Chloe, 19, cannot walk because of her condition. She relies on a dynamic stand device- an Innowalk- for aerobic exercise and joint mobility. But she struggled to sit comfortably and gain the full benefit of the equipment because of her spine curvature.
Physiotherapist Lisa Clapp, from Reach Rehab Physiotherapy, works with Chloe and knew of our Comfortable Plus Duo adjustable posture cushion.
Lisa proposed it as an option- subject to assessment.
Comfortable Plus Duo is essentially a bean bag that can be fixed into shape to support and stabilise the head and torso without pressure points, thereby effectively reducing the risk of pressure sores.
Once moulded to the contours required, air within is extracted via pump to fix the “beans” into shape. The process means it can be quickly and easily adjusted, at home, to accommodate finite adjustments to comfort, whether on a daily, weekly or monthly basis.
Comfortable Duo Plus can be similarly moulded to provide the required stabilisation to hips and pelvis. It even allows formation of a pommel.
Chloe is supported and comfortable when using the Innowalk with her Comfortable Plus Duo. She can use it for longer, and with greater ease, enhancing her mobility, circulation and aerobic exercise.
We trained Chloe’s mother Donna in how to shape and adjust the cushion and fix it to the correct contours without pressure points. Donna can ensure the cushion always perfectly supports Chloe, with a process that takes just a few moments.
Says mum Donna:
“The Comfortable Plus Duo has been a game changer! Chloe loves it, which makes her physical therapy easier and improves her mental health. It keeps its shape so well too: I don’t have to alter the shape very often at all.”
Added Lisa:
“AAT’s Comfortable Plus Duo has been pivotal in Chloe being able to obtain the benefit of her Innowalk. We can precisely adjust it to support her back and hips, with the right degree of firmness to hold her, comfortably, in the correct position.”
More information about Comfortable Plus Duo can be found at https://www.aatgb.com/comfortable-plus-duo
Further reading:
https://www.aatgb.com/how-to-make-sitting-comfortable-plus
https://www.aatgb.com/moulding-to-guest-needs-delivers-holiday-happiness/
When Irene McLeod underwent major surgery- including 27 pins in her ankle and leg to address damage from breaking her neck- she faced becoming confined to her Glasgow tenement home for months while she healed.
Her brother Robert was concerned for her mental health if she could not get out and about.
He approached his local social services but the department could not find an answer.
Robert took inspiration from the local ambulance crew who transported her to and from hospital. They had used a C-Max stairclimber to safely move her up and down the 42 narrow, steep stairs between the ground floor and her flat.
Robert researched online and bought a C-Max of his own to use with Irene.
He says:
“When I saw the ambulance crew using the C-Max, I thought that might be the solution. It’s been an absolute Godsend, worth every penny! It worked an absolute treat!
“Without it, Irene would have been confined to her flat for the six months it took to recover from her surgery. It made a positive difference to her mental health being able to get out.
“I found it easy to operate. I’m 6ft 4ins and was able to adjust the C-Max to a height where I was comfortable, and a speed of movement we were happy with. With the lapstrap Irene was secure during the transfers. When we weren’t using it, it folded away: it’s not bulky so didn’t take up a lot of space.”
Available in the UK exclusively through AAT GB, the C-Max stairclimber utilises battery-powered patented kinematic technology with a seat and frame to smoothly transfer the person- irrespective of their size/weight- between levels at a consistent speed set and controlled by the operator. Each charge of the battery will deliver up to 300 steps.
It can move anyone up to 230kg/ 36st with ease.
You can height-adjust the unit to suit both petite and tall operators. A high balance point and a range of safety straps means your passenger always feel safe and secure whilst being moved up and down. Fully controllable speed of movement means the C-Max moves at a rate with which you are comfortable; it can been paused/stopped en-route.
Its compact design means you can use the C-Max on almost any stairway, even spiral.
AAT offers a free, no obligation assessment, which will include determining the most appropriate of its range of stairclimbers to suit you, your passenger, and the staircase design and advising you and your passenger on the most appropriate safety belt/ system. AAT provides full training.
You can book your assessment online @ https://www.aatgb.com/mobility-stairclimbers/
According to leading mental health charity Mind, spending time in green spaces including your local parks can improve your mood, reduce feelings of stress or anger, improve self-esteem, reduce loneliness, and help you feel more relaxed.
People with physical disabilities eg mobility issues are more likely to experience mental health issues, reports show.
Access to and from a garden or making a garden safe for a disabled resident falls under the scope of home adaptations; indeed, such alterations and modifications can be funded under the Disabled Facilities Grant.
Our innovative S-Max Sella stairclimber provides a fast, effective way to provide access to outside space where steps are otherwise a barrier.
S-Max Sella is battery-powered and completely portable, unlike the conventional alternative equipment to address steps and stairs which is fixed in place.
As a result, you have a fast and effective way to access the garden- and the wider community, where steps are a barrier.
The Class 1 Medical Device certified, our equipment can propel you or your loved one up, down 300 steps from a single charge.
And it carries onward from the staircase or steps, without you needing to get off. It works inside or out, and at whatever pace you feel comfortable with.
S-Max Sella automatically adjusts to variation in riser height. It gently brakes on the edge of each riser to enable a smooth transition between levels.
“We all know how much better we feel from getting outside, feeling the sun on our faces,” says Peter Wingrave AAT Director.
“More homes than we appreciate have steps either to or within the garden, or out to the street. If your mobility is impaired, that’s enough to make you trapped indoors. Our stairclimber gives you freedom to get out and about and reap the benefits to your mental health of outside space.”
We offer a comprehensive support service, including free no obligation assessment, setting up of the S-Max, training of its users, plus ongoing service & maintenance.
Full details including videos of the Sella stairclimber can be found @ https://www.aatgb.com/s-max-sella/
