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The National Social Security Authority helps workers who have become seriously disabled as a result of a work-related accident to settle back into their homes and communities after undergoing a rehabilitation programme at its rehabilitation centre. The multidisciplinary team at the rehabilitation centre in Bulawayo helps them adjust to their disability, physically and emotionally, through a comprehensive rehabilitation programme.
The rehabilitation programme also involves adjusting the injured worker’s physical environment at home to suit his/her particular needs and mobilising local support .
Most of those injured at work who are unable to return to their jobs due to the seriousness of their injuries may be resettled in the rural areas where they may not have built a home yet, if they have lived and worked in a town or city for a long time.
The NSSA social worker based at the rehabilitation centre visits their homes prior to their resettlement to assess the home environment. This includes the physical infrastructure and the family and community environment.
He checks whether there is a home for the injured pensioners, whether there is any suitable furniture, what toilet facilities are there and the type of soil surrounding the homestead. The type of soil affects how many bags of cement will be required to build a Blair toilet. He also checks the proximity of the homestead to the nearest clinic, shops, churches, social amenities and water sources.
If there is a home for the pensioner, the social worker considers whether the doorway is wide enough for a wheelchair to pass through, if the pensioner is wheelchair bound. He looks at what sort of ramp could be constructed to facilitate access to the house.
The social worker considers whether the toilet can accommodate a wheelchair and, if not, whether it can be adjusted so that it can do so and allow free movement inside. If the toilet is not suitable for the wheelchair a new Blair toilet would need to be constructed.
To make it easier for a wheelchair-bound person to use, a ceramic toilet chamber with a toilet seat will be installed in place of the traditional hole in the toilet floor and grab rails may be fixed to the walls.
The type of soil and the gradient may affect the manoeuvrability of a wheelchair. If it is too sandy a wheelchair might become stuck. If necessary, the ground will be levelled and sand removed. Part of the area may even be concreted or paved.
Apart from arranging for adjustments to the physical environment, the social worker also looks at the social support system, including the relationship between the pensioner and other members of the family and community. If there are relationship problems, he does what he can to try to resolve them.
This may include acting as a bridge between the pensioner and members of the family or holding focus group discussions with members of the family or community.
The social worker also makes contact with the local community leadership and institutions with a view to sensitising them to the pensioner’s condition and mobilising resources.
This will include seeing the headman, chief and councillors to make them aware that there will soon be a disabled person in their community. Their help is enlisted in ensuring that he is well integrated within the community, his needs are catered for and he is given the opportunity to participate in relevant community programmes.
It will also include going to the local clinic so that the clinic can provide any medical services the pensioner requires.
The social worker also engages government structures in the area, including extension officers, the local social welfare department, local Government officials and public works programme personnel to find out what relevant services they provide, so that NSSA does not duplicate them.
He will also liaise with the pensioner’s local church. Churches form an important pillar of support for pensioners.
When the pensioner has been resettled, the social worker will make periodic follow-up visits to check on the process of reintegration and to arrange for repairs to infrastructure NSSA would have provided which may have deteriorated through wear and tear.
Though most of the people who pass through NSSA’s rehabilitation centre are often resettled in their rural homes, some may be resettled in their urban homes.
NSSA provides similar services for them, chiefly through adjustments to their homes. Some of them may be tenants and the permission of the landlord is required to make alterations to the building.
In such scenarios temporary ramps are provided.
Where alterations are needed, local authority permission is often required. The NSSA social worker helps the pensioner apply for this.
Talking Social Security is published weekly by the National Social Security Authority as a public service. There is also a weekly radio programme, PaMhepo neNssa/Emoyeni le NSSA, discussing social security issues at 6.50pm every Thursday on Radio Zimbabwe and every Friday on National FM. There is another social security programme on Star FM on Wednesdays at 5.30pm. Readers can email issues they would like dealt with in this column to [email protected] or text them to 0772307913. Those with individual queries should contact their local NSSA office or telephone NSSA on (04) 706517-8 or 7065235.
Online Reporter