What is the best way to care for family member with SCI?

Hi Steve. Yes, nursing homes are garbage. If you are in Texas, as I am, they are very very garbage. The diference in my situation and your Dad’s is that I’m a para and he’s a quad. It took me a year and a half to fight my way out of nursing homes and get back to my own home. What was holding me up (well, one of the things that was holding me up) was that in those first 2 1/2 months in the hospital, I hadn’t been able to successfully transfer “without assistance” from the bed to the wheelchair, and vice-versa. That sent me to nursing homes,...do not pass go, do not collect $100. After I got to nursing homes, I was thereafter forbidden to transfer to my wheelchair, and back, unassisted. Crazy system...because since I couldn’t do it in the beginning, nobody ever did another assessment on me in the next year and seven months to see if I could transfer. Finally, I got back into my home.

I’ve seen videos where quad men can run a Hoyer lift to get themselves out of bed. The one I best remember couldn’t use his fingers, but he seemed to be able to use his hands a little. What level is your Dad? We need so much money for the adequate equipment. They put men on the moon, but equipment to help us “have a life” apparently seems too lavish to those in charge.