Western Australian member Jodi Gallon has welcomed the news that Spinal Life Australia will introduce specialised personal home support in the state.
Jodi, who has spinal cord damage caused by the rare inflammatory disorder transverse myelitis, became a Spinal Life member to connect with other like-minded people in her community in 2018.
“It’s important to have a support worker who knows how to deal with spinal cord injuries and everything that comes with them,” Jodi said.
“Not all carers will have that particular experience and I can see why it would be helpful to have it.”
Jodi said one of her goals was to move out of home and live more independently and she could see herself using the service when that happens.
Spinal Life Chief Executive Officer Michael Powell said the organisation was looking forward to delivering specialised personal support services for WA residents.
“Our goal as an organisation is to support people with spinal cord damage to live an accessible, equitable and empowered life and that often starts at the home,” he said.
“We also assist people to participate at work and in the community, providing our support workers with training that is specific for people with spinal cord damage or related physical disability.
“We work with individuals and their families to provide a tailored service that is right for them, based on more than 58 years of experience in supporting people with spinal cord damage.”
Michael said the service was being introduced in response to feedback from members and the community.
“Since we started providing member services in Western Australia in early 2018, we’ve worked at engaging the community and talking with them to evaluate their needs,” he said.
“We’re hoping to continue our growth in the state and look forward to providing more useful services to members and clients there in the future.”
Click here for more information about our WA services.