Special needs of the young spinal cord injured patient in a nursing home
Ulmer, D.B.
Sci Nursing a Publication of the American Association of Spinal Cord Injury Nurses 7(2): 27-30
1990
ISSN/ISBN: 0888-8299 PMID: 2367844 Document Number: 362074
Discharge plans for some spinal cord individuals may include nursing home placement. Since many spinal cord injured patients are young males, what special needs are expressed by this patient population? To determine specific concerns from a patient's perspective, structured interviews were conducted with 15 spinal cord injured patients under 35 years of age. Special needs were organized into six major categories: physical locations, staff interactions, nutrition, physical therapy, social activities, and sexuality. The purpose of this article is to describe the special needs identified by spinal cord injured patients in each of these areas. Although nursing home placement is rarely the first choice in discharge plans for a young spinal cord injured patient, staff need to be aware of criteria for helping patients make the best possible choice.