Locked In need Dynavox alternative or...

[ccjjcc]

Hi, my brother (see earlier posts) is completely paralyzed now except for his face. He has
a straw for a call light and can't press anything with any part of his body. He has lost
the ability to speak.

He has a Dynavox which we have been most grateful for, but we are having real
difficulties getting it positioned so he can really use it consistently. He is in a nursing home and it takes the staff a really long time to get it positioned and many won't even try. A lot depends on how he is positioned. He has a pressure wound now and has to be repositioned every 2 hours - which means repositioning the Dynavox. It would be easier to keep it in'the same position all the time but we can't. It has EyeGaze and he controls it with his eye movements, when it is positioned right.

Yesterday I tried for 45 minutes to get it positioned right and couldn't. He has been in
and out of the hospital lately and I have taken the machine back and forth. No one finds
it easy to position correctly.

Is there anything simpler we could use? He has a laptop but no use of his hands. Only
his eyes.

 

[Susan10]

can you ask for help from whoever obtained the dynavox for him? It seems to me their representative could be a big help. This is a terrible situation for everyone involved. I will pray for you.

 

[SandraL]

My pals reached a point when the Dynavox just didn't work because he lacked the strength.

I then would show him my cell phone, which had a qwerty style keyboard and ask, "First letter, is it on the top row?" I would watch for his almost inperceptable nod and proceed from there, calling off each letter when I got to the right row. It took a minute to spell things out but it worked!

Hope this helps.

 

[marypat]

have u looked at speak book dot com
it might work

 

[ccjjcc]

Hi,
I will try to look up Speakbook. He can't use anything, only his eyes. I was hoping there might be something I could get on his
laptop and position that in front of him

We do use a letter board when the Dynavox isn't lined up right or if he goes to the hospital without it.

There was a trainging at the nursing home some time back but it wasn't mandatory and only some people went. One aide said she
doesn't touch it, she puts it in front of them. Which makes it unusable if it isn't lined up right.

I will be getting with the rep.

But I'm also looking for an alternative.

Thanks. Any more ideas, I'm open.

 

[ccjjcc]

I just looked up Speakbook.What a wonderful idea. I definitely plan to get that going, it would be
great when the machine isn't in the right place.

The Dynavox, if it's lined up right, let's him on the internet, and he can control the tv with it too. It's just
so frustrating to get positioned properly. There isn't anyone who finds it easy.

 

[CGARS]

When I was at clinic last month and tried the eyegaze out, they had it fastened on a stand.
It had wheels, and could be adjusted for height and angle.

If interested I could contact them to see if it has a name, or how to get one.

Just PM me to remind me if you're interested.

Good luck,
Casey