Leonila brings back her social life

May 03, 2022

Leonila lives in Sydney, with her husband Cesar and has been a Home Care client with SCC since 2020. She started her Home Care package in need of support due to a functional decline that resulted in deteriorated mobility.

Leonila was used to enjoying an active social and family life but her weakened muscle strength and feet and back pain were impacting the way she loves to live her life. This meant that many times, she had to stay home, feeling the burden of social isolation. When the pain was intense, Leonila was mobilising with crutches, and this limited her ability to access people and activities in the community. Her husband Cesar assisted her, but he found it difficult with the mobility equipment she had on hand.

Recently, SCC was able to assist Leonila to achieve her goals by having an Occupational Therapy assessment that recommended the use of a lightweight wheelchair.

Leonila was thrilled to road test her new “wheels” during a weekend away in the Hunter Valley, where she and Cesar attended their niece’s wedding. The celebration included a wine tasting and lovely meals out with family and friends. The lightweight wheelchair was easily transported and navigated, which meant Leonila was able to enjoy a fabulous weekend away with her family without missing out, and most importantly, without pain.

Since trying out her wheelchair, SCC is supporting Leonila to utilise other assistive technology that will support her regain confidence and capacity. She has recently had a Controlled Ankle Motion (CAM) boot fitted, which enables her to walk around, maximising her independence and autonomy.

Thanks to having all these aids in place, Leonila is living a renewed life, with plenty of new opportunities to be part of social and family events which until recently, seemed unachievable. At the end of March, Leonila went on a trip to Tasmania for a week. There’s no way of stopping her now!