there any other bits of equipment that you'd like to talk about what you use and how it, how it, how it's helped your life, how it helps you? Or wheelchair, if I'm lucky and they feel strong, strong enough to push me out because I'm a big lump. So sometimes I get taken out, but I, I don't worry about it because I don't want to upset the carers, you know, it's gives them so much work
I don't really want to do that. But I I haven't got any option. Yeah
Uh, but, but it gives you the opportunity to get out sometimes. Sometimes I do, but not a lot, and I'm, it doesn't worry me at all. And when it's sunny like this, you can go out in the garden
Yeah, go out into the garden when it's a nice sunny day. Or whatever. That's not and someone takes you out to the garden
Yeah, Carol does. Well usually Vanessa, she's a bit stronger. Oh
And is it good, is your wheelchair good quality? Are you happy with it? Yes, yes, thank you. And you also said that you have a, a, a chair, a reclining chair. Do you wanna tell me about that? I've got in the armchair, yeah
I can't maybe using that colour. You haven't used that one that much because you need to be hoisted into it and then hoisted back out again, so it's a lot of, lot of hoisting. So you, you usually turn that one down
Like Who's your ears here. And how easy has it been for you to access all the equipment that you use? How how easy has it been to get hold of it? Yeah. Sometimes it's hard, isn't it? No, but it's been very easy to, to get what you needed
Oh right, it has come conversation. Has it taken, how, how long has it taken, you know, for you, have you had to wait a while for it, or? Well, since I, no, I, yeah, but that was 2016. That's a long time ago
You've had equipment all that time. Oh, lucky me. I am lucky
No, they have been, they've been very efficient, so it hasn't been, it hasn't been long. Oh. That's good and it's just
Yeah, well, that's really good, isn't it? But she's like, she's like you. Yeah, like your secretary. Yeah, definitely your secretary
Yeah, yeah. That's good. Right, so, so, and any other pieces of equipment you'd like to talk about
So we've talked about the chair, the wheelchair, the bed. Um. The hoist is, uh, I'm grateful when they use that because I feel I'm a bit too much for the poor little carers to try and help me in and out of bed and whatnot
Well, yeah, and you, you're not feeling as strong as you were, no. So you can't help yourself as much. Not very much
um, I don't do anything, hardly myself. Yeah. So that's a really useful piece of equipment then and something, yes
And is it, what sort of quality is it? It was quite good, didn't it, Carol? It's yeah, it's strong, it's strong. It's again service very regularly. Right, so the service for the hoist has been really good as well
Yeah, yeah. And I think because mum has a care package, then the carers might identify if something. Needs sorting
So there's, there may be, it's more than just, um, a domestic household trying to organise these things. Yeah, because she has a care package and so they, they act and things. Yeah, sort of in the system
Yeah, yeah. Right. Well, thank you
I don't know if there's anything else you'd like to, I'm just looking to see if there's anything else that I can cover. But I think we've covered most of it. It sounds like you've got quite a good, um, Service with very, very lucky
I've got some lovely daughters. Yeah, no, it's the equipment we're talking about now. You've gotta use it
No, but it, what it means is it, it enables you to stay at home, doesn't it? Enables you to live at home because you've got all of this equipment. It's all in good condition, works well and is all kind of replaced and kept up together. So you can continue to live
No, not me, but you can continue to live here. Yes. I think so
Yeah, well, otherwise, yeah, you might have to end up in a care home, wouldn't you? Or something like that, but. This keeps you here. Yes
That's great. So that's what it's doing for you. The equipment helping you to stay independent and in your own home
Yes. That's very lucky. Yeah
And you've got 2 lovely daughters? 4 lovely daughters. Wow, I've gotta be careful, haven't I? There's 2 of us here. There's only 2 of us here that live here as well
How lovely. Yeah, very lucky. I enjoyed them
Yeah. That's good. Well, that's good
I bet when they were young, it was quite a bit of a handful having 4 daughters, wasn't it? I expect so, I can't remember much. Great. OK
Well, thank you so much for meeting me today and, and talking about your equipment and how it helps you and what you think about it and what you think about the service. I appreciate you spending time to try and sort me and help me. Thank you
It's a pleasure. It's a pleasure. I'm gonna stop recording now, we'll hear the woman saying again
Here we go. Adios amigo. Which is still Really relevant
I'll just change the view a minute so it's you, not me. Um, so just, um, as we've been talking about, um. More about the equipment and stuff, and you were saying about, you know
It falls short, and sorry for those terms, but it falls short, you know, it's not the right size. So how does that affect him in terms of um. Pain and in terms of independence and in terms of his well-being
Well, I, I think it affects him in terms of pain because the way that the bed bends, which is a 2 ft, leaving 4 ft for his feet, means that um it's actually bending in a place which isn't supportive of his lower back. Um, so he feels like he's sitting in a dip and um. He's uncomfortable because he's not supported his back of the head isn't supported at all
So, you know, he's basically having to kind of use some energy to keep himself upright. Um, in terms of his independence, um, if he had a wider bed, he's, he thinks he could still move from side to side. Um, using bed levers, as it is, um, he frequently needs to be turned by somebody and that's through the night as well, whereas he used to be able to, when he was in his own bed before he was in the
Hospital profiling bed, he could use the levers to get onto one side or the other, which he can't do because the bed isn't wide enough. His limbs are too long, and, um, so in terms of actually being able to do anything for himself, it restricts him. I can't remember what your third question was
Uh, about his wellbeing. Um Well, I think his wellbeing is really compromised by not being comfortable, you know, not being comfortable. Um, he's extremely restricted, um, he's exhausted, um
And not feeling that, you know, feeling that you have to say to somebody, literally, could you move my right leg? Because the toes are scrumped up against the footboard rather than them not being, means that every single thing that you need to happen to your life, you have to ask somebody else to do. And, you know, nobody else has, but maybe there's some people that have to say, could you please uncurl my feet? But you know, I'm not sure there are very many of them, and if someone that was a provider was doing that, they'd soon get bored, wouldn't they? You know just. Very true
I mean, probably if he was in a care home. They would be, you know, I don't know. Maybe they would have to do something because they're not gonna have to, they won't be paying the staff to do it
I know. I mean, that, that, that's one of the things that, you know, one of the options has been that he goes into a care home. But I really would fear for him
Because, you know, at the point that my mother-in-law's in a care home, and my daughter went to see her, and she said she rang a bell. And, you know, the first time she went, she rang a bell because they needed help and nothing happened. She went out and she said, Have I done this right? Because I rang the bell and they said, Oh, yes, you know, yes, it's ring
You know, there's no one to come and help at the moment. And I think, you know, so how long would you lie with your feet? Your toes against the end of the bed, and then if you've got a pressure sore, you know, then, then what? In fact, the day, I mean, this isn't really on the same topic, but um, The OT came at the point that he was so thin that I was worried about his skin integrity, and I said, can he have a profiling mattress? And he said, no, the criteria is that you have to have a break in the skin before you can get a profiling mattress. And this was on a Friday afternoon
On Saturday morning, he got a break on his heel, and on Sunday, he got a break on his back. And on Monday morning, I contacted the MND service, and by 12 o'clock we had a profiling mattress. But that is madness as well, because why are we waiting till somebody's got a bed sore before we give them a bed that will stop them having a bed sore
That makes no sense. And that's one of the things, isn't it? It's about. You know, it's like we're, we're looking at this in terms of sort of like access to and equipment that helps and
Some equipment's really good and why that's good. And then we're looking at what seems to be coming up with these rules. You know, these rules, which are the barriers that block
Yeah. Yeah. I mean, the, the, the worst rule is the Medi quit rule
No, you can't alter anything. You know, I mean, I, because there are, there are. I mean, we, I don't, I don't know that I've got a good idea about the, the hoist and the sling, but I definitely had a good idea about the rotunda
So, um. And the, the bed, um. I'm trying to think
Oh, and the walking trolley, you know, all three of them. I mean, I'm not, I'm not an engineer, but you know, I've, I've used my ingenuity to kind of try to ameliorate. The, the major problems that we've come across
But it shouldn't be like that because I don't think everyone's like me. No, it shouldn't, and, and also, the thing is, is that. Um, I mean, I, it, it, they should make those changes
And is that, they should, it should be tailored. And what you said about the healthcare professional and what they said about his feet. Is this, there's an attitude towards the equipment
Um, you fit the equipment. Yeah. So that healthcare professional said, Oh, his feet's too big
But what they should have said is the, this is too small. Yeah. Yeah
Yeah. Exactly. That, that you've hit it on the head, Kath
You know? It's not about him being too long, too, you know, his feet too big. Too immobile, too thin, you know, I mean, uh, basically, what they're saying is, you're too thin. If you're fatter, you can have a bigger bed
And with the rotunda, if your feet weren't this big, you'd fit on the rotunda. Yeah. And the rotunda, I take it, is, it's, it is there to help with mobility, isn't it? It's there to get from one thing
Yeah, it, yeah, you, you basically, you put your feet onto it, hold onto it, and then it, it rotates so that you can move 45 degrees. So getting off a bed onto a glideout. But actually, I mean, even the glideout
Chair was a problem because um. There was no perch, because it, it was, it was as high as it could be that this, the one that we've got now, which is a tilt tilting one is better because, A, he's not having to stand, but B, it is adjustable. But the, the original one was put as high as it could be
But then he couldn't transfer from it back onto the rotunda to get onto the bed again, because it, it was too low down so that he had no purchases on his legs and he couldn't lock them. Whereas coming from a bed which could be raised so that he could sort of basically have his legs pretty straight, he could get onto the rotunda, but not very safely because his centre of gravity was a bit off. And be turned round and sit down onto the chair
So even, you know, even things like that, if the, if the gliderba has been raisable and lowerable, um, that would have made a massive difference. The one that, the one that we've got now, um, works, but that's because he can't stand now. So, you know, it's, it's not an issue
So, um, the Rotunda, which was our friend for a tiny little bit. It's gone away. Um, But the bed is here to stay start
Yeah, yeah. Well, it, I'm gonna, I will stop. OK
.