Aidacare - Healthcare Equipment Solutions>

  

Table of Contents

1. Welcome
2. Views from the field
3. Feature product
4. Dates for the calendar
5. New products

Welcome

Welcome to the new-look Vic BriefCASE. We are now going to be able to include pictures/diagrams and extra information at the “click-of-a-link”. Hopefully you will find our newsletter easy to read and easy to navigate so you can get the information you want!

Congratulations to Sheree who won the first week of Lifetipping, Lifehealthcare's footy tipping competition. It's not too late to enter (you will receive the average of the scores when you join anytime throughout the season). It is FREE to join and you could win a weekly prize of a $60 hamper and/or the overall prize of $1000.00 travel voucher.

Views from the field

J3 BACKS

We are all in love with the new J3 Backs and are using these extensively in the field.  J3 is much superior to the old J2 in several ways, the most obvious being the mounts - it is a 2-point mounting system and mounts on just about any canes without fuss, with plenty of height adjust to get out of the way  of other bits.  Its a much more durable mount than the old strap-style J2 mounts (no more of those annoying little screws pinging off at inconvenient moments...) and much more suitable for power chairs. 

Follow the link here to the J3 Booklet and J3 Pocket Guide, really worth downloading and saving, as it explains how to choose the correct J3 back and options, and features a matrix of back options.  The J3 backs come in four different height options and three different "wrap" options, from slight to deep contour.  This combination of height and contour options allows you to choose a back that exactly fits your customer. 

A few tips for new users:

• If you have an existing J2 back we can convert you over to the equivalent J3 back if you let us know the model number.
• Whereas J2 backs will essentially fit 1" bigger or 1" smaller chairs (i.e. you can use a 16" J2 on either a 15", 16" or 17" chair with standard mounts), the J3 will NOT easily fit a smaller chair size.  For example, a 16" J3 back is designed to easily fit a 16", 17" or 18" chair, but will not easily fit a 15" chair. 
• The J3 back has its own headrest mounting plate, and necessary if you are going to mount ANY headrest. 
• The J3 cover is available with either no headrest cutout, a standard headrest cutout, or a headrest cutout with cover flap.  We recommend the second option if you have any intentions of ever mounting a headrest. 

BATTERIES

 

Battery Tips:   for clients with power chairs, scooters, hoists and other powered devices, battery life can be reduced if care is not taken.  Our four top tips for long battery life are:

• Always use the charger supplied for your device, and ensure it is correctly connected.
• Never let the battery fully discharge – establish a daily charging pattern – modern battery chargers will trickle feed, so you can’t damage your battery by overcharging.
• If you are going on holidays and don’t feel comfortable leaving your device on charge, unattended, the batteries should be fully charged then disconnected or removed from the device.
• Don’t leave your powered device outside in the sun, or in your car in summer, for long periods – if the batteries get very hot it can damage them and significantly reduce battery life.

JAY CUSHIONS

 

For the client who has a problem with the fluid in their Jay 2 cushion migrating towards the back of the cushion, a few tips:

• Fluid SHOULD pretty much stay put.  There should be no need for kneading and repositioning of the fluid on a regular basis.
• Check the size of the cushion - too small a posterior will sink to the bottom of the cushion, displacing too much fluid
• Check transfer methods, as often this is occurring when the user is manually pulled back from the front to rear of the cushion.  Often some manual handling tips for carers can solve this one.
• Sometimes this also happens if the person spends a lot of time in tilt.  For tilt applications we like the Jay GS, as the fluid pad is sewn into three compartments and tends to stay put really well, with minimal fuss! 

Feature product

Introducing the Zippie Z- Bop

The Zippie Z-Bop provides "Centre of Gravity" (C.G.) tilt, rehab seating and specialty controls in a smaller, lighter, highly manoeuvrable package. It has 45 degrees of tilt, growth features, fully adjustable seat depth and seat-to-back angle, and a low 39cm seat-to-floor-height creating versatility for today and room to grow tomorrow. It comes with the easy to use Delphi electronic controller. There are a large number of custom options available, including various frame colours, sizes, wheel & castor options, armrest and legrest options. Transit tie downs are standard.   

 

 

Dates for the calendar

APRIL 

Tuesday 7th Seating Clinic GEELONG 
Wednesday 8th Seating Clinic ALBURY 
Thursday 9th Seating Clinic BRUNSWICK 
Thursday 30th Workshop: Manual wheelchairs for adults BRUNSWICK  
Thusday 30th Seating Clinic BENDIGO 

MAY 

Tuesday 19th Workshop/Product LaunchAdvanced seating & positioning ALBURY 
Wednesday 20th Workshop/Product Launch Advanced seating & positioning SHEPPARTON

Click here to register

For more infomation on any of our upcoming training sessions or workshops please contact Joelle Clamp jclamp@lifehealthcare.com.au.

 

New products

Bodypoint Shower Belt 

This new product is now available and is a vast improvement on the fairly utilitarian shower belts we are used to seeing. The Bodypoint Shower Belt is made of Aeromesh, a new fabric that provides safety without compromise to comfort.  Water and air easily pass through Aeromesh allowing the client to be bathed completely and the belt to dry quickly after use. The universal shape enables the belt to be used as a pelvic or chest strap, or as a leg belt.  Like all Bodypoint belts, the Shower belt is easy to attach to the frame and the frame clamps provided are rust-proof. 

RRP is $217. 

Otto Bock Power Chairs 

 

You may see us out and about getting feedback on the new powerchairs from Otto Bock. These have just been released to us and we have some chairs on loan to us. These power chairs are all rear-wheel drive. More news to come as we try these out and see what we think!!