SUMMIT TO

TORQUE ABOUT

Training
Occupational Health & Safety
Relationship Building              
Quick Response
Understanding and Problem Solving
Extensive Quality Products

In This Issue:

Welcome Handi-Move Body Support & Ceiling Track System Case Study – Bill Receives the Gift of Independence Did You Know? Manual Handling – Hoists and Slings From The Therapist’s Corner Mark’s Maintenance Tips Humour In Our Next Issue - Floor Level Beds, Falls Prevention Strategies, and Entrapment Hazards

Welcome:

Welcome to the 2nd issue of ‘Summit To Torque About’. I have received terrific feedback from readers of our inaugural issue, so thank you. Remember, subscription is totally FREE – subscribe now at www.summitrehab.com.au. SPAM ACT regulations require us to ask you to ‘opt-in’ by confirming your subscription. It appears that a regular newsletter outlining innovations in rehabilitation and mobility services, new products and time-saving tips is welcome in the industry. Please feel free to contact me with any suggestions for stories or products you’d like to know more about. My direct e-mail is ashley@summitrehab.com.au

For those who missed the first issue, Summit Rehabilitation is a South Australian owned supplier of medical, mobility and rehabilitation equipment. We pride ourselves on supporting local manufacturers to produce quality products.

Summit Rehab is the exclusive National Distributor of Handi–Move, a 21st century European designed, practical and innovative approach to safe patient handling; a real coup for South Australia. The Handi-Move Body Support System, with a SWL of 182kg, is a safe and hygienic system offering a higher level of independence for people with disabilities that they may have experienced before.

Please read our feature case study on Bill Kerr in this issue.

After Sales Service and Support Guaranteed: To ensure the highest levels of health and safety for your staff and residents, Summit Rehabilitation promotes Occupational Health, Safety & Welfare practices ensuring our staff are up-to-date with the latest manual handling techniques and products. You will benefit from the years of experience provided by our dedicated staff in Rehabilitation Sales and Service. Ask for a personal presentation of the latest products to help you with mobility, rehabilitation and manual handling.

Whilst we will happily come to you, you are also invited to visit our state-of-the-art facility at
17 Lindsay Avenue, Edwardstown, and experience products in our extensive showroom.  Our friendly staff will always welcome you. Please feel free to contact me at any time on ashley@summitrehab.com.au or phone (08) 8276 1300.
Best wishes, Ashley Rains, Managing Director

Handi-Move Body Support and Ceiling Track System

Handi-Move is suitable for schools & day programs, hospitals, long term care, recreational pursuits, such as horse riding, and for swim therapy. Handi-Move provides a solution that offers freedom and quality of life for all. With the Handi-Move Body support and ceiling track system, some users can transfer themselves between bed, bath and toilet with little or no assistance.

Imagine the safety and security of being lifted by a strong pair of hands, the way a mother lifts her child; that’s how the body support feels. The upper body is supported by the padded cups (hands) while the thighs are supported by the strong supports that go under each thigh. As the person is lifted, the curve-around cups automatically self-adjust to their exact size and weight. 

The waistband and buttocks are unobstructed making toileting and changing clothes possible while the user is suspended. Self-transferring, swim therapy, hippotherapy and attendant transfers are all easily possible with this innovative device.

Some comments by users of the Handi-Move Body Support.

• Given them back their life.
• Feels like a bird that has been let out of a cage.
• Safe and easy transfer promoting sense of independence, confidence and empowerment.

Summit Rehabilitation focuses on enhancing and recognizing the value of participation, through technology, of people with disabilities and those who are ageing.  Many hospitals are implementing minimal manual lift programs.  A variety of lift systems and accessories are necessary to meet these requirements.  For instance, a Handi-Move wall lift may be ideal for lifting onto the X-ray or operating table where mobile hoists or ceiling tracks systems are not possible.  A portable motor may be ideal and economical for patient rooms.

The full Handi-Move range is on display at the Summit Rehabilitation Showroom, 17 Lindsay Ave, Edwardstown or view www.handimove.com. Please call us on (08) 8276 1300 or request a sales call at sales@summitrehab.com.au

Handi-Move Body Support System

The Gift of Independence

Bill Kerr is a 69 year-old gentleman who has Charcot Marie Tooth Syndrome.  This syndrome is an inherited neurological disorder that is characterised by muscle atrophy and loss of sensation, predominantly in the feet and legs. In Bill’s case, it also affects his hands and chest muscles.  Bill’s breathing is affected by the condition, and his diaphragm no longer works. 

Bill lives alone, is not able to walk, and currently mobilises with a manual wheelchair inside the home and an electric scooter within the community.  When I first starting working with Bill in April 2008, he was independent in all of his transfers, but having at least one fall per month due to the reduced strength in his upper body and the nature of his transfers.  Bill’s condition was also deteriorating and he was becoming weaker.  Bill would often conduct his toileting transfers out of ‘normal’ hours, either late at night or very early in the morning, and therefore did not have support workers for assistance.  

Bill’s bed-to-commode transfers were often unsuccessful as, at times, the slide board would move and cover the hole in the commode chair.  He would then be suspended between the bed and the commode, and would then have to transfer back to the bed, re-position the slide board, and commence the transfer again; all of which affected his strength and confidence.

To transfer from bed-to-wheelchair, Bill would use a walking frame to launch himself forward (locking his knees) to get into an upright position.  He would then pivot himself into the wheelchair.  This transfer was very scary to watch, as there was a real possibility of Bill going over the top of the frame. When Bill completed this transfer in reverse towards the end of the day, he often had no strength left to get into an upright position on the walking frame.  As a result, Bill would often sleep in his wheelchair, as he could not make it back to bed safely. He would either attempt this transfer after several hours sleep (it could be 1.00am or 2.00am) or he would sleep in the wheelchair overnight. 

Due to the irregular hours of Bill’s transfers, the use of a standard sling and hoist transfer was not appropriate due to the absence of a carer. Whilst Bill was eligible for an EACH package under ACAT’s guidelines, the extra care hours would still not meet Bill’s needs due his irregular transfer hours.  If a solution was not found for Bill’s transfers he would have no choice but to be placed in a nursing home, and this would have been very detrimental to his health.  The cost for Bill to be placed in high-level nursing home care would be in the vicinity of $48,000 a year.  This was not including various other small costs associated with nursing home placement.  Bill’s physical and mental health would have declined very rapidly if placed in a nursing home, as he is very cognitively aware, very social, and is an active member within his local community.  Bill was very fearful of losing his independence and control over his life.

To enable Bill to remain at home, he required transfer equipment that he could operate independently.  Bill was able to briefly trial the Handi-Move Body Support system on a mobile hoist at our local seating clinic.  From this very brief trial, and from many discussions with Bill, it was concluded that the hoisting system would work well for Bill, as it would solve his independent transfer needs.  There was, however, the issue of distance between the supplier, Summit Rehabilitation in Adelaide, and ourselves in Darwin – although good communication (phone and email) helped to ease the distance.
Measurements and pictures were taken of Bill’s bedroom in June 2008 (where the Handi-Move was to be installed) and emailed to Summit Rehab.  We had quickly concluded that a mobile or fixed wall hoist was not suitable for Bill due to the limited space in his bedroom and the inability to change the bedroom configuration.  When we had decided that we would use the Handi-Move on a ceiling track, we then had the added complication of Bill’s cathedral ceiling.  To install the ceiling track we had to ensure that it would not be in the way of the ceiling fan and the light.  We also had to position the ceiling track so that the Handi-Move was positioned above Bill’s bed.  Due to the cathedral ceiling, we had to consider whether there was sufficient height between the bed and the Handi-Move system to ensure good height for transfers. 

During this problem-solving process, I also had to screen and source a local builder who was willing to install the Handi-Move system.  As this system had not been installed in Australia at that time, it was important that the builder had good communication skills, and was able to liaise directly with Bill and with Summit Rehab to ensure a good outcome.  It was fortunate that one particular builder agreed to install it, and he advised that he took it on because it was a challenge (and because I was so persistent!).
 
The Handi-Move system was funded and ordered by our local government-funded equipment scheme, whilst Bill paid the installation costs direct to the Builder.  After the Handi-Move system was ordered, we were advised that Bill would most likely receive the system in mid December 2008 (which was a 10-week wait from date of order, as it had to be freighted by ship from Belgium).  At this point, Bill was unsure if the safety of his transfers would continue as his condition had deteriorated further, and he was becoming much weaker in his upper body.  After much discussion between myself, our funding scheme and Summit Rehab, it was agreed that we would pay additional freight costs to air-freight the Handi-Move system from Belgium to Australia, rather than freighting it by sea.  This meant that we could receive the Handi-Move in Darwin approximately 10 days after manufacture, rather than wait 10 weeks.

Bill’s Handi-Move system was eventually installed at the end of October 2008.   He received the lateral motor (meaning that he can use a remote control to call the unit to him, or send it away when not in use), the body and thigh supports and the ceiling track.  With the Handi-Move system Bill can now position his commode chair and wheelchair anywhere along the tracking system.  He is able to independently operate the hoisting system with the remote control, and to apply the body and thigh supports.  Having this system has significantly reduced the amount of strength that Bill requires for transfers and, more importantly, it has meant that he has been able to stay in his own home and to continue to have control over his life.

The Handi-Move Body Support system has been wonderful for Bill.  I caught up with him yesterday and he said that he was able to complete a transfer to the toilet in 7 minutes, rather than the 20 minutes it normally took.  These days, he does not become fearful and anxious every time he has to transfer and can enjoy the finer things in life.  To sum up Bill’s experience of Handi-Move – “Brilliant”.

Dione Brockwell
Occupational Therapist
Community Adult Health Team
Darwin

Therapist’s Corner  

	Manual handling has changed over the last five years …

NOW we	THEN we
talk about transferring	talked about lifting
use our body weight to slide and transfer	used to lift with firm blue straps
use a 2m slide sheet	used a 1.5m slide sheet
lower the bed to be able to use a semi squat	raise the bed
use a semi-squat position	bent down and over extended our knees
put our feet in the right position for the move	put our feet in line with our shoulders
stick out our bottom	hoped our back was straight
say ‘Ready, GO’	used to say ‘1, 2, 3 lift’ or was that 1,2 and lift
do not put our own safety at risk	risked everything for the client/resident
expect to know ‘why’	acted without knowledge
assess, plan, implement and evaluate	did as we were told!

NOW we think!

 

Did you know?       

MANUAL HANDLING             Back injuries account for 50% of all work related claims at a cost of 1.4 billion dollars a year. So, before you perform your next lift……

1. THINK A BIT – Can I do this more easily or in a better position?
2. DO I NEED A MATE – Should I get someone to help me or use a hoist?
3. BEND YOUR KNEES
4. KEEP IT STRAIGHT- Keep your lower back as straight as you can when you lift with your knees becoming straighter as you go up.

 

EQUIPMENT THAT CAN REDUCE INJURIES IN THE WORKPLACE

• Ergonomically designed equipment
• Height adjustable chairs
• Electric Beds
• Mobile hoists/ ceiling track systems
• Walking Belts
• Transfer Boards
• Slide Sheets
• Variety of trolleys
• Replacement/redesign of trolley wheels
• TRAINING IN THE CORRECT USE OF THE ABOVE IS CRITICAL

 

MAINTENANCE/SAFETY INFORMATION

Safe use of Hoists and Slings

• Hoists should be thoroughly examined every 6 months.
• Patient slings to be used with a hoist should be examined.
• Prior to each use the staff using the equipment should examine and detect any visible defects or signs of weakness.

Areas to be checked

• All material/stitching and seams free of tears/fraying.
• Straps free of tears or fraying.
• Plastic back supports free of any cracks/breaks.

Notes to remember

• All slings should have a unique identification mark.
• Visual checks should be made prior to each activity.
• The correct slings must be used for each hoist.
• Faulty slings must be taken out of service immediately and a replacement obtained.

Please contact Summit Rehabilitation for comprehensive sling advice and responsive action to your sling and manual handling needs. Ask us for your own copy of a prepared Facility Sling Check List. Please call (08) 8276 1300 or e-mail  sales@summitrehab.com.au

 

Mark’s Maintenance Tips

Use a draw sling bag to wash slings. This will prolong the life of the sling and prevent damage occurring during washing. Sling Wash Bags are available from Summit Rehabilitation. Please contact us on (08) 8276 1300 or e-mail sales@summitrehab.com.au

Humour

	Noel Swan is the Summit Rehabilitation approved Handi-Move national installer and avid fundraiser for Variety Club, The Children’s Charity. For a recent South Australian fundraising event, Noel shaved off half the hair on his head and face – literally. He’s now the two-faced man; but it was for a very good cause.

Feedback

At Summit Rehabilitation, we take pride in sharing information with you. If you have some information that you would like to share please send it to ashley@summitrehab.com.au and we will include your contribution in a following issue.

In Our Next Issue

• Floor Level Beds
• Falls Prevention Strategies
• Entrapment Hazards