Poliomyelitis or polio is an infectious disease caused by a virus. The digestive system is affected and in some cases the nervous system.
Due to a national immunisation schedule, polio is no longer prevalent within Australia, however post-polio syndrome is still evident. Some people, who originally had polio experience further symptoms or 'late effects of polio' years or decades after the initial infection occurred.
Symptoms and characteristics
Symptoms of polio can vary from mild flu like symptoms through to severe cases where life threatening paralysis occurs.
Some people who have had polio may experience some late effects years to decades later which may include:
- further muscle weakness and reduced strength
- pain within joints and muscles
- breathing, speaking and swallowing difficulties
- fatigue.
For more information on the above symptoms and characteristics, please see the links below:
Workplace adjustments and solutions
In the workplace there are various ways to assist people with post-polio syndrome to better manage their symptoms. These include changes to work tasks and the environment, such as:
- modifying workstation set up to avoid excessive exertion and conserve energy
- providing and adjusting an ergonomic chair or stool to a person’s needs, to allow work from a seated rather than standing position
- consider capacity for staff rotation between physically demanding tasks and lighter tasks as a way of building in breaks without having to stop work
- consider the use of lifting or mechanical aids such as trolleys to minimise lifting requirements
- if mobilising via wheelchair, ensure wheelchair accessibility to all areas of the workplace including kitchen and bathroom amenities, workspace and other doorways or emergency exits
- installation of ramps for independent building access
- automatic door openers and positioning of security pin pads to allow independent door access
- desk modifications to allow for wheelchair clearance and access to all items on the desk easily
- modifications to driving controls on work vehicles.
The Employment Assistance Fund provides financial assistance for work-related modifications, equipment and services to help people with disability to get employment and perform their work as independently and productively as possible. To determine eligibility, please refer to the full guidelines:
There are specific solutions and adjustments relating to polio and post-polio:
References
Better Health Channel 2011, Polio, State Government of Victoria, Melbourne, viewed 10 November 2011, http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bhcv2/bhcarticles.nsf/pages/Polio_explained?open.
Better Health Channel 2011, Polio—symptoms in later years, State Government of Victoria, Melbourne, viewed 10 November 2011, http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bhcv2/bhcarticles.nsf/pages/Polio_symptoms_in_later_years?OpenDocument.
Post—Polio Network (NSW) Inc. 2011, The Late Effects of Polio, Post-Polio Network (NSW) Inc, Sydney, viewed 10 November 2011,
http://www.post-polionetwork.org.au/index2.html.