The purpose of rehabilitation is to consider each person’s situation individually and then help them through the various therapies and strategies, to maximise their potential. In the case of a spinal injury, this involves physical, educational and vocational rehabilitation.

The typical route for a person who has sustained a serious spine injury is admission to the National Spinal Unit in the Mater Hospital in Dublin before being admitted to the National Rehabilitational Hospital. Specialist rehabilitation services such as those offered at the NRH in Dun Laoghaire can offer vital treatment to aid the process of improvement following a spinal injury. Unfortunately, the demand for the service exceeds the number of places available. Following treatment at the NRH, many people are discharged home.

Support and Outreach

Those who sustain a spinal cord injury have particular difficulties following discharge with housing, interpersonal relationships, employment, transport and with having their personal needs met. Usually when people are discharged home from hospital the reality of their disability becomes apparent. Transition to their community can be extremely daunting and it is not uncommon for people to experience depression and feelings of isolation.

Spinal Injuries Ireland (SII) is a national organisation that was founded in 1993 to help those who sustained a spinal cord injury. Their offices are situated in the grounds if the National Rehabilitational Hospital in Dun Laoghaire. SII deal with both the emotional and practical issues of the individual who has sustained such a spinal injury.

Spinal Injuries Ireland has an outreach programme to assist those who are returning to their community after sustaining a spinal injury. The aim of the programme is to make support and information accessible to everyone. The programme can assist people with guidance and information in the areas of education, employment and recreation as well as adjusting to life with a spinal injury.

The organisation works for change through understanding, education and consensus to achieve their goal of true social inclusion for those with a disability. Contact with all SII clients who have recently returned to the community is renewed within a six to eight week period following discharge from the NRH. For more information, visit Spinal Injury Ireland’s website www.siarl.org or telephone Joan Carthy on 01-2355317.

If you need to talk to us about any aspect of Spinal Injuries, contact jessica.goldrick@rmcm.ie or ralph.mcmahon@rmcm.ie