For information, please contact Heather Hales on 8355 3500 or click here.


Lifestyle Advisor

PARAQUAD SA is committed to ensuring that wheelchair users, and particularly those with a spinal cord injury, re-establish links with their local community following rehabilitation, maintain good health, and exercise control and choice over their lifestyle experiences in response to changing physical and social needs.

The Community Lifestyle Advisor provides guidance and support and up to date advice to maintain health and wellbeing including:

•Advice on nutrition, diet and oral hygiene
•Advice on exercise and fitness to maximise your ability and strength, to encourage circulation and increase your body's metabolic rate
•A skin care package providing information on prevention, recognition of early warning signs and appropriate care and management of pressure sores
•Opportunities to develop regular social contacts with those who share a similar lifestyle, by participation in small group information or exercise sessions or by integration into community based services.

The service is tailored to meet individual needs. It is a free service and you can access it in your own home, by telephone or in small group lifestyle information sessions.

For information, please contact Nicola Bennett or Michael Arthur on 8355 3500.


Family Support

Once a month, family and friends come together to share a meal at a metropolitan hotel providing an opportunity to enjoy friendship and conversation in a caring, supportive and non-judgmental environment.

PARAQUAD SA covers the cost of the meal, and those who come along are asked to pay for their drinks.

If you have a friend or family member with a spinal cord injury, and would like to come along to dinner, please call the Manager of Support Services, Sharron Neeson, on 8355 3500.


Home Counselling

Coping with a spinal cord injury may be the greatest challenge that you, your family and friends will face in your life. PARAQUAD SA offers a Home Based Counselling service free of charge. A qualified social worker will visit you and provide:

•The opportunity for you to discuss your particular issues and concerns within your own environment
•Support to help resolve these issues
•Assistance for you in adapting to living in the community after sustaining spinal cord injury
•Information on resources available, both within the community and at PARAQUAD SA
•Assistance for you to establish links with appropriate services within the community.

PARAQUAD SA will also:

•Act on your behalf on issues and concerns you raise relating to your independence in the community
•Work with committees, government and non-government agencies to take up issues, change policy and improve services available to people with spinal cord injury.

For help, please contact Sharron Neeson on 8355 3500.


Peer Counselling

PARAQUAD SA has a team of trained Peer Support Advocates. Each of them has experienced a spinal cord injury, so they bring complete understanding to their role, and provide an opportunity to talk to someone who appreciates the challenges you face. Offering support to those who have a spinal cord injury, as well as their family and friends, Peer Support Advocates are based at Hampstead Rehabilitation Centre, and can also continue visiting you at home when your rehabilitation is complete. Their goal is to support you to live as independently as possible. Services offered by Peer Support Advocates include:

•Support, advice, information and advocacy for not only clients but for their family and friends
•A flexible service designed to meet specific needs. The Peer Support Advocate will be involved as much or as little as needed. It is up to you.
•Provision of up to date information about resources both within PARAQUAD SA and the wider community that have been designed specifically for those who have suffered a spinal injury
•Representation at all levels to ensure that clients have access to the very best medical and non-medical services available
•Introduction and referral to a range of professional and community service providers that may assist with ongoing rehabilitation.

To find out more, please contact Vicky Machen on 8355 3500.


Recreation Programs

Every fortnight, PARAQUAD SA hosts a number of Recreational Acitivities for wheel chair users, held once a fortnight on a Tuesday in the Southern suburbs, and every second Friday in the Northern suburbs.

The calendar includes a number of social lunches, Botanical Gardens, the Adelaide Museum, the Art Gallery, and more. In addition, a number of Special Events are held throughout the year, such as canoeing, ten pin bowling, sailing, and more.

If you live within 15 kilometres from an event, PARAQUAD SA can assist with free transport. To find out about social and recreational events that are coming up, please call Vicki McCartney on 8355 3500.


Home Handyman Service

PARAQUAD SA volunteers can assist you at home with maintenance and a range of jobs such as gardening, changing light globes, fixing door hinges and minor painting. For assistance, please call Megan Quirk on 8355 3500.


QWERTY Internet Cafe

Located at Hampstead Rehabilitation Centre, the Qwerty Internet Café is a free service to help keep people connected.

With six desktop computers with broadband access and two lap top computers with wireless access, the wireless connection enables patients with their own lap tops Internet connection from anywhere in the Centre.

The Café provides a social meeting place for patients, friends and family, and the Internet and computers serve to reduce the isolation experienced for those in long term rehabilitation – ensuring that people maintain access to information and contact with friends and family.

Software available in Qwerty includes:

Microsoft Office 2000
Nero Express
iTunes
Google Earth
Nokia PC Suite

A range of accessible IT equipment (hardware and software) is also available that can assist clients to access computers and the Internet. Training is available for clients.

Accessible technology located in Qwerty includes:

Dragon Naturally Speaking 10 (Preferred) - voice recognition software
Smart Nav - Head operated infra-red mouse
ClearTrac - large trackball - external switching available
Touch Screen
BigKeys - large keyboard
Thunder Screenreader software
TACTUS assistive keyboard
Intellikeys - custom touch keyboard
Bluetooth handsfree mobile phone systems / voice dialing

Qwerty also offers the ability to utilise video calling over the Internet using Skype™ and Windows Live Messenger™.

Technology demonstrations

Qwerty is also available for demonstrations and trials of assistive technology. PARAQUAD SA staff can assist with suitable selection of devices. Please contact Thayne Jackman (details below) for more information. Qwerty is located in the Spinal Injury Unit (Ward 2C) at the Hampstead Rehabilitation Centre, Northfield (click HERE for campus map - 70KB PDF- map ref W5)

Opening times

Monday to Friday: 1pm - 5pm and Saturday: 1pm - 4pm. For more information, please contact Thayne Jackman on 8355 3500

Clothing Needs For Wheelchair Users With Spinal Cord Injury

A research student from the University of Sydney is investigating the key
problems that people who use wheelchairs because of spinal injury have with
clothing. The results of this study will assist in development of clothing that is
aesthetically suited to a seated figure and also meets the functional and medical
needs of the wearer. To complete the questionnaire please visit
www.surveygizmo.com/s/220897/388sm To take part in an interview or for more
information about the project, please contact Imogen Howe by email
ihow2897@uni.sydney.edu.au, or by phone on +61-437891659 (outside
Australia) or 0437891659 (within Australia).

Client Feedback
A client feedback form can be accessed here. If you have any feedback you would like to give, positive or negative, it will be used to improve the service we offer. This is completely confidential.