Frank tells all in the name of education
09 December 2009
Frank DeBooy is frank in name and nature - he tells the story of the car accident which left him in a wheelchair like a teacher talks of history.
He shows photos through a slideshow presentation he has created of the outback of the North Territory and the vehicle he was driving when the accident happened more than two decades ago.
Frank is often asked to talk about his past as a way to educate people about disability and the attention-to-detail needed to provide top-quality care.
Two people he recently spoke to were medical students, Greg Lysenko and Rebecca Lendzion, from Deakin University.
But the pair are just two of many, with Frank meeting with different students every Wednesday to share his story and give them insight into his life.
The doctors of the future listened intently to Frank speak about every detail of his experience, from the accident itself, his initial stay in hospital, to the challenges for him and his family in coming to terms with his injuries.
He doesn’t hold back, not even in his introduction.
“My name is Frank DeBooy and I became a C5-6 quadriplegic after a motor vehicle accident while on long-service leave in the Northern Territory on the 8/8/88,” he explains.
“For the Chinese, those are considered to be pretty lucky numbers, but for me, it didn’t work out that way.
“I understand that you are health professionals, it’s not my intention to tell you how to suck eggs - just to give you a perspective on life, on my side of the fence, and to give you some understanding of that.”
Frank also speaks about his daily care requirements, the hoists needed to get him up in the morning and ready for the day.
He also talks about food and drink, medication and the things he has learnt over the years to increase his comfort levels and overall wellbeing.
Karingal’s Individual Support Manager Michael Dunphy said the weekly sessions conducted with Deakin medical students aimed to give them insight into the life and needs of a person with a disability.
He said it was also to help them gain an understanding of how healthcare professionals can help.
Michael said it was critical clients were given the opportunity to see the same doctor over an extended period of time so that they receive a continuity of treatment especially when trialing or changing medications.
He also stressed the importance of not just dealing with the presenting symptoms and behaviours, but to also ensure regular general health checks like prostate and breast exams were scheduled
“Quite often a complete health review has never been done and we would really like to see more consistent medical care provided wherever possible,” he said.
Karingal is also providing other opportunities for Deakin medical students to experience other services that are provided to people with disabilities, including working in Mental Health Support and tours of Kommercial, Karingal’s supported employment division.