When Birkdale resident Corinne Noordhoorn called Triple Zero (000) after a fall at home in late February, little did she expect our team’s response would change her life… for the better.
Corinne is in her mid-70s and has fiercely maintained her independence despite becoming a paraplegic 20 years ago after irreparably bulging a disc in her back.
But over the last year, living independently in a wheelchair has started to take its toll on her body.
Several times this year Corinne has needed to call Triple Zero (000) for help after falling between her wheelchair and her sofa and was unable to get up.
“I’ve been having increasing falls over the last year or so and it’s been getting more difficult as my legs will go out from under me without any warning,” Corinne said.
She admitted to having slept on the sofa for a few months to avoid these falls.
Her grandson Corey also moved in with her a few months ago to help her at either end of his working day.
“Until the last year or so, my arms and shoulders have been quite strong, but the wear and tear on them over the years has caught up with me," Corinne said.
“With my injured shoulders, I could still get by, by positioning my legs to support me during transfers, but now I can’t rely on them as they started buckling on me mid-way and I’ve ended up on the floor unable to get back up.”
But in late February, Corinne found herself alone on the floor again, this time with her legs pinned under her upturned wheelchair.
She said it took her 45 minutes to free her legs and drag herself across the tiles to open her front door to QAS responders, fortunately one of our Falls Co-Response teams.
“These falls made me feel quite scared, vulnerable, anxious and overwhelmed, and even though I’m not injured, I’d shake badly,” Corinne said.
“You don’t realise the danger of being that immobile until you’re experiencing it and it’s deeply distressing to feel so helpless and unable to move.
“The moment the paramedics get to the door, this fear stops – knowing I’m safe now and nothing bad’s going to happen to me.”
Corrine had been an active advocate for people with spinal cord injuries to be included in the NDIS, but when the legislation was updated, she found she was outside the age range for inclusion.
Corinne said until her upper body started to fail her, she’d been happy living independently.
“I hadn’t heard of My Aged Care until recently – when all of this started to happen – and it’s taken me a while to be able to access and navigate it – it’s a bit of a challenge to work out," she said.
“I had just assumed that the support I gained when I became paraplegic was for those of us over 65."
While Corinne had managed to obtain some minor improvements for her home, it wasn’t until the QAS’s Falls Co-Responders attended her home, that their resulting referrals became a catalyst for life-changing improvements to be introduced.
The Falls Co-Response team, comprising physiotherapist Leisa Harris and paramedic Cameron Horwood, got Corrine safely off the floor using the Raizer.
Cameron carried out careful physical checks with Corinne before and after getting her up, then Leisa assessed Corinne, in her apartment, to see what improvements could be made to prevent any future falls and injuries.
With her consent, the team referred Corinne to Queensland Health’s Metro South Multidisciplinary Hospital Avoidance and Post-acute Services (MAPS), which sent one of its teams, to visit her the next day.
Corrine said the QAS Falls team had provided her with a critical support service, giving her with a sense of safety and security.
QAS Falls Co-Response Program Manager Kym Murphy said the Falls teams work hard to integrate patient care, streamlining it to ensure patients receive the right care, at the right time to match their needs.
“Since their beginning as a pilot program in 2023, our teams have created tangible and significant benefits for people in our communities who need them the most,” Kym said.
"The program’s referral partners in the community are also a key part of its success.
“Leisa and Cameron’s referral to the MAPS team has linked Corinne directly into community supports, immediately introducing equipment to improve her independence, safety and quality of life, and there will be more on the way.
“As a result of this collaborative approach, Corinne’s My Aged Care home care package was successfully activated to ensure she received immediate support from a range of healthcare providers.
"This is enabling her to stay in her own home independently with her beloved dog Coco and grandson whom she’s very close to, Corey.”
Kym said the combined outcomes the QAS and allied health groups have achieved so far for Corinne included:
- Installation of a keysafe with the code added to QAS records ensuring responders fast access to Corinne’s unit.
- Raised toilet seat with armrests.
- A new shower seat.
- “Elephant feet” to raise her sofa height for safer transfers between it and her wheelchair.
- A newer, lighter and easier-to-use wheelchair to improve Corinne’s mobility.
- Physio and other allied health professional visits
- And currently being arranged, a hospital bed which raises and lowers, so Corinne can get back to sleeping in a bed again while ensuring safer transfers between it and her wheelchair.
“We know the health care system can be difficult to navigate and our Falls Co-Response teams can help link in people who may never have needed access this care, but are at the point of needing a bit of extra support or equipment to remain safe in their own homes,” Kym said.
Corinne said the supports and referrals introduced as a result of the Falls Co-Responders’ visit have been a game-changer.
“Until this team visited, I was struggling to live independently and was feeling hopeless about being able to stay in my unit, but the small changes made to my furniture and apartment have been huge for me," Corinne said.
“Having aged care support now too as a result of the team’s referral to MAPs really has been life-changing.”
