| Outreach | | | The outreach program has been set up because of the lack of backup when a person with a spinal injury returns to the community on completing their rehabilitation.
The aim of the outreach program is to make support and information accessible to everyone. The outreach program will address the concerns that arise with the individual or within the family. | | | | People need to know what their options are and how to go about achieving their goals. These goals involve education, retraining, employment or sports and leisure activities. We know that there are people out there that have spent the last five years or more totally confined to their house. We know we can change this if we can spend some time with them. | | | When a person arrives home from the National Rehabilitation Hospital it is very easy for them to feel isolated and alone. A person can become institutionalised in their own homes.
With the Outreach Program we will be available to visit members, helping them to address their concerns and start them on the road to achieving their goals. In most cases people just need to talk to someone who has been through a similar situation. |
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| | N.B. No medical advice is given and any issues in this field are referred back to the medical profession.
| | Issues to be addressed: | | | | | | |  | Helping the family of a person with a Spinal Cord Injury: |
| | Helping the family can start in the early days, first they need to see and speak to someone who has come out the other side and reassure them there is life after a spinal injury. |
When a person sustains a Spinal Cord Injury, adjustments have to be made. This can affect the parents, siblings, spouse and children. |
The Outreach Programme will help to address the families concerns. | | | | Education: |
| | In many cases people who suffer from a spinal injury cannot return to their place of employment because of their level of disability or the inaccessibility of the building. The Outreach program will inform and make them aware of the facilities in their locality re-education. | | | | | | | | Employment: |
| | Some people may be able to return to their place of work. The outreach program will make them aware of grants and resources available for employers to help make their premises more wheelchair friendly. | | | | | | | | Recreation: |
| | Some people may never return to work or education, for different reasons. The outreach program will make them aware of different activities available. | | | | As part of the Outreach Program, we have developed a Venture Club. At present this includes Self-defense, Weight training and scuba Diving. This will be extended to include Sailing, Archery and Canoeing. These sports give people the opportunity to have fun, keep fit and most important to get out of the house and meeting people. | | | | The Venture Club will expand to include weekends away. These weekends will allow people to get involved in sporting activities instill self believe as well as educate themselves regarding issues like Employment and Education opportunities. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | << top | | | | |
|  | Joan Carthy
Support & Outreach Coordinator |  | Siobhan O'Driscoll
Community Liaison Officer |  | Carmel Cunniffe
Community Liaison Officer | | | | |
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