Roberta, 43 years old. Autonomy in daily life for a person with Multiple Sclerosis

Roberta is a young woman suffering from multiple sclerosis, characterized by hypertension, with tetraparesis, dysarthria and dysphagia. Roberta can’t express herself well and family members considered the proposal for a possible program aimed at improving communication: we have thus undertaken in collaboration with the Regional Centre for Assistive for AT a project aimed at evaluating a system of alternative communication. In parallel, the area of intervention has gradually expanded to include mobility and posture, in order to find solutions designed to lighten the load of assistive care and to improve comfort. Roberta is currently dependent in all activities of daily life and is no longer able to cooperate during transfers, thus totally charging her husband and the personal assistant. The seating system is no longer appropriate and Roberta prefers to remain lying on the sofa for most of the day: in this regard we have proposed a wheelchair with postural system in order to allow her to stay seated for several hours. The aim of this paper is to illustrate the path taken with Roberta to enhance her social participation and, if possible, prevent the risk of isolation. Through the integration of different skills and the service network, we would like to propose a global approach, not only oriented to the provision of services, but to the maximum autonomy as possible.