Firing on All Cylinders: John's journey to independence

In 2008, John was involved in a road traffic accident that left him with quadriplegia. After 17 months in hospital, he moved to supported accommodation in Melbourne. But a holiday at a Healthscope Independence Services (HIS) home in Albury got John thinking about moving closer to his roots in country New South Wales.

“I liked the place,” says the 73-year-old. “It was a well set out house. I’ve got a bit of property not too far away, so I came here and stayed here. That was in 2017.” John receives support from HIS staff for everyday things like showering, dressing, feeding and bladder and bowel care. The team also support him to pursue his love of gardening, sightseeing and recreational shooting.

Aiming for independence

Having grown up on a farm, shooting has been part of John’s life. “It's one thing I always liked to do,” he says. But due to the accident, John has no left arm function and limited movement on the right, making shooting seem impossible. Not to be deterred, John turned to the internet for ideas. “I found this place in America where a quadriplegic developed a gun frame for his wheelchair,” he says. “A fellow in Melbourne got onto this bloke, got some plans and made a similar collapsible frame for me.”

HIS support worker Stewart, who has a firearms licence, helped John get the frame. He also takes John to the rifle range, where he supports John to set up his frame and reload and re-cock his gun, which has a modified trigger mechanism. “I can press a button connected to an arm that will push the trigger. Or I can puff into a tube that will make it fire,” John says.

Building space to garden

Stewart’s support has also made it possible for John to pursue another of his pleasures – gardening. “Stewart had some hardwood at his place,” John explains. “He brought it in, made up a garden box for me and painted it. We got some dirt and put it in. Then we got milk cartons from the kitchen, cut them in half, put them over the legs of the box, and painted the underneath with sump oil. That stops the slugs getting in.” John likes growing things he can eat. He has grown herbs and currently has a strawberry crop on the go.

Cruising the countryside

John also enjoys exploration and travel. “I like to ride around in my wheelchair to different places, especially in the warmer weather,” he says. “I like going along the walking tracks, down to the river and out to the model aero club at north Albury.” HIS staff set John up in his wheelchair to go out for the day. They also accompany him on the holidays John usually takes each year. “On my last trip I went to Wollongong. I rode around the area and across the Sea Cliff Bridge,” he says. John has a goal of visiting various other towns and continuing to attend agricultural events like Henty Machinery Field Days.

Movement matters

Support worker Nae, who has worked with John for two years, explains John needs to stay flexible to continue participating in these activities. “He needs adequate movement to use his powered wheelchair,” she says. “If he couldn’t use it anymore, that would take a lot of his independence away.”

John says his joints seize up if they’re not stretched regularly. HIS staff support him to do daily exercises prescribed by a healthcare professional. “The carers bend my arms and legs and I have exercise bands I put around my right wrist and right leg,” he explains. “The carers hold both ends and I pull against them for a bit of resistance. It helps to get the blood flow going.”

He also attends weekly sessions in a heated pool, where at least two support workers assist him to complete an exercise program designed by a physiotherapist. “I have one on each side of me to bend each arm. That way, one carer can work against the other carer to provide some resistance.”

John is “the most independent man you'll ever come across,” says Nae. “He knows what he wants and he tells you how it is. I love being able to help our clients with simple tasks or big tasks. It’s very fulfilling.”

John says the support workers are “really great”, and that living life on his own terms is very important to him. “The big thing I like to do is just get out and be as independent as I possibly can.”