Welcome to the first episode of series 3 – SCI Care: What really matters. Our guest host is Maria Bergsten from Wellspect, who are partnering with ISCoS for this series of podcasts sharing stories, discussions and insights into bladder and bowel management as a critical part of SCI care – improving patients’ quality of life and feeling of dignity. This episode focuses on the different techniques and needs of catheterisation, with a particular focus on women, which is pertinent with the release date of this episode being on International Women’s Day.
Our guests this episode are Carin Bergfeldt, a Licensed Occupational Therapist and course leader at Aleris Rehab Station in Stockholm, Sweden, and Dr Letitia Graves, Assistant Professor at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, USA. Carin has over 20 years of experience in the care, rehabilitation and treatment of patients with spinal cord injuries and other neurological injuries/diseases, sharing her knowledge and expertise in spinal cord injuries, transfer technics, pressure ulcers and technical aids with patients, caregivers and clinicians. Dr. Letitia Graves worked as a nurse on a spinal cord injury unit for several years before transitioning into academia and research. She serves on the Nursing Special Interest Group of ISCoS, part of whose mission is to increase awareness of specialised spinal cord injury, nursing care and to increase education and resources for individuals living with spinal cord injury, their family and caregivers, as well as other clinicians globally.
We discuss the importance of independence and integrity for patients and how to promote and increase these, and our guests share their tips and tricks for successful self-catheterization. We also look at the increasing use of suprapubic catheters in patients with bad hand function and the correlation between their use and an increased risk of UTIs. Self-catheterization is challenging for both male and female patients but can be particularly difficult for women, both physically and emotionally. The therapist or clinician plays a vital role in increasing their patients’ confidence and crucially in pushing them to go further in their rehabilitation. Another key part of their role is in working with patients to find and create the right tools and instruments to make their lives easier. As we hear from Carin, this can involve a huge amount of invention, creativity and collaboration with patients, and this is one of the parts of her job she enjoys the most. For both Carin and Letitia the ultimate goal is to give their patients as much independence as possible, depending on their level of injury and circumstances.
For more advice and useful tips on coping with everyday challenges with a spinal cord injury go to www.spinalistips.se, or contact us directly with any questions or comments at admin@iscos.org.uk. You can also join the conversation on social media @ISCoSMeetings and @WellspectHC. And we hope to see many of you in person at the ISCoS 61st Annual Scientific Meeting this September in Vancouver.
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