Jan Erik (60) suffered a spinal fracture in 2017 after falling down the stairs – with the TOPRO Step stair climbing aid, he is now more independent again

Inhalte

With the TOPRO Step stair climbing aid, Jan Erik has regained more independence. On a fateful day in June 2017, exactly what unfortunately happens too often according to statistics occurred. Jan Erik (60) fell at home and landed in a way that he suffered a partial fracture in his spinal cord. The first months after the accident were difficult. Jan Erik experienced what it is like to be healthy and fit and suddenly paralyzed. But with his TOPRO Step stair climbing aid, he has now regained more independence.

Rehabilitation

After three months of training at the rehabilitation center, Jan Erik was able to start training on the stairs again. However, this was not as easy as before and he still had major problems with climbing stairs.

Jan Erik had to hold onto the stair railing because he was afraid of falling again. His balance is no longer what it used to be, as some of his injuries in the neck and spinal cord will never fully heal.

During his stay at the neurology ward at St. Olav Hospital in Trondheim, his occupational therapist recommended the TOPRO Step stair climbing aid. Like many others, Jan Erik did not want to have to renovate his entire house for barrier-free living. From their living room, he and his wife have a beautiful view of the Botn Sea, where he used to go fishing often.

Jan Erik Rehabilitation​

“It is always better to have too much security than too little, especially when you know what injuries I sustained from the fall down the stairs.”

 — Jan Erik (60)

Aid center

The process of obtaining the TOPRO Step stair climbing aid was relatively straightforward. He spoke with the occupational therapist in his local community, and together they tried to have the costs of the TOPRO Step stair climbing aid covered by the Norwegian assistive devices center.


Since Jan Erik has had a steady need for aids for more than 2 years, the application was approved and shortly thereafter the stair climbing aid was installed in his house.

Jan Erik's experiences with the stair climbing aid TOPRO Step

„I expect the TOPRO Step stair climbing aid to allow me to continue using the stairs without fear of another fall. With the stair climbing aid, I am actively practicing fall prevention. It is always better to have too much safety than too little, especially when you know what injuries I sustained from the stair fall.“

Jan Erik tells that he is still unsure on his feet. The physiotherapist encourages him to walk without holding onto anything – this motivates him to constantly improve and gain more control over his body.

Stairlift

A stairlift was not an option for us. I was able to hold onto the stair railing with both hands and after 3-4 months of rehabilitation, I could go up and down the stairs. When the TOPRO Step stair climbing aid was installed in our home, our house suddenly became accessible to me again.

“I no longer had to go sideways on the stairs, I could take things up and down the stairs, and I had physical support in case I should fall again. Being able to climb the stairs is great for my body, and now I can do it while being supported.”

Jan Erik’s experience after the accident is definitely not a sprint, but a marathon, as he describes it himself. One must push oneself and train properly to make progress. Now, Jan Erik aims to return to work as a teacher at an 80% position about a year after the accident.

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