I think I can save you an awful lot of time in research and paperwork Prince. A one week course in living as many of us do.
It will answer many of your questions from personal experience and gain you kudos for innovation and dedication to your chosen career.
Find a 2 yard length of soft rope. Place the middle of it on the back of your neck. Bend forward at least at a 45 degree angle. While holding that position firmly tie each end of the rope to the front centre of your belt, ensuring there is no slack.
Remain in this position for a week.
Under no circumstances may the apparatus be detached. Especially not to sleep! You must find a way of getting comfortable enough to do that in the position you are in.
Many of the study group have no relief from that position and to gain full understanding of the problems encountered in transference of pressure point unnatural stress to other areas of the body not equipped to handle it and it's associated pain, it is imperative that the researcher duplicate the condition.
All normal duties associated with independent living must be accomplished in this position. 'Assistance' must be limited to what a casual, working, or non resident 'carer' could be reasonably be expected to offer over a very long term situation and still have a life of their own.
You must cook, clean, wash and dress, launder, and shop for essentials to the absolute limit of your ability.
'Too hard' is not a qualification for exemption to require assistance, only 'impossible' qualifies.
The range of mobility, physical limitations, pain, exasperation, assistance required, mental attitude, change of lifestyle, difficulty of exercising, and which colour walking stick is best will be made abundantly clear to you without bothering other people by asking about their experiences.
Believe me you won't need the whole week to answer all your questions but it will ensure that you never again see the subjects of your research as numbers on a graph, lumps of meat to process as an appointment, or grumpy old buggers.
The absence of empathy in care professionals is the most frustrating aspect of aged care. I have spinal damage inflicted by a 20 something radiologist who simply had no idea that a quick tug to 'align' the spine of an osteoporotic person could inlflict the above 'rope trick' on a 'client' for life! I didn't even sue her, she was just stupid and didn't understand that not being able to 'align' the bloody spine was why I was getting the Xray!
She had just crushed my third vertebrae and asked, "are you okay to walk out and get dressed by yourself as we are really busy today? !!!" As I was already doped to the eyeballs for the previous 2, and by then running on murderous levels of what was probably adrenelin, I answered "NO, you've done quite enough for me already!"... and I did walk out, and I did dress myself... and I will NEVER have another Xray!
So... Never mind the numbers, the graphs, and the demographics Prince, .... just do the 'exercise' and find out for yourself!
If you make millions from the above advice PM me for an address to send the commission cheque. 10% will be fine.
Yours sincerely Grumpy.
