There’s no need for me to exhume the history of the controversial, beleaguered, and belabored national health care reform issue. Everyone but the most isolated and disconnected of us have already made up our minds, at least for this week.
Here is this week’s public mind as reported by pollsters Rasmussen Reports.
Following a small bounce in support following his health care summit last week, President Obama has continued to try to rally House Democrats to vote for his health care overhaul. He wants the legislation approved by the Senate passed in December as a “first step” towards further improvements of the plan.
However, most U.S. voters (55%) would rather see Congress scrap the original plan and start all over again, according to the latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey.
Still, the president has made some progress among the public. Thirty-seven percent (37%) now think it would be better to build on the health care plan that has been working its way through the House and Senate as a starting point. That’s up from 28% in February.
Democrats, by a 66% to 25% margin, support building on the current plan making its way through Congress. Republicans overwhelmingly take the opposite view, with 85% who say it would be better the scrap the current plan and start over. Unaffiliated voters, by a nearly two-to-one margin, also favor starting over.
What does this mean to you? At this point, whatever you would like it to. It is likely to change anyway, and may or may not influence any real world political solution.
Wheelchair users in developing countries often have very unique needs that traditional wheelchairs are not able to accommodate.
Among these is the need to cover very mixed types of terrain. The wheelchair needs to be versatile enough to use both indoors and on the more rugged and challenging terrain found outdoors.
Amos G. Winter’s, a doctoral student in mechanical engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, came up with this new creation, the “leveraged freedom chair,” in hopes that it might ease those problems.
The Zenith Wheelchair is a concept wheelchair and is the brainchild of Mechanical Engineering Department at the UofA, designer Josefina Chaves-Posse.
As you can see, the Zenith Wheelchair has all terrain tracks for conquering the great outdoors. The concept also includes design elements that will allow it to climb curbs and stairs.
A very interesting concept indeed for a manual wheelchair. Since this is a concept wheelchair that has not been road tested yet, one nagging question may go unanswered for a while, how hard is it to propel?
It’s really amazing how the realization a few years back that people with disabilities are a viable commercial market has spawned so many new innovations.
The Rotary Kettle is a recent James Dyson Australian Design Award winner. It’s a great idea and so simplistic in theory that I wonder why I didn’t think of it? It is designed to aid those with limited hand function to safely and efficiently manage the brewing and pouring of tea ( a cup of which I could go for right now).
Very basically, instead of having to lift and pour from a hot kettle, the Rotary Kettle rotates and pivots within its base. The user does not have to lift, balance, and angle a hot brewer in mid-air with unsure hands.
The Rotary Kettle was designed by Adrian Lim, a student at the Swinburne University of Technology.
The Rotary Kettle is designed to cater for people with impaired hand strength and control, who struggle to operate tea kettles’ currently in the market – which require the pick-up and pour method of operation. It has been designed specifically through the Universal Design guidelines to reduce the effort needed during its operation, where all that is required is a simple rotation of the kettle body to pour boiled water. It makes boiled water accessible to people who suffer conditions such as, Osteoarthritis, Carpel Tunnel Syndrome, and RSI Injuries; but also holds qualities that attracts attention from the mainstream market.
For those of you not familiar with MS Views and News, it’s the brainchild of MS evangelist Stuart Schlossman and is his very effective way of bringing the Multiple Sclerosis community together.
From The Self Healing Coach:
“He was diagnosed with relapsing-remitting MS in December 1998, and after making it through a post-diagnosis depression, he felt he had to use his skill as a mouthpiece for others and put to work his strong desire to help those with symptoms worse than his own. And so he did.
In 2008, after years of being an active leader in the MS community, he founded MS Views and News, a website and non-profit organization dedicated to the global collection and distribution of current information concerning Multiple Sclerosis. In collaboration with other organizations, it uses state-of-the-art communication channels to provide information for those affected by or interested in MS.”
PENNSYLVANIA’S MOTORIZED WHEELCHAIR WARRANTY ACT is actually little known good news for powered wheelchair users in the State of Pennsylvania.
According to the Disability Rights Network of Pennsylvania the act protects individuals who have new motorized wheelchairs. This law gives you rights when there are problems with your new motorized wheelchair.
All new power wheelchairs sold in Pennsylvania or delivered to Pennsylvania residents from other states must have a one year warranty. This is regardless of the manufacturers warranty which may state a lesser warranty period. The warranty period applies to all new powered wheelchairs regardless of who made the purchase or funded it. This applies to powered wheelchairs purchased privately or by funders such as Medicare, Medicaid, and insurers. The law requires that you be given a written copy of this warranty.
A one year warranty is nice but what services does it include? Good question! Here is what the package mandates- The manufacturer must try to repair your motorized wheelchair for free during the one-
year warranty period if:
There is a problem with the motorized wheelchair, called a “nonconformity,” that is
covered by the written warranty. A “nonconformity” means that the motorized
wheelchair has a condition or defect that makes the wheelchair not usable, not safe, or
worth little money. It is not a “nonconformity” if you abused or neglected the wheelchair
or if you made changes to the wheelchair yourself without permission.
You report the problem with your motorized wheelchair to the manufacturer or
authorized wheelchair dealer before one year after the date that the motorized
wheelchair was first delivered to you. You should put this in a letter with the date
and keep a copy of this letter for yourself.
You make the motorized wheelchair available to the manufacturer or to the
authorized wheelchair dealer for repair before one year after the date that the motorized
wheelchair was first delivered to you. Again, do things in writing so that you have documentation if or when needed.
In any of the above instances, the manufacturer or dealer must repair the wheelchair for free. You can also request a free loaner wheelchair while your wheelchair is being repaired.
If the manufacturer or dealer is unable fix your power wheelchair after four attempts for the same problem, or if you cannot use your wheelchair for a total of 30 days in the one year period, then you may have other rights:
You can offer to return the wheelchair back to the manufacturer
No later than thirty (30) days after your offer to return your motorized wheelchair, the
manufacturer must:
Accept return of your motorized wheelchair and replace it with a new motorized
wheelchair that is as good as the original motorized wheelchair plus refund to you any
money that you had to spend to enforce these rights,
OR
Give you a full refund minus a reasonable amount of money for using the wheelchair (if
Medicare, Medical Assistance, or private health insurance paid for part of the
wheelchair, the manufacturer must return the money to the insurance company and also
refund your copay to you).
What if you need help?
If you need more information or need help, please contact the intake unit of the
Disability Rights Network of Pennsylvania (DRN) at 800-692-7443 (voice) or 877-375-
7139 (TDD). Their email address is: intake@drnpa.org.
A wrong wheelchair or an inappropriate wheelchair is often not just luck of the draw. Wrong wheelchairs can be made to happen or can be forced to happen.
A wheelchair that disappointments, creates more problems than it solves, and in general moves the user backwards instead of forwards in their quest for mobility and independence is a bad investment for everyone.
Most wheelchair users, regardless of how they get their wheelchair, purchased out-of-pocket or funded (Medicare, Medicaid, insurance), have very limited opportunities to get a new wheelchair or to swap out a bummer. Most self funded wheelchair users can’t afford to flip for a new wheelchair if the one their butt is in is wrong, and sure as hell the funders don’t want to hear it. So if it is wrong, it is going to stay wrong and do some serious damage for quite some time.
There are many ways that this situation can come about but there is one way it should never come about. The top decision maker in the process, the clinical last word, the physician, should never be the one turning the independence table over on a patient.
The following excerpts below are from a recent discussion regarding such a case. The wheelchair user and family were steered in the right direction- They went to rehab specialists to get an evaluation for a new wheelchair. A thorough evaluation was done, specific recommendations were made for a Medicare funded powered wheelchair, the doctors approval was needed to frost the cake, and then…
Here are some excerpts from comments by the therapist, “Jodie” Kitty J. Stogner, PT, ATP, (an ATP credentialed rehab specialist) who is involved in this situation. You can decide for yourself on the ethics and outcome of this:
“Received a call regarding an evaluation I performed for a CVA pt. via referral from the pt’s home health agency. I had recommended a chair with tilt and some seating components. Custom vendor sends it to the doctor for signature….doctor will not sign saying he only uses vendor XYZ…XYZ not credentialed to do rehab.”
“I’ve informed the family that their doctor will not sign to allow the rehab vendor to proceed with the chair that she was recommended after the eval and that if they choose to accept the lesser chair delivered that there was nothing more I could do.”
“There is another doc, but if they sign for the low end chair when it’s delivered tomorrow then what’s the use- sweet family that just doesn’t want to go against their doc and cause waves . What gets me THE most is most pts when asked about a vendor choice say they don’t have a preference…this lady specifically asked for this vendor (the rehab vendor) then was instructed by their doctor to”hang up” on them if they tried to contact her to allow the vendor that, in the doctor’s own words, “he has a personal relationship with” to deliver a lesser chair”
Form your own opinion, but in any event you are going to hear mine.
I have been involved with dozens of wheelchair evaluation clinics and have been a player in thousands of evaluations. From these experiences there is one thing I can tell you with complete certainty- Wheelchair users who undergo an evaluation by experienced, trained, and credentialed therapists and suppliers are much more likely to end up as winners! Obtaining a thorough evaluation is the best investment one can make in the new wheelchair process.
To think that a doctor would jeopardize a patient by insisting that a patient deal only with a lesser qualified supplier that the doctor has a “relationship” with, and to accept a lesser and ill configured wheelchair, is an outrage. It reeks of ethical impropriety and personal monetary gain. Ya, you know, kick-back, payola, pay-off.
But what of the patient, and what of the cost, not only in dollars but in lost function, lost mobility, lost independence, and the potential loss to society by marginalizing it’s players?
You know what they say- If it smells like fish it probably is fish. And this deal smells about as fishy as a wharf in August.
That’s right! Being a person with a disability doesn’t mean that you have to forsake fun and fashion when it comes to clothing.
Thankfully, we are seeing more and more adaptive apparel makers who are moving the inclusion cause forward by designing and manufacturing clothes for people with disabilities that are COOL instead of institutional and humdrum.
Ross Daniel Adaptive Apparel is one of those companies. Their initial offering are stylish socks for kids and adults who wear AFO’s (ankle foot orthoses/below knee braces). Sounds cool because it is cool, and it’s a niche that has to date gone unfilled.
Susan Kleiman is the innovator who came up with the product. The concept for the socks was a result of her real world experiences with her own son who was born 11 weeks prematurely with multiple complications resulting from a lack of oxygen in utero.
It doesn’t end! The old debate of “is standing beneficial” for people with paralysis and spinal cord injuries. These debates invariably lead to discussions on the benefits of standers, or sit to stand technology, standing frames, et al.
I have been around assistive technology for, hell, I hate to admit, over thirty years. The debate was around when I first came onto the scene and it’s still around today. I’m going to make this easy on everyone who is scratching their heads on this issue- Yes, it’s been proven! Standers work, medically, physiologically, emotionally, functionally, developmentally, and are cost efficient compared to ongoing in-clinic based therapy.
Even more important- The scores of standing device users I have known over the years have universally confirmed that they have benefited from use of a standing device. OK, so users get it and understand the advantages, but what about others, doctors who we call on to prescribe one, therapists who we need to recommend one, funders who need to be convinced that there is benefit from use of one? That’s a matter of educating those people. And that’s your job! Check out the wealth of information on the Altimate Medical site.
The majority of clinicians have very little understanding about these devices. Why? Because the average physician or therapist has very little contact with the population that would utilize and benefit from use of a stander. Funders on the other hand are almost clueless except for rhetoric contained in their coverage policies and manuals.
Getting the message across means doing your homework. Bone up on it, know more than the people you approach, and don’t be shy. Grab up literature on the benefits of standing and quote it, pass it along to your care providers and to your funders. Get your funding strategy together and make your case so clear that it will command the ascent of all those involved. And by all means make your job easier by hooking up with doctors and therapists who have seen it and done it before.
Looking for a place to start your standing information hunt? Check out this page on the Altimate Medical website. It’s loaded with information and a great starting place.
Argo Medical Technologies Ltd. does far more than restore mobility to people with severe walking impairments. By enabling wheelchair users to stand, walk, and climb stairs, we restore dignity, health, inclusion, and self-esteem.
ReWalk™ is a wearable, motorized quasi robotic suit. Partially concealable under clothing, ReWalk provides user-initiated mobility – leveraging advanced motion sensors, sophisticated robotic control algorithms, on-board computers, real-time software, actuation motors, tailored rechargeable batteries and composite materials.
For those interested, here are the requirements as stated by the manufacturer:
