Mobility aids are crucial to the improvement of quality life for persons with physical disabiity. To help provide such need, the Latter-day Saint Charities (LDSC) trained 22 assessors and technicians from the Bicol Region in Supportive Wheelchair Assesment and Assembly last 12-16 August 2019 at the Legazpi Stake (Diocese) Center of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
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Clinicians from major government hospitals, local government units, non-government organizations and individuals directly serving people with mobility concerns participated in this second-level training. Participants previously completed training for basic wheelchair assessment and assembly last year.
This time, the training sessions were for prescribing and assembling customized wheelchairs as assistive devices for patients with advanced physical challenges such as those suffering from cerebral palsy and similar conditions.
These training sessions are part of the Latter-day Saint Charities Wheelchair Initiative in partnership with the Bicol Regional Teaching and Training Hospital (BRTTH). LDSC and BRTTH representatives have so far signed two Memoranda of Agreement for the Wheelchair Initiative since last year. LDSC has donated 300 basic wheelchairs and has made provisions for 1,000 additional basic and supportive wheelchairs for BRTTH and its local partners.
Training courses are based on World Health Organization guidelines and focused on assessing individual user needs, selecting and fitting an appropriate wheelchair, and teaching users and caregivers. LDSC brought professionals from Salt Lake City and the Philippine General Hospital to conduct the training.
This was only the second such event for supportive wheelchairs in the Philippines. Philippine partners of the LDSC Wheelchair Initiative are the first to utilize the new supportive wheelchair designs rolled out by the Church.
The newly-trained assessors and technicians were immediately able to use the skills they learned by assessing, fitting and instructing the proper care and use of a supportive wheelchair to approximately 22 individuals with advanced physical challenges.
The goal of the Latter-day Saint Charities Wheelchair Initiative is to improve the quality of life for people who have mobilitiy issues and their caregivers by providing the appropriate basic or supportive wheelchair. Each supportive wheelchair can be modified to fit specific individuals and feature a small detachable feeding table, support straps and headrests, and allow reclining to ease sleeping in the chair. The wheelchairs are adjustable to accomodate physical growth as necessary.
The LDSC and BRTTH partnership in the Wheelchair Initiative will continue to serve individuals with physical challenges in Albay, Sorsogon, Camarines Sur and other neighbouring provinces.