Providing care for people with disabilities at home.

People with disabilities in Da Nang city are supported with medical examination and care. Photo: ACDC

The project "Support to improve the quality of life of people with disabilities in provinces heavily sprayed with Agent Orange" is being implemented in 3 provinces: Quang Tri, Quang Nam (now Da Nang city) and Hue city (formerly Thua Thien Hue province) in the period of 2024 - 2025.

The Institute for Community Development Studies (ACDC) is one of the partners implementing activities under the management of the Center for Creative Initiatives in Health and Population (CCIHP), the National Action Center for overcoming the consequences of toxic chemicals and the environment is the project owner.

The project continuously distributes and instructs on the use of assistive devices for people with disabilities in localities of Da Nang city.

This October, ACDC Institute coordinated with Thang Binh Regional Medical Center to distribute and instruct on the use of home assistive devices for 10 disabled people in 3 communes of Thang An, Thang Dien and Thang Phu.

Not only do they donate equipment, nursing technicians and rehabilitation doctors also go directly to each household to instruct people with disabilities on how to use it safely, in accordance with their living conditions and health.

Equipment including wheelchairs, rocking chairs, prosthetic legs, commode chairs, walkers, etc. are prescribed after the doctor opens the rehabilitation intervention file and evaluates the mobility of each case.

From assessing motor function, measuring body size, providing safe exercise instructions to regularly checking for improvement, nursing technicians must be patient and dedicated.

They are not only medical support providers but also companions who help people with disabilities confidently integrate into life.

Mrs. T., the wife of a disabled person in Thang An commune, emotionally shared: “He was eagerly awaiting support from the project, and now that he has been provided with a wheelchair and commode chair, we are very happy. Thanks to the dedicated guidance of the technicians, we know how to use them safely and conveniently.”

Meanwhile, Ms. PTC from Thang Dien commune, a person with a mobility disability, was delighted to receive a new walking frame: "Before, I had to cling to the wall, but now with the walking frame, I feel much more secure. I will practice according to the instructions to walk more steadily."

Along with providing assistive devices, the medical technicians also offer rehabilitation methods, helping people with disabilities regain confidence in their ability to be independent.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Kim Mai, an officer at the Thang Binh Regional Medical Center, said that seeing disabled people satisfied when receiving assistive devices warmed their hearts and gave them more motivation to continue accompanying them.

This is also part of a larger effort by the health sector to bring rehabilitation to the community, linking primary health care with social and humanitarian programs.

When nursing technicians are properly trained in rehabilitation and disability care, they become the backbone of a comprehensive population health care network.

In 2024, nationwide, the project "Supporting the Improvement of the Quality of Life of People with Disabilities in Provinces Heavily Affected by Agent Orange Spray" provided rehabilitation intervention for 6,000 people with disabilities; supported care for 6,500 people with disabilities; trained 800 doctors and technicians; and assisted more than 5,000 family members and caregivers.

More than 5,000 households were supported to develop sustainable livelihoods, helping families of people with disabilities improve their quality of life.

Source: https://baodanang.vn/dong-hanh-cham-soc-nguoi-khuet-tat-tai-nha-3308155.html