No, I’m not talking about the “take no prisoners” rules, but instead, I am referring to rules associated with social engagements. This is the holiday season, and family gatherings and parties at work or at friends’ homes are cherished events and a great way to keep those social connections. However, participating can be challenging and heartbreaking for mobility-challenged and their caregivers. If you are having an event and want to invite someone who is a caregiver, gets around in a wheelchair, or uses other equipment for stability, please consider the following:
Building Access:
- We don’t do steps. Even a simple 1-2 inch elevation can create an obstacle. I have portable ramps I could bring if I know ahead of time they might be needed, but look at your access area to see if there are any non-ramped elevations.
- Door width. Lynn’s power chair needs about a 25-inch width to allow access. At home, we have removed the doors from the frames, but rooms like bathrooms often have narrower door widths. If that’s the case, I would need a private area we could access to do intermittent catheterization.
- Remove a chair from the dining table and allow 25 inches between the other settings so he can access the table. If it’s a low table, he can’t get under it, so he and I will be eating away from others. Some type of nearby flat surface could hold our plates so my hands are free to feed him.
- How much space is between furniture? Can he move around once he gets inside? Let us know where to plan to go and if we can move furniture.
Outside activity:
- I usually can’t attend unless there are paved sidewalks and pathways. Any soft, wet ground or uneven landscape could cause the chair to tip, get stuck, break down, or be damaged. If it tipped over or threw him out, lots of damage could occur to him, the surroundings, and the chair. Getting a functional paraplegic off the ground is not a fun job without the proper tools to help.
- He can’t hold an umbrella, so he can’t be outside in drizzling rain or snow.
- He doesn’t tolerate extremes in heat or cold; for that matter, anything other than a fairly neutral temperature is difficult because his body does not regulate its own temperature. We do that with either cold or hot fluid intake or changes in clothing, so most of the time, outside events are not possible.
- Bathroom facilities: Unless there is a unisex handicapped bathroom, we’re out of luck, and it’s time to go home or try to use the van as a private bathroom after we have been somewhere for about an hour.
Risks and considerations:
- Exposure to germs is a very high risk, especially colds, flu, and other respiratory conditions he can get just from breathing the same air. Please let us know if that applies to anyone in the area we will be so we can stay home. A cold is not a big deal to most people, but for him, it takes weeks to recover.
- Getting stuck. There are obstacles everywhere. Store aisles are often blocked by displays, carts, or people, preventing access. Please keep pathways clear.
- Some people can be very rude and disrespectful, implying that we should just stay home rather than inconvenience others. Most of the time, we overlook this, but it can be hurtful.
- Even when we attend, others find it difficult to come up with social chatter with him after a polite greeting. He’s sitting around 4 feet while they are talking over him, or he can’t maneuver to where groups are located, so he’s often left out of conversations. Remember to look down at him or sit to talk to him so he’s at eye level.
- The events are often late at night or early in the morning, neither of which works with his care schedule or need for rest. Mid-day activities that are after 11 a.m. but before 4 p.m., when his daily activity limit is met, are best.
- Limited view: Please don’t stand up if he’s sitting behind you. Lynn can’t see over you and he once again gets left out. Nothing’s worse than going to a concert; the crowd stands up the entire time. He sees nothing at all.
For the caregiver:
- When I attend, I still have to care for Lynn. Offer to assist him while I get something to eat.
- If I’m talking to someone and not right beside him, hand him what he needs rather than tracking me down.
- Move things out of our way and offer to carry things for us so my hands are free to take care of what he needs or I don’t have to lift and move furniture and care for him.
- Spend some time with him to keep him occupied. I like to get away for a while myself at times.
While there is a lot to consider before we can participate, please don’t stop inviting us. We like to know we are wanted, and if we can openly discuss these issues up front, who knows, we might even be able to participate just like everyone else.
This article originally appeared on Multiplesclerosis.Net by Health-Union, LLC, and has been reposted with permission.
