Archive for February, 2011

Wheelchair Tuning Part XXI – Competitor

Monday, February 28th, 2011

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Technically speaking, this construction of rolling scaffold and garden chair can be considered as

Wheelchair.

(applicable for refurbishment of wall and ceiling)

But seriously:
Out of these garden chairs real wheelchairs are built for third world countries.
See homepage:

Back from Technical Aids Workshop in Tenerife!

Friday, February 25th, 2011

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Technical Aids Tips and Tricks XXVIII

Thursday, February 10th, 2011

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With a height of 2,38 m, width of 1.5 m and depth of 60 cm really a lot fits into a bedroom closet.
(Back in time I transported it as construction kit in my VW Golf 2).

I have quite a couple of shirts.
The bad thing with this closet is that I can’t reach up there anyway with my 1,38 m sitting in the wheelchair. With this depth I don’t see much either what is hidden in there. The attempt to get something out of the closet from behind probably results in an involuntary wheelchair-floor-transfer.
Down in the closet it’s not better either.

With the usual shelves a pile of 15 shirts remains for selection in the end. These fall out of the closet, or you have to rely on your assistant’s taste.
(I don’t like “pink T-shirts”).

The Swedish plywood constructors offer with their

Modular system “Pax”

drawers in the closet.
Now everything is within reach even from a wheelchair and you can also reach the shirts in the back of the closet which are usually inaccessible.

Beware of the polar bear!
(He is watching over me since my accident 2007).

Translator BL

(Deutsch) Hilfsmittel Tipps und Tricks XXVII

Friday, February 4th, 2011

Sorry, this entry is only available in Deutsch.

My “luminaries” from the medical supply store

Thursday, February 3rd, 2011

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Everybody who knows me better knows that it is almost impossible to silence me without threat of brute force.

Yesterday it was about time again:

Call at the medical supply store:

Ring, ring..

Hello, here medical supply store Deliverix*, my name is Ignorix*!

Good afternoon, my name is Löw (that’s my real name), may I talk to Ms Compressi* please?

Just a moment, (waiting loop: please hold the line, please hold the line…)

Ms Compressi* is at lunch…, what’s the matter?

I would like to know if my delivery is on its way!

Why didn’t you just say that, what’s your name?
(Her tonality was quite snappy.)

Löw!

Lo, Lö , Loe, what’s your name?…

Löw, like the coach of the German national football team!

Löw, the name reminds me of something… (national football coach???)

Löw, I don’t know…, I don’t know… what is your first name?

Steffen

Löw, Löw… there was something… just a moment, (please hold the line…)

My PC today… Löw, Löw, I know the name… (please hold the line…)

Your delivery is on its way!

Now I know why I know your name:

I have packed your parcel!!!

I could still utter a “Have a nice day”, then my head sunk slowly onto my desk.

Today I was quite surprised that the correct goods were in the parcel. Usually this is packed by weight. Therefore the delivery note was missing today. So what…

*Names were falsified!

Translator BL

Wheelchair Tuning Part XX Competitor

Thursday, February 3rd, 2011

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Ugliest offroad wheelchair of all times, with twin tyres

type bush hospital

Source: (BST)


Racing wheelchair type:

Pimp my ride with plush dice

and the legendary electric wheelchair from Meyra:

Blue Tank 3.037

Original price of the “Blue Tank” in 1997 reportedly around 25.000 DM

If you have any pictures of freaky wheelchairs, send them to me!

E-Mail like usual to: rollinator@eigude.de

Translator BL

Technical Aids Tips and Tricks XXVI

Wednesday, February 2nd, 2011

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As I mentioned on my front page I have a considerable big database with technical aids of all kind.

From exploded drawings of wheelchairs via seat cushions, car steering systems, up to a luxury bath robe for wheelchair users
(whoever needs it).

Each concerned person can get this information from me for free.

I also give advice for free when you need technical aids, the existing parts are falling apart again or don’t work otherwise.

There is a database in the internet, called Rehadat.

It is an official information system for vocational rehabilitation.

There you will find many useful information, including

22600 technical aids

www.rehadat.de

technical aids for fairly all needs, with medical device number!

(In the English version it is possible to search the databases on Technical Aids, Case Studies, Addresses, Research and Literature. A search in all eight databases is only possible in the German version.)

I will be pleased to help you on how you will get the selected parts, or if you have questions concerning the parts.

Caution, highly addictive! If you find something cool please send an e-mail.

Translator BL

Medical Device Quiz Part I

Wednesday, February 2nd, 2011

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The technical aids and medical devices market is glutted with more or less reasonable parts in function and design.

This quite special

wheelchair user hanger

 

has an official medical device number.

Alternatively also a clothes hanger can be used !

For which intended purpose has this part been produced?

What would you do with it?

How much could that cost?

Any ideas?

Be creative, and please leave a comment!

Tip #1: Has something to do with clothing!

Tip #2: Read Robo’s comment*, that will help for sure! :-)

 

* Robo’s comment:
I have such a hanger myself, it was strongly recommended to me when I was in rehab. It is definitely more clothes-gentle than the clothing hanger technique.
In the meantime it is a real multifunctional tool. It is excellently suitable to temporarily store jackets or bags at wheelchair handles, door handles or sink edges.
It is also usable to pick up fallen down keys, bent beverage cartons from the upper shelf in the supermarket over the edge or stop toddlers from running away. It is almost unbeatable as back-scratcher, but likes to entangle itself in the hem of the undershirt.
For the originally intended purpose I use, since I am wearing stretch trousers only, the natural trouser waistband stopper which is sitting directly below the catheter insertion pipe.

Translator BL

Eigude Shame XV

Tuesday, February 1st, 2011

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As wheelchair rookie I had to discover from the start that the description technical aid probably results from calling out loud for first aid if you are using them.

The manufacturers of technical aids, especially for us wheelchair users, seem to be convinced that from the moment you can’t walk any more you are getting deaf as well.

It is hardly believable, but even brand new wheelchairs clatter and creak like an old pushcart.

My favourite example is the anti-tipper of my wheelchair, I just call it wheelchair rattle.

How can you stick a metal pin through a tube and then put a wheel on it on the right and on the left without additionally fixing it?! Furthermore the part gets constantly deformed.

Then with the wheelchair across the pavement, and the joints become an acoustic speed indicator. Click clack, click clack…

I have e-mailed to the German manufacturer of my wheelchair and addressed the personnel directly on rehab fairs. At least a field technician of the company came to my home for repair and adjustment of my wheelchair.

He removed the biggest deficits of my “new wheelchair“, but in the end nobody was really interested in my “blah blah”.

The company Sopur (Sunrise Medical) allegedly doesn’t have any field technicians, so you are solely dependent on the “competence” of the medical supply store staff where you got the wheelchair from.

If it is even a wheelchair in re-use, i.e. a “makeover” used chair, then have a good trip!

I know a lady who has a purple wheelchair with red tyres which she got in a place 75 km away when she was in rehab at that time. She needs to be pushed outside, the chair is in my opinion not possible to move by herself.

This medical supply store specialist drives regularly to Frankfurt, exchanges parts and adjusts “professionally” her wheelchair. No other medical supply store may do anything with the wheelchair, this guy has sort of an exclusive screwing right.
These services are usually well paid by the health insurance. Wouldn’t it be cheaper in the end to provide a new wheelchair from a medical supply store in Frankfurt?

I see how bad the wheelchair is set up and what is defect, but can’t do anything against it. This guy can do what he wants. I wouldn’t imply bad faith, but who knows as pedestrian how significant the performance of a wheelchair changes if you turn the wrong screw. The lady doesn’t know any other wheelchair except for her own and doesn’t have any comparison!

In Austria each wheelchair has to undergo a technical inspection once a year, we don’t have such a thing!

Why not???

When I asked in October at the Sopur booth if it wouldn’t be possible to help my neighbour informally I was told that the wheelchair would have to be sent to the factory.
How do they think this could be done???

I don’t want to let anyone screw on her wheelchair for insurance reasons. The chair is almost falling apart anyway.

Hello company Sopur, can anybody hear me???

Meanwhile I have the 5th anti-tipper in 2,5 years on my wheelchair.

Translator BL