Patient Lifts Help save Caregivers’ Backs

If you work in the healthcare profession or if you have a friend or family member you help in getting up or in moving from chair to bed or to bath, you know just how difficult it can sometimes be. Helping someone get up can put a great strain on your back in addition to often being awkward or embarrassing for the patient. However, a patient lift can make the entire process much easier for everyone involved.

All Patient Lifts require a caregiver. The patient cannot and should not operate the lift by themselves. There are a number of different types of patient lifts. Manual Patient Lifts use a hydraulic pump. Powered Patient Lifts use rechargeable batteries and everything is motorized. Standup Lifts raise the patient from the seated position to standing position.

If you find yourself unable to stand without assistance, a patient lift may be something you need. Likewise, if you assist many people with standing or getting into the bath, you may also find the lift a great asset in your job.

What Lift Chairs Can Do For You

If you have issues getting up out of a chair, you may think you just have to live with it. After all, what exactly can be done other than adding a pillow to your seat or behind your back? But there is actually something you can do: you can invest in a power lift chair. These chairs feature built-in motors that help you get up out of the chair.

Lift chairs are full, padded recliners just like you’d purchase from any furniture store. They recline, feature a foot rest, and have nicely padded armrests. When you need to get up though, you simply press a button on the attached remote and the chair tilts up and helps you stand. There are several different types of lift chairs - some have two or three positions, while others actually allow you to recline until you’re almost horizontal, turning your recliner into a bed that can lift you right up to your feet. If you have been injured or have arthritis in your knees or hips, a lift chair can get you back on your feet without any pain.

However, you may be worried about the cost of a lift chair. While that’s true if you buy the first lift chair you see, you can find discount lift chairs with only a little searching. This is especially true online. Discount lift chairs purchased from an online site are often cheaper since they don’t include as many mark-ups. Plus, some sites offer free shipping, so you save money on the price and don’t have to pay to have it sent to you!

See our Lift Chair Catalog

Work Safety Equipment

Many jobs don’t require any special support or equipment, but some do. In fact, some jobs that require safely equipment might surprise you. Working as a stocker in a grocery store, for example, often requires you to wear a back support since you’ll be doing a lot of heavy lifting.

Back supports are the most common piece of work safety equipment, and anyone who does a lot of heavy lifting on a regular basis should probably use one. Some of these back supports simply Velcro around your waste, while others feature straps that look similar to suspenders. Both types give your back the support it needs when bending, lifting, or carrying heavy objects.

Lumbar belts provide lumbar support to your lower back when bending or lifting. These belts help you keep proper posture. The belt is flexible enough to provide support in all the correct places while you move yet still keep your back fully supported. Some lumbar belts feature shoulder straps for extra support, while others leave off the shoulder straps to give you more mobility.

If you’ll be doing a lot of work down low, you may want to invest in a pair of knee pads. While you can purchase a set of knee pads from anywhere, you may want to invest in specific knee pads for work situations. These types of knee pads include shock absorbers and layers of padding to reduce vibration.

Finally, if you’ll be running equipment that vibrates or shakes often, you may want to get a pair of anti-vibration gloves. These gloves help insulate your hands and redistribute the vibrations so that your hands don’t go numb. Again, any regular pair of gloves will help somewhat, but gloves made specifically to cut down on vibrations are going to help protect your hands more.

Orthopedic Shoes

Benefits of Orthopedic Shoes

Ending up with sore feet is very common with people who are on their feet the whole day. The reason for these sore feet is foot problems attributed to the wrong choice of shoes and shoe sizes.

Women generally wear high heel shoes, which are not advised for the feet as the feet get squeezed and the foot arch is brought up high. Though men usually wear only everyday and running shoes, these shoes end up tight and can also cause foot problems. It is for such predicaments that minor orthopedic shoes could be used for relief.

Orthopedic footwear is today prescribed to anyone suffering from foot problems, and not only for the old and those suffering from major foot problems. This is because minor orthopedic footwear can help correct many foot problems such as painful heels, calluses, corns, hammer toes, athlete’s foot, ingrown and thick toe nails, diabetic foot problems, warts, flat feet, bunions, dry foot, athlete’s foot and tired feet.

It is the support found in the arch in these shoes that ensures proper foot position when walking, standing and running. Even foot shock that results from movement is better absorbed by these shoes. These orthopedic shoes come with extra width to provide more space when walking, so you feel much more comfortable while doing your work.

Aetrex Shoes offer comfort while walking and are designed to fit any foot. These shoes provide the required comfort for aching feet and are just what the doctor prescribed for all your foot ailments.

By wearing orthopedic shoes you can avoid major foot problems and enjoy those activities you could not enjoy doing because of your feet problems.

Fight and win over Pressure Ulcers

Patriot Low Air Loss Rotational Mattress Replacement System

Preventing Pressure Ulcers means ensuring that immobile patients change their position at least every two hours to relieve pressure. Both treatment and prevention of Pressure Ulcers require the right tools.

The Patriot Rotational Mattress is an affordable support surface system that can provide therapeutic treatment for Stage III and IV, or multiple Stage II pressure ulcers. It works in either Low-Air-Loss mode or Rotational Mode. When switched to rotational mode you are prompted for rotation intervals. Rotation mode on the Patriot mattress means that it first turns one direction, and then, depending on the interval setting, turns the other direction. Turn Mode gives the care giver the option of 10, 20, or 30 minute cycle times. When in Low Air Loss mode the mattress provides 8" of true low-air-loss for a dry, comfortable, pressure-free surface.

Read more about Pressure Ulcers and Bed Sores (Decubitus ulcer).
Browse our catalog of Group II Support Surfaces

Is It Just Snoring Or Is It Sleep Apnea?

Sleep Apnea may be preventing you from getting the rest you need. Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a serious health problem but many people don't even know they have it. Usually it is the bed partner who first notices that the person is struggling to breathe. Snoring is not the same as sleep apnea. Snoring is simply a loud sound that you make during breathing while asleep if there is any obstruction in your airway.

How can you tell if it's just snoring or OSA?
When you sleep, your airway relaxes, just like the rest of your body. However, as it does so, it collapses and becomes blocked, or obstructed. When the back of your throat vibrates against obstruction, it's called snoring. For the most part, snoring is not really a medical problem. While it can be irritating to other people sleeping in the same room, most snoring doesn't cause problems.

However, the airway can be so blocked that it completely blocks your breathing. Without air, your body cannot take in oxygen. Once your blood oxygen level drops below a certain level, the central nervous system triggers your body to gasp for breath. To do this, you partially wake up. This cycle can happen several times through the night.

There are several problems with this scenario: First, the repeated cycle keeps you from falling into deep sleep which your body needs. You will be tired and irritable the next day and may not be focused enough to safely drive or to work.

More importantly, the loss of oxygen can lead to memory loss, impotence, hypertension, heart attacks and strokes.

If you think that you or a loved one has OSA, it is well worth the effort to see a doctor. He or she can rule out other causes and recommend treatments such as continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machines. These devices keep enough air flowing to keep the airway open. CPAP machines have been proven to help snoring and OSA problems.

There's no need to suffer from snoring. See a doctor today and get some good sleep.

Pediatric Gait Trainer

This Miniwalk Gait Trainer is a perfect tool for teaching motor skills and balance. The seat and trunk support is easily adjusted to fit the child. The Miniwalk's seat slightly suspends the legs for free movement. Trunk is supported with comfortable padded bar that provides a secure feeling for the child. Seat height, handlebars and trunk support are all height adjustable.

What's different about the Miniwalk is it's suspension system. It moves up and down during gait, allowing for a more normal heel strike, toe off and mid phase as the child moves forward. The spring assist system aids the child's “swing through” during gait.

Human gait is measured from heel strike to heel strike, also known as the gait cycle or "one stride." The gait cycle has two phases, the stance (about 60% of the cycle) and the swing (about 40%).

The Miniwalk Gait Trainer is available in 2 sizes and is designed for children 1.5 - 10 years of age.

Miniwalk I (1.5 - 3 years of age)
Miniwalk II (3 - 10 years of age)

See all our Pediatric Walkers and Gait Trainers