Wheelchair Tip: Make Sure You Have the Correct Custom Wheelchair Measurements | How I Roll

by Jacob

More often than not I see people disabled in manual wheelchairs who have their wheelchair measurements set-up all wrong. Sometimes their wheelchair is much too wide for their body structure. Sometimes they don’t have the back axle centered correctly for optimal balance given their size, weight, and disability level. Or, sometimes they could simply be in a more active type/style of custom manual wheelchair. Of all the wheelchair measurement mistakes I see, there is one that absolutely stands out the most. It bothers me to no end seeing a wheelchair’s back wheels higher than waist-level of the person sitting in it. What these people don’t understand is the higher those back wheels go the higher they’ll have to reach with each push. Also, the higher you reach to grab the wheel rail the more your triceps will be stretched, making each push more difficult.

I suggest you keep the highest point of your back wheels within 2 inches of your waist-line for optimal pushing efficiency.

I met a guy last week who’s been paralyzed in a wheelchair for the past 4 years. He had his 4 year anniversary a day prior to us meeting. His back wheels were at least 5 inches higher than his waist-line. He had asked me a couple questions about my Tilite. Somehow in my mind his questions gave me full permission to voice an opinion on his back wheel height measurement. He thanked me for the input, telling me he’d never thought about it before. I’m not sure if ever updated his wheelchair, or if he still rolls around with his elbows pointed back and up to the air. The point is, this kid had been given a wheelchair by whatever hospital he happened to be inpatient at, and they measured him entirely incorrect. 4 years later this kid is still using the same incorrectly measured wheelchair, under the false impression that the extra effort he puts into pushing himself around each day is normal.

Sure, being confined to a wheelchair is disabling. But being confined to a wheelchair that’s measured incorrectly is highly disabling. I’m not suggesting you buy a new wheelchair tomorrow, but it’s definitely something to think about when wheelchair renewal time comes around.

Delta Airlines Fined Record Amount for Mistreatment of Travelers with Disabilities | Wheelchair Accessibility Blog and Disability News

Image via Wikipedia
Delta Airlines was fined a record $2 million by the US Department of Transportation for not following federal rules regarding accommodating air travelers with disabilities, including lack of accommodations for boarding and exiting airplanes as well as not responding to complaints in an appropriate time frame. A portion of the fines will be paid directly to the Dept. of Transportation for violating federal statues, while the rest are to be used by Delta to raise awareness within the company and improve their services for disabled passengers.
More

Mobility Counseling: Principles and Core Components

Drs. Tom Meuser and Marla Berg-Weger discuss their recent, NCST funded research on readiness for driving transitions, including the principles and core components of mobility counseling, in a free audio conference. Dr. Berg-Weger, co-chair of the Gerontological Society of America’s Transportation and Aging Interest Group summarizes, “Mobility counseling is a new and growing area as persons living into their eighth and ninth decades of life will likely need to retire from driving and find alternative means of remaining mobile. A person-centered approach to mobility counseling that integrates meanings and emotions is an important first step.”

This conference will also introduce the Assessment of Readiness for Mobility Transition tool developed to assist practitioners working with older adults who can no longer drive a vehicle safely. Through the use of this tool, a mobility counselor can develop a shared understanding of what is occurring and finds ways to intervene to promote effective planning for the future and possible transitions. The ARMT tool is designed to support this process by raising key concerns about mobility (i.e., those expressed by other adults of various ages and levels of functional ability) and by placing those concerns on the table for active discussion and planning. Responses will help inform mobility counselors as to what approaches and messages would be more likely to resonate with individuals.

Moderators

• Lucinda Shannon, National Center on Senior Transportation

Presenters

• Dr. Tom Meuser, PhD, University of Missouri
• Marla Berg-Weger, PhD, LCSW, Saint Louis University

Join us for this free audio conference! Please register by clicking on the button labeled "Sign Me Up"

Dial-in instructions will be in your registration confirmation email.

If you'd like to attend this event you must RSVP online by Wednesday February 23.
Learn more about the Assessment of Readiness for Mobility Transition project.

If you have comments or questions please contact Lucinda Shannon at lshannon@easterseals.com.

Note: The time listed is Eastern Time.
Date: Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Time: 1:00 PM - 2:30 PM

If you'd like to attend this event you can RSVP online.

Once you have reservations, you can still click Sign Me Up to increase or decrease the number of people in your party (subject to availability).

National Center on Senior Transportation:

How To: Wheelchairs and Escalators… A Love Story. | How I Roll

by Jacob

The “ADA” expressly excludes escalators as “accessible means of egress”… I say screw that… it’s a fantastic means of “egress”!

I’ve met many people in wheelchairs who are physically able to ride an escalator, yet never make an attempt. This bothers me, for them…. They became paralyzed and see themselves as disabled, which means they can’t do things. Well much of this “disability” is self-inflicted. I encourage people in wheelchairs to venture out of their comfort zone and attempt things that make them anxious and nervous. They say “Well why would I do that if it makes me nervous and afraid?!”. To which I reply “I bet you $56 you try it 100 times and it won’t make you feel nervous or afraid, it’ll just feel normal… And there’s nothing disabled about something feeling normal”.

I know what you’re thinking… If a person is paralyzed a wheelchair why on earth would they use an escalator, especially if there’s a perfectly good elevator “over there”?!! Well, I have a reasonable and logical answer.. Lets say I want to go to the second floor of a shopping mall and the elevator is 50 meters away. I then notice an escalator 3 meters away, which happens to be going directly where I want to be. In a wheelchair or standing on 2 feet, if an escalator is closer than the elevator, it would logically make sense to utilize it, assuming you’re capable of doing so. Don’t get it twisted, I’m not suggesting you roll up and down every escalator you see just to get a reaction out of the people around you. But if the only thing between you and the place you’d like to be is an escalator, don’t go looking for the elevator!

Full Article

Military Technology Helps Wheelchairs Detect Hazardous Terrain | Wheelchair Accessibility Blog and Disability News

by Destiny

Researchers are working on developing a wheelchair that can detect hazardous terrain and self adjust its settings to move more smoothly and safely over different types of landscapes. The new technology helps electric wheelchair users avoid accidents involving wheels slipping, sinking, or tipping over.

The idea originated from automatic terrain-sensing controls for unmanned military vehicles and multiple four-wheel-drive automobiles that are already on the market. Emmanuel Collins from Florida State’s Center for Intelligent Systems stated that the device is known as a laser line striper and is used to recognize different terrain conditions.

Full Article

Trained Capuchin Monkeys Assist People with Disabilities | Wheelchair Accessibility Blog and Disability News

by Destiny in the Disability News

Specifically trained Capuchin Monkeys are used as aids for people who are physically disabled. They are specially trained to help with housework that might be difficult for a person with disabilities such as removing garbage, fetching the telephone, or switching on the microwave. The Capuchin monkey has small hands with slim fingers making it quite easy to open bottles, grab the telephone, and many other useful tasks. They can also be cute little buddies that help avoid loneliness by providing their companionship.

Continue Reading

Treating the Loss of Muscle, or Sarcopenia, of Aging - NYTimes.com

Image via CrunchBaseby Toby Bilanow

Loss of muscle mass affects about 10 percent of men and women over 60 and is a major reason the elderly lose mobility and cannot live independently, researchers say. Now they are looking for ways to prevent or reverse the condition. As Andrew Pollack of The New York Times writes:
Continue Reading

Related articles by Zemanta

• Aging and Muscle Loss - Why Can't We Be Like Bears? (lockergnome.com)
• Stop Looking for the "Gentleman's C" of Exercise (malepatternfitness.com)
• Muscle Loss a Big Problem for Seniors (patspapers.com)
• Exercise, calorie restrictions can rejuvenate older synapses (biosingularity.wordpress.com)

Access To Medical Care For Individuals With Mobility Disabilities

Image via Wikipedia

The Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Justice have developed guidance on accessibility to medical care for individuals with mobility impairments. Below is the table of contents from the document.

Accessibility of doctors’ offices, clinics, and other health care providers is essential in providing medical care to people with disabilities. Due to barriers, individuals with disabilities are less likely to get routine preventative medical care than people without disabilities. Accessibility is not only legally required, it is important medically so that minor problems can be detected and treated before turning into major and possibly life-threatening problems.

The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) is a federal civil rights law that prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities in every day activities, including medical services. Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (Section 504) is a civil rights law that prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities on the basis of their disability in programs or activities that receive federal financial assistance, including health programs and services. These statutes require medical care providers to make their services available in an accessible manner.

This technical assistance publication provides guidance for medical care providers on the requirements of these statutes in medical settings with respect to people with mobility disabilities, which include, for example, those who use wheelchairs, scooters, walkers, crutches, or no mobility devices at all individuals with disabilities are generally the same as those required under Section 504.


Table of Contents

PART I: OVERVIEW AND GENERAL REQUIREMENTS
PART 2: COMMONLY ASKED QUESTIONS
PART 3: ACCESSIBLE EXAMINATION ROOMS
PART 4: ACCESSIBLE MEDICAL EQUIPMENT

	Read/Download Mobility Impairments Guidance

Increasing Quality of Life Through Community Mobility

by Brittany Wright

Community ambulation, or the ability to conduct outdoor activities necessary for living independently, is a major contributor to quality of life for older adults. For many, being able to complete daily tasks and to participate in society are integral for feeling satisfied and successful. Due to the importance of community ambulation in the lives of older adults, this new study conducted participant interviews to better understand how to make acting independently possible for more individuals.

Continue Reading

Testosterone Gel Linked to Risk of MI and Stroke from MedPage Today

By Joyce Frieden, News Editor, MedPage Today

Applying topical testosterone appears to raise the risk of cardiovascular events including myocardial infarction, atrial fibrillation, and stroke in older men with limited mobility, a study has found.

Compared with men who had lower levels of circulating testosterone, men with testosterone levels in the highest quartile more than doubled their risk of cardiovascular events, (HR 2.4; P=0.05), wrote Shalender Bhasin, MD, of Boston University, and colleagues in a study published online June 30 by the New England Journal of Medicine.

"Testosterone gel ... was associated with a greater frequency of adverse events, particularly cardiovascular, respiratory, and dermatologic events," the authors wrote. "The divergence between the [testosterone gel and placebo gel] groups in the incidence of cardiovascular adverse events was maintained over the six-month intervention period and did not diminish during the three-month observation phase that followed the intervention period."

The pattern of adverse cardiovascular events associated with testosterone therapy was considered by the data and safety monitoring board to be of sufficient concern to warrant termination of the trial before the target number of 252 patients had been enrolled.

Testosterone did, however, increase strength and improve mobility -- the primary endpoint of the trial. The men randomized to transdermal testosterone improved leg and chest press strength and improved stair-climbing power while carrying a load compared with controls.

Continue Reading

===========================================

Related articles by Zemanta

• Adverse Cardiovascular Events Reported in Testosterone Trial in Older Men (physorg.com)
• Auxilium Testosterone Gel Linked to Heart Problems in Older Men (businessweek.com)
• Adverse Cardiovascular Events Reported in Testosterone Trial in Older Men (nlm.nih.gov)
• Higher testosterone may raise risk of heart disease in elderly men (scienceblog.com)

Major Grant Puts Wake Forest In Lead Role On Study About Mobility Disability In Older Adults

Image via Wikipedia

(Medical News Today) Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center, together with Wake Forest University, will play a key role in a new study that seeks to determine whether a program of structured physical activity can prevent or delay major mobility disabilities in older adults.

The six-year study, called the Lifestyle Interventions and Independence for Elders, or LIFE, will be the largest study to date that looks at ways to prevent mobility disability in seniors. When completed, funding for the project is expected to total more than $60 million from the National Institute on Aging (NIA), including $29.5 million in federal stimulus funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

Continue Reading