Healthcare & lifestyle advice

Spinal Advisory Service

After a spinal cord injury, maintaining independence and involvement within the community, and achieving a balanced life, can be challenging.

The Spinal Advisory Service (formerly Community Advisory Service) offers professional and confidential advice, information and assistance relating to:

• wheelchair and equipment selection, trialling and prescription
• access and eligibility for government schemes, benefits and concessions
• application lodgement to government departments
• referral to personal care and respite services
• skin management, continence management, urinary tract infections and bowel therapy management
• housing and transport
• other community services, such as Centrelink schemes (eg. Disability Support Pension, Carer Allowance, Domiciliary Nursing Care Benefit and Mobility Allowance).

On a practical level, our qualified team of occupational therapists and nurses are there to provide:

• advice on skin care and management – if you have red areas or a skin break that you’re concerned about
• home visits – we can visit you in your home and advise on pressure care management
• assistance with your transfer technique
• assistance in arranging repairs to your wheelchair and other equipment
• assistance in deciding what wheelchair, shower chair, pressure relieving cushion, mattress or other type of equipment is suitable for you.

Who can access the Spinal Advisory Service?

This service is available, free of charge, to people over 16 years of age who have a spinal cord injury.

We work one-on-one with our members and clients to assist them in all lifestyle areas. The service is available state-wide and can be arranged as a phone consultation or a personal visit.

For more information please contact the Association.