Barriers and Satisfaction Associated with Personal Assistance Services: Results of Consumer and Personal Assistant Focus Groups

2005 ◽  
Vol 25 (2) ◽  
pp. 66-74 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sandra J. Matsuda ◽  
Mary J. Clark ◽  
Laura H. Schopp ◽  
Kristofer J. Hagglund ◽  
Emily K. Mokelke
Keyword(s):  
Spinal Cord ◽  
Focus Groups ◽  
Spinal Cord Injuries ◽  
Training Programs ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Personal Assistance ◽  
Personal Assistance Services ◽  
Personal Assistant ◽  
Personal Assistants

The work of personal assistants is crucial to the quality of life, health, and participation of consumers with spinal cord injuries. The purpose of this study was to describe the barriers and satisfaction experienced by consumers and personal assistants. Transcripts were taken from five focus groups conducted with 24 consumers with spinal cord injuries and 15 personal assistants. Results revealed that both groups experienced problems with the consumer and personal assistant relationship, inadequate reimbursement, and restrictive policies. Satisfaction was experienced when a positive working relationship existed for both groups. Assistants derived satisfaction from the altruistic nature of their work. Future research is needed to identify the most effective methods for personal assistant recruitment, training, and retention. Specific methods to be tested include increasing personal assistant reimbursement, providing training programs for both consumers and assistants, and increasing the flexibility of personal assistance services policies.

scholarly journals Personal Assistance Device for Independent Senior Citizens/ Patients

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (5) ◽  
pp. 5257-5260
Keyword(s):  
Elderly People ◽  
Health Monitoring ◽  
Senior Citizens ◽  
Life Time ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Full Time ◽  
Personal Assistance ◽  
Personal Assistant ◽  
Personal Assistants

Tracking the health of a person and proper medication improves their life time. Studies suggest the most of the deaths of the elderly people have occurred during the night when the person is asleep. A Caretaker cannot assist a person all the time. This work proposes a personal assistant for an elderly people or a patient. The Personal assistants can provide in-home respite care, allowing family members or other caretakers to take a temporary break. The main objective of this work is to help seniors maintain their quality of life at home and to keep them living their lives their way, as well as to lighten the load of full-time or family caretaker. This paper proposes an affordable personal assistance device for health monitoring of elderly people using different sensors which can measure pulse rate, position of elderly. Therefore the doctor can identify the abnormal values easily and can attend the patient if the device is used in the hospital. Proper intake of medicine at correct time is indicated by the display on OLED screen and an alert is produced by buzzer

scholarly journals Dietary Supplementation for Para-Athletes: A Systematic Review

Nutrients ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (6) ◽  
pp. 2016
Author(s):  
Keely A. Shaw ◽  
Gordon A. Zello ◽  
Brian Bandy ◽  
Jongbum Ko ◽  
Leandy Bertrand ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Spinal Cord ◽  
Dietary Supplements ◽  
Sports Medicine ◽  
Spinal Cord Injuries ◽  
Sport Performance ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Inclusion Criteria ◽  
Supplement Use ◽  
Sport Supplements ◽  
Cord Injury

The use of dietary supplements is high among athletes and non-athletes alike, as well as able-bodied individuals and those with impairments. However, evidence is lacking in the use of dietary supplements for sport performance in a para-athlete population (e.g., those training for the Paralympics or similar competition). Our objective was to examine the literature regarding evidence for various sport supplements in a para-athlete population. A comprehensive literature search was conducted using PubMed, SPORTDiscus, MedLine, and Rehabilitation and Sports Medicine Source. Fifteen studies met our inclusion criteria and were included in our review. Seven varieties of supplements were investigated in the studies reviewed, including caffeine, creatine, buffering agents, fish oil, leucine, and vitamin D. The evidence for each of these supplements remains inconclusive, with varying results between studies. Limitations of research in this area include the heterogeneity of the subjects within the population regarding functionality and impairment. Very few studies included individuals with impairments other than spinal cord injury. Overall, more research is needed to strengthen the evidence for or against supplement use in para-athletes. Future research is also recommended on performance in para-athlete populations with classifiable impairments other than spinal cord injuries.

Critical Appraisal of Paralyzed Veterans of America Guidelines in Spinal Cord Injury: An International Collaborative Study Using the Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation II Instrument (AGREE II)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ning Liang ◽  
Sizhan Wu ◽  
Simon Roberts ◽  
Navnit Makaram ◽  
James Reeves Mbori Ngwayi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Spinal Cord ◽  
Clinical Guidelines ◽  
Spinal Cord Injuries ◽  
Intraclass Correlation ◽  
Collaborative Study ◽  
Stakeholder Involvement ◽  
Correlation Coefficients ◽  
Agree Ii ◽  
Cord Injury

ABSTRACT Introduction Spinal cord injuries (SCI) in military personnel, veterans, and others require an evidence-based, multidisciplinary approach to their care. This appraisal used the Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation (AGREE) II instrument to evaluate the methodological quality of clinical guidelines for the management of SCI published by the Paralyzed Veterans of America (PVA) organization. Materials and Methods We searched clinical guidelines on SCI published by PVA until December 2019. Four appraisers across three international centers independently evaluated the quality of eligible clinical guidelines using AGREE II. Mean AGREE II scores for each domain were calculated. In higher quality domains, scores for individual items were analyzed. Results A total of 12 guidelines published by PVA on SCI were assessed. Mean scores for all six domains were as follows: Scope and Purpose (78.8%), Stakeholder Involvement (63.7%), Rigor of Development (68.4%), Clarity of Presentation (80.1%), Applicability (53.0%), and Editorial Independence (28.5%). The mean score for the overall quality of all PVA guidelines was 71.9% (95% CI: 69.7–74.1). No guideline was assessed as “not recommended” by any appraiser. Overall quality was significantly associated with year of publication (rs = 0.754, P = 0.0046). Overall agreement among appraisers was excellent (intraclass correlation coefficients for each guideline ranged from 0.96 to 0.99). Conclusions PVA guidelines for the management of SCI demonstrated acceptable or good quality across most domains. We recommend the use of PVA guidelines for the assessment and treatment of SCI and related disorders. The quality of PVA guidelines for the management of SCI have improved over time.

The current state of personal assistance services: Implications for policy and future research

2004 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 115-120 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kristofer J. Hagglund ◽  
Mary J. Clark ◽  
Emily K. Mokelke ◽  
Brian J. Stout
Keyword(s):  
Future Research ◽  
Personal Assistance ◽  
Personal Assistance Services ◽  
Current State

scholarly journals Quality of Life and Related Factors Among People With Spinal Cord Injuries in Tehran, Iran

2015 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Maryam Moghimian ◽  
Fahimeh Kashani ◽  
Mohammad Ali Cheraghi ◽  
Esmaeil Mohammadnejad
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Spinal Cord ◽  
Spinal Cord Injuries ◽  
Related Factors

Emotional Factors and Subjective Quality of Life in Subjects with Spinal Cord Injuries

2002 ◽  
Vol 81 (6) ◽  
pp. 437-445 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hervé Bénony ◽  
Lionel Daloz ◽  
Catherine Bungener ◽  
Khadija Chahraoui ◽  
Cécile Frenay ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Spinal Cord ◽  
Spinal Cord Injuries ◽  
Subjective Quality ◽  
Subjective Quality Of Life ◽  
Emotional Factors

Physical Activity, Quality of Life, and Functional Autonomy of Adults With Spinal Cord Injuries

2013 ◽  
Vol 30 (4) ◽  
pp. 317-337 ◽  
Author(s):  
Camilla Yuri Kawanishi ◽  
Márcia Greguol
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Physical Activity ◽  
Spinal Cord ◽  
Spinal Cord Injury ◽  
Spinal Cord Injuries ◽  
Functional Independence ◽  
Cord Injury ◽  
Functional Autonomy ◽  
Using Data

This study aimed to perform a systematic review of studies that address the influence of physical activity on the quality of life and functional independence of adult individuals with spinal cord injury. The review was performed using data obtained from the MEDLINE, CINAHL, SciELO, LILACS, SPORTDiscus, Web of Science, Academic Search Premier, and PEDro databases using the following keywords: quality of life; functional independence; autonomy; independence; physical activity; activities of daily living; physical exercise; tetraplegia; paraplegia; spinal cord injury; physical disabilities; and wheelchair. Eleven studies met the inclusion criteria. Although there was a lack of consensus among the selected studies, the majority of them presented a strong correlation between physical activity and variables of quality of life and/or functional independence. Thus, physical activity appears to have an important influence on social relationships, functional independence, psychological factors, and physical aspects, which can enhance quality of life and independence in the performance of daily activities.

scholarly journals Meaning of Staring and the Starer–Staree Relationship Related to Men Living With Acquired Spinal Cord Injuries

2016 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 283-291 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rebecca Renwick ◽  
Karen Yoshida ◽  
Elizabeth Eacrett ◽  
Natalie Rose
Keyword(s):  
Spinal Cord ◽  
Spinal Cord Injuries ◽  
Secondary Analysis ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Public Places ◽  
The Public ◽  
Adult Men ◽  
Cord Injury

When in public places, many individuals with physical disabilities experience staring. Although staring is typically seen as uncomplicated and something to be “ignored,” it has consequences for the person being stared and the staree. Few studies have focused on staring experienced by men following spinal cord injury (SCI). Accordingly, this study explored how adult men with SCI give meaning to the staring from others, the consequences for them, and their responses to the staring and to the starer. Principles of modified grounded theory methods were used to conduct a secondary analysis of interview data for 30 male participants from a larger study of community-dwelling individuals with SCI. Themes revealed through analysis related to context-dependent meanings of staring, negative consequences of staring for some men, and positive opportunities for self-growth and interaction with the public. These findings contribute to a more complex understanding of staring and the relationship between the starer and staree in various social circumstances which can support people living with differences in their public interactions, and improve their quality of life.

Men’s Adjustment to Spinal Cord Injury: The Unique Contributions of Conformity to Masculine Gender Norms

2009 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 157-166 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shaun Michael Burns ◽  
Sigmund Hough ◽  
Briana L. Boyd ◽  
Justin Hill
Keyword(s):  
Spinal Cord ◽  
Spinal Cord Injury ◽  
Spinal Cord Injuries ◽  
Gender Norms ◽  
The United States ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Masculine Norms ◽  
Cord Injury ◽  
Future Research Directions ◽  
The Impact

Men constitute 82% of the approximately 250,000 people in the United States living with a spinal cord injury. Unfortunately, however, little is known about the impact of men’s adherence to gender norms on their adjustment to such injuries. The present investigation examined the utility of masculine norms in explaining variance in depression beyond that accounted for by commonly identified predictors of men’s adjustment following spinal cord injury. As hypothesized, results suggested that men’s adherence to masculine norms accounted for unique variance in their depression scores beyond that contributed by social support, environmental barriers/access, and erectile functioning. Respondents who adhered to norms stressing the primacy of men’s work demonstrated lower rates of depression, whereas those who conformed to norms for self-reliance demonstrated higher depression scores. The authors discuss future research directions and potential psychotherapeutic strategies for working with men with spinal cord injuries.

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