January 2014 - LA Medical Archive

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Archive for January, 2014

Tips for Traveling with Special Needs

Posted on: January 30th, 2014 by LAMedicalBlogger

Now that the holidays are over with and you’re home safe, do you want to treat yourself to a quick vacation outside of California? Where would you like to go? Travel safe and sound with LA Medical’s tips for traveling with special needs today in our last blog of January.

Mobility Travel Tips

Do you get nervous about traveling with your mobility device beyond California’s borders? LA Medical knows traveling with a wheelchair, walker or other mobility devices can be frightening for some new users, but with a little preparation and knowledge of the process, you’ll realize there is nothing to worry about.

Going through the security line at an airport is different when you have a wheelchair or oxygen equipment because you’ll be unable to move through the standard scanners. This means you’ll need to endure a pat down from a trained TSA agent. The TSA agents may also assist you in removing your shoes and placing your travel items on the x-ray belt. Keep in mind that TSA agents should never ask for you to be removed from your wheelchair during this security process.

Commercial airlines have grown very accustomed to accommodating the disabled passenger and will direct you through their well-oiled process from the moment you step into the airport. Like in all cases, the airline will be more prepared if you notify them. As soon as you book your flight, contact the airline and let them know you’ll be traveling with a mobility device so that they can be ready for you.

When boarding the plane, you’ll need to store your mobility device and be transported to your seat using a special aisle wheelchair. Your wheelchair will either be stored in a closet or possibly gate-checked to be stored in the lower level of the plane.

In preparation for landing, we recommend that you ask your flight attendant to notify the arrival gate that you’ll need wheelchair transport and will need your wheelchair waiting for you when departing the plane.

LA Medical hopes this has helped calmed your nerves and made you a more confident traveler. If you have any tips for travelers like yourself, please feel free to share in our comments field below.

Keep Calm and Give Blood: National Blood Donor Month

Posted on: January 28th, 2014 by LAMedicalBlogger

January is a great month to promote getting you, your friends and family together to give the best gift to anyone; giving blood. LA Medical celebrates National Blood Donor Month and encourages you to consider volunteering some of your time this year to donate blood at your local Red Cross or medical facility. But first, let’s learn more about being a blood donor and how to donate.

Keep Calm and Give Blood

We all know that blood helps keep our bodies going and helps keep us alive. This life-giving red liquid carries vital elements and nutrients throughout our body to keep us alive. Blood also helps with the healing process in-case of an injury or cut.

Blood Donor Month helps others in your community and even worldwide in times where there are national epidemics such as large-scale accidents, disasters and other tragic events. Donated blood is often the difference of someone living through a crisis. You don’t need a special reason to give blood other than your own reason. Donating a pint, or one pound, of blood could help someone else continue to live their lives.

People sometimes feel they don’t need to give blood or certain blood types are needed. Any blood type is accepted as people may have a certain type of blood. There are four main types of blood, A, B, AB and O. AB is the universal recipient and O negative is the universal donor.

You never will know who you’re helping, but you will know your pint of blood is helping a child, middle-aged woman or older man. Did you know that you are also helping yourself too? According to the American Medical Association, giving blood once every six months helps reduce the risk of heart attacks and strokes in people ages 43 to 61. High iron levels in your blood acts as an early contributor to heart disease and donating on a regular basis helps lower your chances. It’s truly a win-win.

Join LA Medical this month with National Blood Donor Month and find a donation location today.

How to Be Safe in your Bathroom

Posted on: January 23rd, 2014 by LAMedicalBlogger

Every January, LA Medical celebrates National Bathroom Safety Month. Bathroom safety is very important for young children and adults over the age of 65. National Bathroom Safety Month is a great topic to talk about because it revolves around having a little extra added security and most of all, safety. Let’s discuss further how we can make the bathroom safer for both children and adults.

If you have children, it always seems like a tough time to get them to get a bath or even to brush their teeth. When you’re able to get them to take a bath, here are some helpful tips to better their bathing time:

Accidents can happen at any time in the bathroom with a wet floor. Kids do not have the balance, coordination or strength to hold steady if they lose their balance. Try putting an anti-slip plastic mat that you can put in and outside of the tub to reduce the chances of slipping.
Beware of sharp edges by putting rubber covers for the faucet or towels that cover the shower door handles. Also avoid having child’s toys on the ground near the tub; as you can fall and hurt yourself too!
Test the water temperature before putting your child in the water, as the water temperature can change and burns are far too common.

Adults are also unable to keep their balance and strength in the bathroom as they get older. Many older people have an increased risk of getting an injury as well. Look at these guidelines for older adults:

Like children, check the water temperature of the bath or shower. Many older adults lose their ability to gauge how hot or cold water is. Consider making a mark where the arrows of the bath knobs match where the water is at the perfect temperature.
Consider installing grab bars for extra stability in the shower or tub. Also, consider installing a shower chair or transfer bench for getting in and out of the bathtub more safely.

LA Medical hopes that both children and adults can keep the fun in the tub throughout the month of January. Please see LA Medical’s wide selection of bathroom safety equipment now!

The Difference between Crutches and Knee Walkers for Injuries

Posted on: January 21st, 2014 by LAMedicalBlogger

Unfortunately, sometime in our lives we may get an injury resulting in us taking it easy for a while and causing us to watch our step; literally. If you prefer having more mobility, while recovering from an injury, a wheelchair may not be the best option for you. Most homes are not fit for wheelchairs. Today, LA Medical would like to help you understand two different forms of getting around with an injury: crutches and knee walkers.

Crutches and walking aids have been around since the Pharaohs of Ancient Egypt. Man has been able to somehow, someway move while having an injury of any kind. Crutches come in two main forms, under armpit and forearm. Injuries that require crutches as a form of healing and getting around can range from any broken bone, sprain, torn ligament or tendons, post-surgery and joint dislocations. Crutches help by not having any pressure put on your injury while standing.

Crutches can pose a little bit of a problem. Problems can be that you’re unable to carry things in your hands and it’s hard to maneuver opening doors by yourself. Most people who use crutches short-term carry a backpack to help them carry personal items and have a friend or family member help them.

LA Medical also offers the great alternative to both a crutch and a wheelchair and that is a knee walker. Knee walkers come with either three or four-wheeled stability, steering with brake controls and a comfortable cushion to rest your knee from a sprain or ankle injury. Knee walkers provide you with more independence to open doors and carry things a lot smoother. Knee walkers can support people who have either a left or right side injury and are ideal for people recovering from foot surgery, breaks, sprains, amputations and ulcers of the foot.

View LA Medical’s selection of armpit and forearm crutches and the Drive Knee walker today. Contact us with any questions or concerns!

Healthy Eating in the New Year

Posted on: January 16th, 2014 by LAMedicalBlogger

Can you remember the days when you were a kid and you would come home from school to have a snack? What did you reach for? Like most kids at that age, you reached for the sugary items like candy and cookies, and skipped past looking at vegetables and fruit. Now, you’re older, and looking back, having all those snacks isn’t paying off now. Join LA Medical in understanding how you can start healthy eating in the New Year.

One out of three adults and one in five children in the United States is considered obese. With these bad numbers, many health movements, organizations and other events have been created to push and encourage everyone to work toward living healthier lives.

Although sugary snacks seem good at the time, they may be affecting your overall appetite, nutrition intake and your overall health. Learn how common healthy alternatives to snacks can help your live a better life:

Oranges – Do you know of a different snack that rhymes with orange? Try a full flavor orange with tons of Vitamin C; it may even stop your craving for something sweet.

Apples – Do you remember the phrase, “An apple a day will keep the doctor away?” That phrase is true because apples provide a sweet and satisfying taste across more than 40 different types of apples. Apples contain loads of fiber to keep you feeling full.

Mixed nuts – Almonds, walnuts, cashews, peanuts, pecans and pistachios can help provide a lot of energy and unsaturated fats for fullness and a healthy heart.

Vegetables – All colors of vegetables are bursting with loaded amounts of nutrients, vitamins and minerals. Vegetables are a super healthy alternative to eating other conventional snacks and they taste better with a little low-fat ranch dressing.

LA Medical Retail hopes you and your loved ones can attempt to eat a little healthier in 2014. Try new and exciting foods that appeal to everyone in your family and they eat your way healthy!

Find a Creative Hobby that you Enjoy

Posted on: January 14th, 2014 by LAMedicalBlogger

Finishing off LA Medical’s blogs about hobbies, if a sports hobby doesn’t interest you, consider trying a creative hobby that will get your creativity juices flowing. Many big-box retailers and small town shops have many different hobby selections to choose from. Within a 15-mile radius of LA Medical’s headquarters, there are five hobby shops ready to help you get started.

Creative Hobby Search

Sewing is one of the best hobbies to pick up and learn. Sewing allows you to take different fabric and create quilts, clothing or oven mitts to take an amazing casserole out of the oven. Sewing can be done either by hand or with different machines that have their own special way of sewing fabric together. You could also be a great help with friends and family by tailoring or making clothing adjustments for a better fit.

Woodworking can take your creativity levels to a whole new level. You can start by making little things such as bird houses, then move up to a bench, then all the way up to a Grandfather’s clock. The sky is the limit with woodworking and you can build anything you would like, of course, with the right tools!

Collecting is a great way to show your creative side by what you’re most interested in. If you enjoyed baseball cards as a kid, you may try to complete the card series you had. If you collect a certain type of doll, make a hobby of making a complete set or finding the rare one. Collecting and restoring antiques can be great fun and there I even money to be made refurbishing old things and make them like new again.

The best way to share your creativity may be by selling and making money from your hobby. Hobbyists are known to share their ideas and sell some of their products at local farmers markets, online auctions, swap sheets and personal craft websites. You may see another idea that could make yours better or see something else that you may enjoy doing too!

See LA Medical today for all your bathroom safety equipment from bath chairs, rails and commodes.

Discovering Sport Related Hobbies

Posted on: January 9th, 2014 by LAMedicalBlogger

Starting off the New Year, LA Medical would like to help you or a loved one find a sports related hobby that best fits your interests. Sport related hobbies are a great form of physical and mental exercise. Sports hobbies also allow you to have your own personal time and take a break from the real world. Let’s figure out what sport you would like to give a try this year.

Sports Related Hobbies

There are many sports and types of exercises that you can start doing, but you have to stick with them to learn more and become more active in those sports. Fishing is a great sport and past time. There are many things that go into catching fish from what type of bait you use, if you fish from a boat or dock and what type of line, reel and rod you may use. Fishing is a quiet and patient sport too. You never want to rush catching a fish, because you may not come home with any for supper!

Another great sports exercise to consider is doing yoga. Yoga doesn’t require any heavy weight lifting but it helps you improve your breathing, muscle strength and meditation. LA Medical doesn’t expect for you to try this alone. Join a local class that specializes in yoga in the Glendale community. Joining classes help because you interact and meet others who share the same interests with you and have the same goal of trying something new.

Go hit the beach! What we mean is taking up metal detecting. Metal detecting is a great workout by taking walks on the beach or other terrain and you get to be outside getting fresh air and Vitamin D from the sun. Who knows, you may find an ancient artifact that you want to keep or sell!

LA Medical hopes you or your loved ones have a better idea of how to get exercise this year, but to make a hobby out of it. See us for your ramp and lift needs today!

Finding a Hobby to Learn Something New

Posted on: January 7th, 2014 by LAMedicalBlogger

Welcome to 2014! LA Medical is glad to see you back this year and ready to read more blogs to better help you or loved ones with medical tips and information.

Some of the most fun and exciting things to do during our free time is being involved with a hobby. Hobbies can range anywhere from sports, exercise, crafts or anything else you can think of. Let’s start putting your resolution ideas into something that you enjoy doing!

During January, we celebrate National Hobby Month and we would like to help you or a loved one come up with a hobby that you could enjoy doing weekly or even daily. Hobbies are extensions of what we enjoy doing such as playing games, exercising or working with tools. If you have an idea of a different type of hobby, give it a try! Ask your family and friends of things they do for hobbies and see if you can join them.

If you’re not sure about where to start with your hobby idea, use the internet. There are many do-it-yourself websites available which other people share their thoughts and ideas with others who share the same hobby interests. YouTube is a great online website to use to visually see a hobby and it’s a great resource to use if you’re hung up on a step to complete your project, for example, building a bird house.

Find the hobby that works best for you. It’s a New Year and it’s all about your creativity, self-encouragement and interests that will make your hobby of choice a great match. Finding a hobby that works for your needs will be a great resolution to keep and to stay with during 2014.

Join LA Medical with our next blog about discovering the perfect hobby for your interests and also to learn something new in the process. LA Medical Retail is your source for everything mobility equipment from walkers, canes and wheelchairs. See us today with any questions!

Secure your Wheelchair while Driving or Riding in a Vehicle

Posted on: January 2nd, 2014 by LAMedicalBlogger

If you or someone you know uses a wheelchair and also travels by riding in public transportation or personal vehicle, safety is always a key factor. LA Medical wants everyone who uses any wheelchair or mobility scooter to feel safe and secure while riding in a motor vehicle. Read the useful information below to be a little safer and secure while riding in a vehicle.

Automatic wheelchair lifts offer their own form of security, too. Depending on which vehicle outfit you choose. Whether it’s a truck, van, SUV or car, it will come with standard or custom technique for getting you in and out of the vehicle safely. The most common vehicle is a mini or full size van that usually has a ramp, lift or combination of both that you can drive into the passenger area. Conversion vehicles make sure there are tie downs or lock in docks so the wheelchair is secure. All conversions for any vehicle are crash tested to make sure all occupants are safe and secure.

There are two common ways for some
one who uses a wheelchair to feel secure in a vehicle. Sitting in a conventional passenger seat in any standard vehicle may pose some problems getting a loved one in and out easily, but it may be the only option. Make sure to transfer their torso into the vehicle first; so they can get seated, then help bring their legs and feet into the car. Ask them if they need to be repositioned before buckling up.

LA Medical provides all the mobility products and accessories you need from manual and power wheelchairs, mobility scooters and knee walkers.

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