The team, headed up by Rob Wynn, have a diverse range of disabilities, each offering their unique non-clinical lifestyle advice to help individuals adapt to their new way of life post injury.

“We offer education on bowel, bladder, continence and sexuality issues, plus pressure injuries and wheelchair skills. Our services have also been reported by our clients to assist clients’ mental health and anxiety relating to management of their injury” says Rob. .

The Peer and Family Support program is a face-to-face service, however had to transition to online support via Telehealth due to COVID-19 restrictions in the spinal units.

“Whilst our service is best offered in person, we have had a good adoption rate on the Telehealth platform, and are able to continue to support our clients during lockdown on a more regular basis online”, says Rob. “Being able to contact them online means that we are now not restricted to only our usual visiting days at the units, but are there on those days which they might not otherwise have been able to speak to us.”

The lockdown has also given the Peer & Family Support team the opportunity to create various self-help videos on SCIA’s social media and online forums, addressing some of the issues clients have raised, like how to exercise at home, and tips about how to live with a spinal cord injury.

“Having the Telehealth platform available has helped us extend the program beyond the spinal units, and given us an ideal opportunity to broaden our support into the wider community, as well as reach out and support other SCIA clients, who we normally would not have had any interaction with.”

“Whilst the COVID-19 pandemic has had an impact on the spinal cord community, with increased anxiety and self-isolation stress, I feel that it’s given us the opportunity to broaden the lived-experience support we offer and create support materials, such as the videos, as an added benefit to our clients”, says Rob.

For more information regarding the support SCIA offers through Telehealth, please contact one of our friendly staff members on 1800 819 775 or email info@scia.org.au.