In recent times, Sunrise Medical, Pride Mobility Products and Invacare have all made these simple improvements and adjustments to their wheelchair designs. This is done in an effort to make the wheelchairs easier and significantly cheaper to maintain, a service provided by clinicians and medical providers.

"In this environment, the lifecycle cost of the product is almost more important than the actual acquisition cost," said Brian Ellacott, vice president and general manager of Invacare North American Commercial Operations. "Serviceability is key."

Thanks to a recent surge in service costs, service calls now cost from 80 dollars to 200 dollars a visit and providers are not seeing the same reimbursements of years past. This explains why clinicians and therefore manufacturers wish to cut down on the number of service visits and want to make them as quick as possible if they must occur.

Manufacturers have also begun to incorporate common parts that work for a variety of product lines in an effort to make the service calls even easier and cheaper. Additionally, they have dedicated a lot of time and effort to creating products that require very few tools to maintain and repair.

"We spend considerable time with techs and ATPs, and in rehab facilities to find out what the pain points are," said Brent Hatch, director of product management, adult manual, for Sunrise Medical.

Manufacturers have even started working to develop products that are able to undergo repairs with the user still sitting in the chair. This is particularly great for the more complex wheelchairs.

"They don't have to take the positioning system off and they don't have to get a person who's in a chair all day out of that chair," said Ted Raquet, senior vice president of domestic sales for Pride Mobility Products.

Life Style
A passive lifestyle is to retreat. Live an energetic lifestyle full of social interaction and activities that allow you brain to breathe. Try new weapons. Read, do puzzles, participate in a lively argument, write, draw, get your brain firing.

Exercise
Do not wait for the enemy to catch you. Your brain and your body work together. Build muscle as well as brain cells. Attack your activities with energy, the more activity, the more your brain works. Think of it as fighting off memory loss with every step or stretch.

Nutrition
Why let your troops wither from hunger? Feed them nutritious foods throughout the day. Healthy snacks and fluids keep your brain and muscle from drying out. Do not be afraid to chew and let the taste of your food awake your taste buds. Grocery shop for brain nutrition.

Kill Stress
Make a list of what stresses you. Plan to proceed each day without those activities. Deep breathing, relaxation exercises, soft music or silence can heighten your calm. Remember that your pet can be a soldier in your battle with anxiety.

Shoot for ways to prevent problems and prolong your memory. Enjoy your family times and ties.

The conference starts with the presentations by Dr. Nick Hill and Dr. Barry Make. They are the conference co-directors and their presentations talked about the current issues and the obstacles of LTOT. It was shown that clinicians had not been very involved in the assessment, treatment and follow up of LTOT patients. This lack of attention ended up costing a lot of complications and hospitalizations of the patients.

As presented by Dr. Hill, the primary goal of LTOT is to keep the patients' oxygen levels at or above the accepted standards at all activity levels. As the result of the lack of attention to detail, this leads to complications when the main point of LTOT is to prevent these complications from happening.

Dean Hess PhD RRT then presented a review of the literature for LTOT. The literature review concluded that the oxygen therapy is effective, yet most of the studies being conducted were in a hospital setting with traditional continuous flow products. This contradicts with the new products being used today. Hence, the research data does not justify the effectiveness of the new products being used today.

Next, an overview on the availability of home oxygen systems are being presented by Dr. James Stoller. The new products, with a lower purity, intermittent flow delivery and patient varying respiratory patterns requires a more hands-on approach from the clinicians in caring for the patients receiving oxygen in the home.

Dr. Rich Casaburi brought up a thought-provoking question. The question being whether or not a patient could be adequately oxygenated 24 hours a day. This is not a reality yet, but is a possibility.

A new model that focuses on patient's oxygenation with the goal of overall reduction in costs are being presented by Dan Easley and Kim Wiles RRT. The data from their research presents a sounding objective reason for which hospitals should participate with home care providers in reducing re-admission of the patients currently on LTOT.

Hence, an overall recap of the conference dealt with the issues surrounding LTOT patients and steps that need to be taken by both clinicians and health care specialists in ensuring the clinical effectiveness of LTOT.

The world might soon become wheelchair-free as more and more once-immobile patients regain their mobility using Bionic Suits. Seniors, as well as any patient in need of full mobility, can access the advanced technology that will give them independence.

Self-sufficiency might soon become the norm for seniors and those with limited mobility who seek independence.

Although Bionic Suits require the wearer be able to support their own upper body, the next generation of Exoskeleton Suits will allow more patients around the world to experience the joys of full movement. As technology continues to move forward, so will out ability to utilize this wonderful technology.

Cold therapy reduces inflammation, a major cause of the joint pain and stiffness of arthritis. Placing a cold pack on a swollen joint can also help bring down swelling, which will reduce pain.

Hot and cold therapies have individual uses. You should never apply heat to a joint that is already hot, red, and irritated.  You should never apply cold to a joint that's stiff and immobile. Remember that heat relaxes; cold minimizes swelling.

Also, be careful when using hot and cold therapy to manage arthritis pain, because the extreme temperatures can cause skin irritation or damage.

Here are suggestions for safely using heat therapy devices:

• You don't want to burn yourself, so don't make your heat application too hot.
• To prevent burns, place a cloth between the warming source and your skin.
• Never apply heat to injured skin.
• Never apply anything hot to your skin for longer than 20 minutes.

Here are suggestions for safely using cold therapy devices:

• To prevent irritation or damage, place a cloth between the cooling source and your skin.
• If you have circulatory problems, avoid cold therapy.
• Never apply anything cold or frozen to your skin for longer than 20 minutes.
• Remove the cold source immediately if you notice any irregularities on your skin.

After using heat or cold therapy, always look at your skin for any signs of damage like a rash, blisters, or a change in color. Arthritis can be effectively managed by hot and cold therapy, as long as they are both used correctly.

As stated by the AAC-RERC (Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center on Communication Enhancement): “Mobile technologies offer a broad spectrum of communication operations as well as other functions.  Not only have the devices themselves become smaller and multi-functional, but also the number of communications apps and tablet platforms is increasing more rapidly than AAC hardware or software ever did.  At this writing, there are easily a hundred or more apps that can meet the needs of some individuals with Complex Communication Needs.”

You may be wondering what some of the benefits are of making use of mobile devices or tablets that use more cost effective apps as a system of communication.  There are several benefits.  Apps are typically of low cost and can be downloaded in a simple and easy manner.  The AAC is not longer a mysterious function; it has been “normalized” so the average user is not confused.  AAC is highly attractive to families with babies and toddlers, people on the autism spectrum and to individuals who are seeing AAC in a new light, making it more trendy and popular.

There are some drawbacks of the inexpensive AAC apps that need to be taken into account. There is little information available to make informed choices on which apps to utilize and what would work best for personal needs. Hidden monthly costs can be a surprise for users, people with sensory or motor impairments who cannot use a touch screen still have limited to no access to these apps.  Insurances such as Medicaid, Medicare or private insurance companies will typically not provide funding for such apps, as they are not dedicated devices.

The following is to help you stay well informed about what is on the market. While exploring, remember the focus of augmentative and alternative communication is about helping others communicate more effectively and not about the technology and devices that drive the apps.

The CPAP machine is used to observe and record a patient's sleep pattern over time. Using this information, the CPAP machine supplies a steady amount of air during a patient's sleep in order to maintain steady breathing throughout the night. Some more advanced CPAP models can adjust the air pressure to match the patient's rate of breathing.

BiPAP is similar to CPAP in that it provides air pressure to aid patients' sleep, but it provides two air pressure rates instead of the one found in the CPAP. The first air pressure setting is the expiratory pressure (EPAP), where air pressure is released on schedule to help clear air passages of obstructions. The second rate of pressure is the inspiratory pressure (IPAP), which reduces snoring and airway resistances. IPAP provides a steady supply of air to the nostrils.

CPAP therapy can be irritating to some sleep apnea sufferers as many do have normal cycles of breathing, which can be interrupted or at least irritated by the constant supply of air pumping through the patient's nostrils.

BiPAP therapy is recommended to patients who cannot abide the continuous high or low pressures of air during sleep that CPAP provides, or those who cannot stand the stress of CPAP. As BiPAP modifies its air pressure during sleep, patients can relax and obtain the comfort level needed for natural sleep.

The choice between CPAP and BiPAP therapies rests with the prescribing physician who can determine which air pressure system will work best for their patients.

• Suffer from a physically debilitating health condition that restricts movement inside the home
• Cannot bathe, dress, use the restroom or get on and off a chair or bed without using a walker, crutches or cane
• Have the ability to safely operate a scooter or wheelchair, or have the assistance of someone in the home
• The mobility equipment can be maneuvered through the home

Mobility Assistance Equipment Classifications

Manually Powered Wheelchairs

A manual wheelchair has a folding, cross-brace frame, swing-away footrests, removable or built-in footrests, two large wheels measuring 20-26 inches, mid-level or high-level back, two small castor front wheels and push handles. Many manual wheelchairs are not practical for active people because a great deal of energy is needed to propel them.

Benefits of Manual Wheelchairs

• Better for active users
• Easier to transport and move
• Lest costly
• Unlimited range
• Lightweight frames make them easier to push

Motorized Wheelchairs

Users who have limited torso and arm strength find that motorized wheelchairs are easier to operate thanks to their external power source. These wheelchairs run on either a wet cell or gel cell battery, both of which require regular charging. Motorized wheelchairs are usually heavier than manual wheelchairs due to the motorized variety's extra weight from the battery and adaptive equipment.

Benefits of Motorized Wheelchairs

• Battery power requires less physical exertion
• Easy to travel uphill
• Does not require outside assistance
• Greater amount of freedom 

Before receiving a motorized scooter or wheelchair, you must be examined by your primary care physician. He or she can determine whether or not you have the ability to safely use one of these devices. Your physician will provide a written order that explains why you need a mobility device and that you can safely operate one.

How Nebulizers are Used

Suffering from a respiratory ailment can be frightening, especially for children and immediate treatment is often required. Treatment options include inhalers, medicine, or a nebulizer machine. A nebulizer is a medication delivery system that is used to treat respiratory illnesses by dilating the bronchial pathways. Additionally, the nebulizer machine can dispense antibiotics and other medication that thins mucous.

Benefits of Nebulizers

Because of the way it is administered, a nebulizer has many advantages and benefits compared to other respiratory relief methods such as inhalers, tablets, and liquid medicines. One primary benefit is the ease of use compared to the dry powder of an inhaler and the difficulty of swallowing tablets or liquid medicine. Another benefit of the nebulizer machine is its multi-purpose capability. A nebulizer can be used to treat asthma, emphysema, bronchitis, colds, and nearly any disorder in the lung tissue and can also dispense antibiotics, mucous thinning medication, and a variety of other medicines. A third advantage of the nebulizer over other forms of respiratory relief is that medicine goes directly into the lungs and has an immediate effect. Treatment is well suited for children because the dispensed medicine is simply breathed in by the patient; it does not frighten children, as does "taking medicine" in a liquid or tablet form. Sense it takes effective immediately, the nebulizer reduces the anxiety a child may feel during a respiratory attack such as asthma. Finally, the use of a nebulizer machine can reduce the number of emergency room visits and hospitalizations a patient requires, which serves to ease the expense of having the machine in the home.