To help advocate for patients with cerebral palsy, there’s a need to emphasize on understanding the realities of living with cerebral palsy and use this to enable them.
Patients with cerebral palsy experience struggle related to two primary functions: mobility and communication.
First, common mobility issues that patients with cerebral palsy experience are uncontrolled and unpredictable movements, walking difficulties, and inability to change positions due to weak or stiff muscles. Due to this, patients with cerebral palsy need special assistance for mobility. To deal with this, there are tools and even transportation services that can help patients with cerebral palsy overcome mobility issues. For example, there are mobility aids that can help such as orthotic devices, walkers, walking sticks and canes, crutches, standers, and lifts.
Second, patients with cerebral palsy experience difficulties in communicating with other people due to issues related to muscle control of the mouth and tongue area resulting in speech difficulties. To deal with this, there are available resources such as speech therapy for children and communication partner training for teens and adults.
Given these difficult realities of living with cerebral palsy, it is harder for them to function daily and address their daily needs.
What We Can Do
Addressing the daily needs of patients with cerebral palsy requires medical maintenance and close medical attention such as attending medical appointments. For patients with cerebral palsy, taking public transportation and even having private cars may not be enough to comfortably travel to their medical appointments and other destinations.
Medstar provides safe and professional transportation services such as ADA Paratransit and Microtransit that can accommodate patients with cerebral palsy who experience mobility and communication problems. These transportation services are specially equipped for passengers with mobility difficulties and limitations. Medstar offers transportation services with wheelchair loading and unloading, wheelchair securement, passenger securement, passenger release, and lift operators for buses, power chairs, and scooters. Medstar’s drivers and staff are also comprehensively trained for safety, Q’Straint Securement Restraint, Washington State Traffic Laws, and carefully assisting passengers with mobility and communication problems. In all, Medstar is here to help and serve you. For more information, contact us now at +1 (509) 728-9816.
