mobility scooters hampshire uk
by Admin on Aug 4th, 2010
Hello and welcome to the latest newsletter from Independent Living.
Contents:
1. Intro - Facebook
2. Mobility Scooters with Five Wheels
3. Hand Cycles, with or without Power
4. WheelLink - Transport your Wheels!
5. Safety on Wheels
6. Five and Seven Wheeled Walkers
7. Link between Visual Disorders and Alzheimer's
8. More Reasons for Vitamin D
9. Coming Up Next Time
10. And Finally
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1. Intro - Facebook
Before I get into the main business of this month's newsletter, I would just like to let you know that over the last couple of weeks, we have set up our Independent Living Facebook page, featuring all the latest developments on the site. Being neither a football team nor a rock band, I feel slightly ridiculous inviting you to "become a fan" - but that is Facebook's term, so I guess we will have to live with it! I would love to catch up with you there: I am posting all the latest news and comment, new products and services info, and more importantly, it gives you a way of telling us what you think about the site, and anything else you have on your mind. Do please take a look, and you don't have to do anything more - it is perfectly acceptable to lurk!
Independent Living Facebook page
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2. Mobility Scooters with Five Wheels
You will notice a preponderance of wheels this month, starting with a unique five wheeled scooter range, which you can now not only read about, but also see in action on the site. Quingo scooters come in all flavours from microlight to long-range road legal, with the common denominator of a fifth wheel at the front, which enables them to combine the benefits of a three wheeler (compact and manoeuvrable) with a four wheeler (greater stability). The layout also ensures a comfortable and ergonomic driving position. The Quingo storyboard page has all the information, as well as a link to a demo movie of the five wheeler in action:
Quingo Scooters
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3. Hand Cycles, with or without Power
Extra wheels for your wheelchair - Team Hybrid is a specialist British manufacturer of hand cycles, both manual and powered. Using really high-quality components, MD Mark Higgon started out in his garden shed, putting together hand cycles that would fit just about any manual chair and stand up to the demands of active users and thrill seekers. The company now has a purpose-built unit in the Hampshire countryside, producing machines with names like Coyote and Viper, which hint at the fun to come! You can not only read about the range on Team Hybrid's storyboard page, but also watch a movie of the powered Viper in action:
Team Hybrid Hand Cycles
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4. WheelLink - Transport your Wheels!
How's this for a clever idea? When you go out on a mobility scooter, you don't have to leave your wheelchair or walking frame behind. A scooter is a good way of getting to your destination, but what about when you arrive? Many shops, offices, restaurants and other venues really don't have the space to accommodate customers on scooters, but many scooter users don't have sufficient mobility to proceed without assistance once they reach the door. WheelLink is a simple bracket that fits the rear of the scooter, in order to carry a folded wheelchair or rollator, so that it can be used in those confined areas where a scooter really can't go. You can see how this ingenious device helps its inventor, Mike Spencer, by watching this video clip:
Ablequip WheelLink Movie
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5. Safety on Wheels
While we're on the subject of mobility scooters, I would love to know what you think about recent suggestions for making scooter users have a licence/training/third-party insurance. I am reluctantly (yet more government interference in our lives!) coming to the conclusion that some training in how to avoid being a menace to other pavement and road users is essential, given the growing numbers of mobility vehicles, and regular stories of accidents caused by them. I can't see how training can be enforced without some form of licence; there are too many ways to buy a scooter without going to one of the reputable suppliers who can be relied on to ensure that their customers know how to use their new vehicle.
I can see many users quailing at the thought of another driving test, and I hate the idea of limiting independent mobility, which is so important for maintaining social contacts and quality of life, but even at 4 mph, a scooter weighing up to 150 kg can do a lot of damage to a human being, so it is only right to make sure the person in charge of it knows what they are doing.
Send me your opinion by email, or better yet
post it on our (Facebook) wall!
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6. Five and Seven Wheeled Walkers
I promised you many wheels, so here is the last batch! Most site visitors looking for a wheeled walking aid expect to choose between three and four. As with scooters, it may be a question of manoeuvrability (tri-walker) versus stability (four wheeler). But there are more options available, as you can see here:
Independent Living Walking Aids
Uniscan, a British manufacturer, includes a five wheeled rollator in their range, the Triumph Plus, which takes the highly manoeuvrable Triumph three-leg walker and adds two extra legs with swivelling double wheels, making a foldable, height adjustable walker that combines the best features of a three- and four-wheeled aid. You can view the range on Uniscan's storyboard page:
Uniscan Walkers
And if five wheels isn't enough, how about seven? Attainability's unique U-Step is an ultra-stable walking aid with a U-shaped base, to brace the user in every direction. It was developed to address the mobility problems of people with neurological conditions that cause postural instability, such as Parkinson's, Stroke, Multiple Sclerosis and Ataxia. It can be provided with a laser cueing system which projects a red line onto the ground in front of the user, to act as a visual cue to help trigger their steps. Professional readers may be interested to know that the U-Step can be tried free of charge for a month, to assess its suitability for your clients. You can read more here:
Attainability
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7. Link between Visual Disorders and Alzheimer's
A recent study has found that elderly people with visual disorders that aren't treated are significantly more likely to develop Alzheimer's. Using records from Medicare, it was found that those with poor vision who visited an ophthalmologist at least once, were 64% less likely to develop dementia. The researchers theorise that good vision is necessary for many of the activities that lower the risk of Alzheimer's, such as reading, playing board games and social networking, and that vision problems can hinder a person's ability to continue with routine daily activities including walking. Regular physical exercise has also been found to help reduce the chance of developing dementia. Another reason to make sure that you go for a regular eye test!
Fortunately, anyone who does have impaired vision can still enjoy a wide range of stimulating activities, thanks to various aids that are now available, from the simple to high-tech. You can find out more in our section for low vision aids:
Independent Living Low Vision Aids
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8. More Reasons for Vitamin D
Every month there seems to be fresh research producing another reason to make sure of an adequate intake of vitamin D. It can, apparently, help reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer's, and also help prevent falls. Now scientists at Warwick Medical School have found that high levels of vitamin D help protect against diabetes. As we all know, our best chance of getting a good dose is by soaking up some sun: if your budget (like mine!) doesn't stretch to a Caribbean holiday in the middle of this interminable winter, try eating lots of oily fish, such as mackerel, salmon and tuna. It is trickier for vegetarians, though there is some vitamin D in egg yolks, and sometimes products like margarine are supplemented with it. To be on the safe side, it might be an idea to pop a pill - vitamin D tablets are widely available and not too expensive.
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9. Coming Up Next Time
We are approaching Naidex time again - the annual event that brings together products and services for home care, rehabilitation and disability care is on at the NEC in Birmingham from the 20th to 22nd April. As always, Independent Living will have the most extensive preview feature online, and I will be highlighting some of the interesting new products here in next month's issue.
New developments in wheelchair accessible vehicles are also on the agenda.
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10. And Finally ...
A reminder that you can keep up to date with all the latest developments on Independent Living on our website:
Independent Living Homepage
And catch up with the newest products by visiting the "What's New"
section:
What's New
Or subscribing to our newsfeed:
Independent Living Newsfeed
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Or become a fan on Facebook!
Until next time, all good wishes,
Frances
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