Skip to main content

AFOs: The Fitting

A few weeks after casting Ben's AFOs, we visited Steve again for a fitting. The AFOs are completed, but still need adjustments.

A small boot was fitted over Ben's special long socks. The top of the boot was softer than the ones he had in the past. It was rubbery. The rest of it was a hard plastic. A very soft tongue was glued inside of the boot to make sure that nothing hard rubbed against Ben's foot. This was new for us. Typically, we had the tongue, but it was detached and we were forever losing them and yelling for someone to find a pringle for Ben's brace - that's what we call the tongues, "pringles".












The extra length on the orthotic is trimmed off by Steve on site.
After the boot, a hard plastic orthotic was put on. This held the straps that keep the AFO in place. This time, Steve decreased the straps from three to two. 

The change in strap number and glued in tongue made putting on AFOs faster and easier. As you can see in the photos, taking them off was easier too.







Boot

Boot

Outer Orthotic

Boot inside Orthotic

Go Panthers!








Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Parenting an Adult Child with Disabilities

  "Parenting an Adult Child with Disabilities" is a series on eSpeciallyBen. As Ben approached 18, it was clear our role changed as parents. We needed to help Ben transition into adulthood. These stories are meant to assist other families who face, or will face, some of the same challenges. Talking About the Future Guest Post - Matt Wilson Legal Guardianship, Medicaid and SSI Researching Group Homes Questions to Ask at a Group Home Visit Referral Packet for Group Homes Getting Assistance from a Care Manager From Group Home Placement to Discharge Reaching for Independence

Parenting an Adult Child with Disabilities: From Group Home Placement to Discharge

  Last August, we moved Ben into an alternative family living (AFL) placement, about 90 minutes from our home in Charlotte. It was a three-bedroom house and Ben was given the largest bedroom with its own bathroom.  A typical AFL in North Carolina operates like this: a person with disabilities, the client, moves in with another family, couple or an individual. The client lives in the family’s home and the family receives payment in return for housing, feeding and caring for the client.  Ben’s AFL was unusual: A couple with extensive caregiving experience wanted to run a three-bed group home but needed to apply for the license through the state. They were willing to take Ben as the first resident in a house, separate from the one they lived in. The plan, according to the couple, was to get approval for the group home within a couple of months.  We ordered Ben a double bed, headboard, 54-inch television, new sheets, towels and blankets. Friends helped us move him in....
  Ben is thriving in his group home in Charlotte. I wrote about what he's been up to in this story in Southpark Magazine:  Givers: All together Happy Holidays! Photo Credit Grant Baldwin Photography