I've worked in many venues of healthcare over the years (Family Medicine, Pain Management, Sports Medicine, PT and Thermography) but private duty home care has by far, been both the most physically challenging and spiritually rewarding. To observe and assist in the personal daily living of the sick and/or differently abled and their families can only be described as an honor and privilage ... and for so many reasons.My clients have been largely little people. I currently care for a 12yo beautiful, young girl with CP, who is cornial blind and partially deaf and has had a host of other medical conditions and surgeries; most recently a complete spinal fusion to correct severe scoliosis, which affected her daily living, breathing and overall health because it was so disfiguring to her spine. To say this surgery gave her new life would be a complete understatement.
Last week myself, another caregiver, and her guardian, took her to Belmar Beach. She'd never been to a beach and LOVED it, but the surf was rough and prevented us from taking her into the water. Instead we put her in a reclining beach chair and let the water rush up and over her legs. She attends an 8 week summer school program for special needs children and this summer the theme was the beach. They did allot of sensory stuff with water and sand so this trip was a nice way to expand on those experiences too.
This week we took her to Atsion Lake in Wharton State Park, NJ. The lake is flat water, so no waves this time and like Belmar, they also had sand wheelchairs (God bless the person that invented these, they're enormous blessings to the individuals that need them). Atsion Lake is completely equipped and accessable to the disabled; they ought to model all of the state parks after this one. I had brought a regulation life vest which gave "J" added buoyancy which she responded to with joy. Her body is normally rigid from the CP but oh boy, in the water, you'd never know it. She must have felt safe because she was like a fish, kicking and rocking all over the place. Her smile and trust of our guidance in the water told us that this had been a most enjoyable experience.
Both water and horseback riding are so wonderfully therapeutic to the neuromuscular system but especially a compromised or damaged one. My oldest daughter Morgen volunteered and worked at a therapeutic riding facility in NE Philly, during her teen years, and when I'd arrive early to pick her up, I'd often get to observe the therapy sessions in progress and speak to the families. The ability of the riders to do things on the back of the horses (like stretching, standing, lying down, tossing balls and turning around) that they weren't able to accomplish from their chairs or from the ground, is awe inspiring and amazing. And the expressions and smiles on their faces, like on "J's" are simply contagious and heartwarming.
How blessed we've been to come to know these children and their families!
Both water and horseback riding are so wonderfully therapeutic to the neuromuscular system but especially a compromised or damaged one. My oldest daughter Morgen volunteered and worked at a therapeutic riding facility in NE Philly, during her teen years, and when I'd arrive early to pick her up, I'd often get to observe the therapy sessions in progress and speak to the families. The ability of the riders to do things on the back of the horses (like stretching, standing, lying down, tossing balls and turning around) that they weren't able to accomplish from their chairs or from the ground, is awe inspiring and amazing. And the expressions and smiles on their faces, like on "J's" are simply contagious and heartwarming.
How blessed we've been to come to know these children and their families!
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