Alice

Alice is a woman in her fifties who is unemployed and cares for her quadraplegic husband who has a neurodegenerative disease. She has provided about 15 hours of help a week for 1 year. Her husband moves in a manual wheelchair, but can walk short distances with mobility aids. He independently transitions from the wheelchair to other mobility aids.

Needs Current Approaches Alternate suggestions

 

What could be created?
1. Alice would like to minimize the risk that her husband falls when walking. Her husband uses different assistive devices depending on his present state: a walker, crutches, or a walker.
2. Alice would like husband’s hunting hobby to be safer. Her husband gets on his four-wheeler, goes to his hunting spot that is made accessible with stairs.
3. Alice would like a way to make sure her husband takes his medications.
4.  Alice would like it to be easier for her to insert and remove her husband’s manual wheelchair from the car when they go out together. Alice made the request for an accessible vehicle and for her husband to have access to a scooter.