Cerebral Palsy Scotland

Life after lockdown – Survey Results

As restrictions have eased and some aspects of life have returned to something more like normal, how have things changed for people with CP?

Thank you to everyone who completed the survey about living with CP during the pandemic, and how it’s affecting your lives.

This is what the survey said:

  • 76% said that the Covid-19 situation had put more pressure on family life
  • Over 50% said that their family was more isolated as a result of the restrictions.
  • 71% reported that any care arrangements they had in place previously were not yet back to the levels they were pre-Covid.
  • 55% responded that their physical health had declined
  • 53% responded that their mental health had declined
  • 30% of the survey classed themselves as “shielding” although only 8% reported that they had received an official letter, reflecting how vulnerable people felt as a result of their condition.
  • 58% reported difficulty in accessing support from physiotherapy, occupational therapy and speech and language therapy with 51% only able to access healthcare services online or via telephone.
  • 79% of families have sent their children back to school but of those who haven’t, 20% felt that their school or nursery would not be safe and 20% reported that the school or nursery could not currently accommodate their child.
  • 82% of respondents were happy with the level of support they had received from Cerebral Palsy Scotland.

What does this tell us?

Following on from the results of the Impact of COVID for people with CP May 2020, these updated results show that people with CP and their families have found restrictions particularly difficult, despite the need to combat COVID-19.

  • People feel more isolated and unsupported
  • Care and health services have not yet been fully restored
  • More than half report decline in physical and mental health and wellbeing
  • Many cannot access the health services they need

Read the survey results, other peoples experiences and the conclusion in full here. 

The previous survey results from May 2020 are available Impact of COVID for people with CP May 2020.

CP Connect – therapy and support during Covid

During the Covid outbreak, Cerebral Palsy Scotland’s CP Connect service is offering free therapy and support to children and adults.

CP Connect aims to help address the physical and emotional needs of people with CP at this time, and help build strength, mobility and confidence.

Find out more and register for CP Connect.

Welcome back!

Therapy at the Centre

The centre has had a facelift and has (finally) been re-branded fully as Cerebral Palsy Scotland.

We have installed some adaptations to the centre in order to ensure staff and your safety. (You will see that Katie has been “boxed in” with Perspex in reception!)

When you attend the centre there will be some new procedures to follow:

  • All visitor access is by prior appointment only.
  • We are asking everyone to arrive just before their appointment time and to call us on the telephone from the car park so that we can let you into the building without you having to touch door buttons and handles.
  • Unfortunately there are no waiting facilities in reception and we can’t offer you our usual teas/coffees/juice to welcome you in.
  • We will take the temperature of everyone who enters the building with a non-contact forehead thermometer.
  • Everyone will be asked to sanitise their hands prior to accessing any areas within the Centre. (We have sourced some branded automatic dispensers for this).
  • You will be shown directly to your designated therapy room which will have been thoroughly sanitised prior to their session.
  • The therapists will wear appropriate PPE (including face coverings and gloves) during therapy sessions.
  • We’re asking those that can, to wear a face covering during your time in the centre. If you don’t have a mask, we have disposable ones available.
  • We’re also asking that anyone attending for a therapy session only attends with one other parent/carer (unless otherwise agreed in advance) who should remain 2 metres apart from the therapists and staff whilst in the building wherever possible.

Appointments are having to be spread out so that we can ensure the rooms are fully cleaned between sessions. We have extra hand sanitiser, sprays, wipes and disposable paper towels available for your use during your visit and we are taking every precaution we can to enable us to resume our therapy sessions in person.

As expected, we do ask that you only attend the centre if you are well. If you or anyone in your household has coronavirus symptoms you must not attend the centre.  The most common symptoms are new:

  • continuous cough
  • fever/high temperature (37.8C or greater)
  • loss of, or change in, sense of smell or taste (anosmia)

A new continuous cough is where you:

  • have a new cough that’s lasted for an hour
  • have had 3 or more episodes of coughing in 24 hours
  • are coughing more than usual

A high temperature is feeling hot to the touch on your chest or back (you don’t need to measure your temperature). You may feel warm, cold or shivery.

If you’ve developed symptoms (however mild) in the last 7 days, you must stay at home for 7 days from the start of your symptoms and arrange to be tested. Do not go to your GP, pharmacy or hospital.

We hope that despite everything, you will still experience a very warm welcome when you come into the centre.  We are so pleased to be able to welcome people back and please do feel free to call if you have any questions about what the changes mean for you.

If you would like to enquire about appointments, please contact us HERE.

Bernie Hunter: Lockdown dancing

Over the past few months our lives have been far from normal; we have seen big changes due to COVID-19. The lockdown restrictions are in place for a very important reason, to keep us all safe of course but it doesn’t mean that we can’t still cheer people up during this uncertain time.

In May, the country was well into lockdown and the weeks were going slowly so I wanted to do something to cheer people up. Along with my family, we decided to dance at a safe distance in our street. The weekly Clap For Key Workers was always a heart-warming moment so I thought that it would be nice to start dancing after everyone clapped and this is exactly what we done.

We danced to the song ‘Saturday Night’ with all of our neighbours watching and joining in, it was lovely to see people coming together at a safe distance. I got some real enjoyment out of dancing out of my wheelchair in the street too, it was something that I never thought would happen- strange times indeed. At the end of the dance, I could feel joy as everyone was clapping and smiling. The feeling that you have made a difference to someone’s day is brilliant.

My neighbours played their part too by staying out to support us, providing the music and filming the dance which we greatly appreciated. Like most neighbourhoods, people don’t really have time to chat to you as everyone has busy lives but since lockdown, that has all changed.

I would just nod and say hi to my neighbours before this situation so people didn’t really know anything about me apart from that I use a wheelchair for my mobility which is totally understandable. It was really interesting to see the reactions from people when I came out of my chair and danced, I felt like people were getting to see a different side of me which I was glad about. I love to show people that my Cerebral Palsy doesn’t stop me, I can still do activities and dancing in my street was perfect to raise awareness about disability.

We danced again at the beginning of June, this time to the song ‘Macarena’ and I noticed that everyone was more confident to chat to me. People were now cheering me on whereas before they were kind of shy. So, something positive has come out of lockdown- who would have thought.

I am delighted that I managed to raise some funds for Cerebral Palsy Scotland too by doing the dances, a special thank you to my neighbours who kindly donated- the total is £280 which will go a long way to helping children & adults living with Cerebral Palsy.

Keep safe everyone!

Handling tips for new babies with cerebral palsy

Cerebral Palsy Scotland has produced a short video with therapy tips for handling new babies with cerebral palsy.

Are you at home with a new baby? You might not have a formal diagnosis of cerebral palsy. You might be worried about their motor development. If so, our Senior Bobath Physiotherapist Philip Vervaeke has put together a video from his home demonstrating ways to handle your baby, tips on how to involve new positions and passing to other people and how to use household props to keep you and your baby comfortable.


 

Contact us to arrange a virtual consultation

Please remember you can get in touch to arrange a virtual appointment with a Bobath therapist. We are currently able to offer adults or children a limited number of “lockdown virtual sessions” at no cost. If you have access to the internet and a smartphone, you should be able to take part. Contact us for more information and to make your appointment.

For advice or support on any aspect of your or your child’s cerebral palsy (CP), just contact us by phone or email. We’re happy to help with advice about managing your condition, keeping moving, the support you receive or navigating all the recent guidelines.

Keep moving! Therapy tips video

Cerebral Palsy Scotland has produced a short video with therapy tips and suggestions on ways to keep moving during lockdown.

The video was created by Filip Vervaeke, one of our Bobath therapists. Filip is a physiotherapist who has worked for the charity since 2002, and who has a wealth of experience working with both children and adults with cerebral palsy.

The video covers movements you can try in sitting and in supported standing. Filip hopes to encourage all members of the family to get moving, and use the video together.

 

Contact us to arrange a virtual consultation

Please remember you can get in touch to arrange a virtual appointment with a Bobath therapist. We are currently able to offer adults or children a limited number of “lockdown virtual sessions” at no cost. If you have access to the internet and a smartphone, you should be able to take part. Contact us for more information and to make your appointment.

For advice or support on any aspect of your or your child’s cerebral palsy (CP), just contact us by phone or email. We’re happy to help with advice about managing your condition, keeping moving, the support you receive or navigating all the recent guidelines.