Learning self-care skills

Comments from Henry Tabares, President of ASODISPIE, on learning self-care skills.

As part of our project, we met in disability groups every month. In these groups we shared our experiences, we learned from professionals and we practiced our skills. The group sessions were important to us because we learned from each other as well as from the professionals. I found that my own concept about certain things, such as catheterization, was challenged by what I heard or by what I read, and I needed to change the way I was doing them. And I have had good results from the changes I have made. But my issues are not the same as those of the next person with quadriplegia and for this reason it is important to have individual teaching as well as the teaching in a group. Teaching in a group is fine for generalities, but for specific issues the teaching is better on an individual basis.

But for people newly injured (eg. spinal cord injury) the group was essential because they can avoid the pitfalls that we fell into because of lack of teaching. And this is where the group leaders are important because they can teach them about their condition. The group is also a motivator for the newly injured person and can help them alter their perception of life after injury.

The professionals (health and social) were important to helping us build our knowledge and skills. It was important to us to have both theory and practice in our sessions. Theory is fine but is incomplete because it is only in your mind. It has to be put into practice in order to verify it and to see if it is useful. The practice is what helps us for daily life.

The teaching was not only one-way. The professionals also learned from us. This interchange usually came through practice sessions. They learnt to see us individuals and to learn about our individual needs. There is knowledge that is common to all but there also a knowledge that comes from recognizing the differences between people and how the same condition is manifested differently in each of them. This difference alters the practice of the skill between people and it is important to recognize that this difference occurs. It is important to see the person.

Information on self care does not exist here. We used materials that were made available to us through the project and we had some videos from another disability organization called PROJIMO. Actually, it would make a great project to write a manual on self-care based on what we have learned in our project.

Henry Tabares, ASODISPIE, Colombia

Self Care Project in ASODISPIE, Colombia

Hello,
My name is Marlene and I am the English speaker in our project. Although I live in Canada, I am in regular contact with the project leaders in Colombia and will post their news. ASODISPIE is a Disabled People's Organization that has about 100 members of all disability types of all ages.

The project leaders are Henry the President of ASODISPIE, Oscar the treasurer, and Rocio and Ofelia the project facilitators. We have been part of the DAR/AIFO self care study for the past two years and are currently in our third year.

I am really excited about the news I received from Henry this week and would like to tell you about the fact that ASODISPIE is reaching out to a new community. This community is situated on a mountain plateau not too far from Piedecuesta, the city in which ASODISPIE is located.

Henry was invited to this plateau to help the people with disability organize because there are a large number of children with Cerebral Palsy living there. He and a group consisting of therapists, Rocio and Ofelia, have been traveling to this plateau on Saturdays. While Henry works with the leaders, the others register people with disability. Their plans are to involve them in the development of their personalized self-care plans using the same process that is currently being used in ASODISPIE.

I welcome questions and comments about the message I have posted. Also, I will continue to post information on the progress of the self care plans. Chao, Marlene