April 2014 - LA Medical Archive

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Archive for April, 2014

Injury Prevention Tips during April

Posted on: April 28th, 2014 by LAMedicalBlogger

Injury Prevention Tips during April

Spring is finally here! If you have been sitting most of the winter, your body probably isn’t quite ready to tackle the list of big projects you want to accomplish.

Your friends at LA Medical want you to be safe and healthy as you head into spring. Here are several simple ways to prevent injuries this spring.

Take a walk. Walking is a great way to wake your body up and get it warmed up before your tasks. Don’t overdo it; you may want to walk after your chores too as a cool down.
Warm up stretches are a simple and essential step to a busy day. Stretching is not just for runners, it’s a way to prepare the body to use the muscle groups that may be underused.
Eat before you start your projects. Eat a decent breakfast and be sure you stop and eat lunch. Not big meals that may weigh you down, just enough to give your body fuel.
Wear the proper clothing for the job. If you start a project early when it’s chilly, you may heat up as you work and as the day warms. If you get too hot, you may get dizzy and fall. Dress in comfortable layers that you can add or remove as needed.
Dry muscles are sore muscles and that goes for your brain too, so stay hydrated. Keep water with you or close by as you work.
Take breaks. A few short breaks will let your body keep up with can-do spirit.

Is it time to “spring clean” your home medical equipment and supplies? If you’ve been waiting for a time to replace worn out equipment or supplies, spring is a great time to do it. See LA Medical’s online catalog or visit us in person today to see what’s new and how having the right supplies can make a world of difference.

Going Somewhere? Take your Portable Ramp with you!

Posted on: April 24th, 2014 by LAMedicalBlogger

Going Somewhere? Take your Portable Ramp with you!

It may always seem like a challenge taking your wheelchair or mobility scooter to certain places because it isn’t handicap or wheelchair accessible. Sometimes visiting family for the holidays can pose a challenge getting in and out of their home safely. Today, LA Medical has the answer for you, a parent or caregiver. Today, we’ll explain how packing a portable ramp along with you may help you explore new heights.

Portable ramps are a quick, easy and lightweight option. They work much better than traveling uphill on rough terrain or taking a loved out of their wheelchair to get somewhere, if that is even an option.

Portable ramps come in different lengths, width and overall design. Most portable ramps are made from lightweight but extremely durable aluminum and can be carried around like a suitcase. Portable ramps can range from suitcase ramps and threshold ramps to tri-fold ramps.

Another great option to better navigate your home is to install rubber threshold ramps to allow the wheelchair or power chair user to get around without putting a lot of effort into getting over bumps in the hallways or doorways.

With fall ending and winter slowly beginning, it’s important to keep all leaves, snow and other debris clear of the ramp surface. This will allow the user to move freely over the ramp and not catch a stick for example that may cause them to go off the ramp.

Wet leaves can cause your ramp to be very slick, like wet snow or rain and can limit you to stay inside the house if nobody is around to help you get in and out safely. Even though portable ramps are pre-installed, it’s always wise to make sure all the screws and bolts are tight to insure that nothing will come loose over hundreds of times using it.

Let LA Medical know how we can help pair you and your power chair or wheelchair with the right portable ramp today!

Finding the Right Respite Provider for your Children with Special Needs

Posted on: April 22nd, 2014 by LAMedicalBlogger

Finding the Right Respite Provider for your Children with Special Needs

As parents of a child with special needs, you care for them, help feed them, provide a loving home and clothes for them. Sometimes your responsibilities can seem overwhelming and never ending. As a parent and a family, it’s okay to want a little break. LA Medical would like to help by finding a local respite provider for your children with special needs.

At first, finding a reputable caregiver to care for your child with special needs may seem like an impossible task. Some families rely on other family members to help, but sometimes it may be better for your child to go to a care provider to interact with other children who may have similar health complications which will better their mood, personality and outlook on life.

Don’t feel ashamed that you’re leaving your child at a care provider. Care providers are there to help parents take a break and see family and friends, make a grocery store trip or simply take a nap. Sit down and relax, because there are many options available for caregivers for your child:

There are many respite or relief centers that provide assistance for caregivers or parents who need time off from their duties caring for a special needs child or adult. Visit the National Respite Locator Services for more information.
Find associations that deal exactly with your child’s disorder such as the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation or United Cerebral Palsy.
Contact a university or college near where you live. Students who may be studying behavioral sciences are available to care for your kids at your home.
If your child is chronically ill, consider giving their pediatrician or specialist a call. Explain that you need respite care and a personal break. Most specialists know someone they can refer you to.
Many states offer respite care that is free or subsidized. Get in touch with your local county health office to see how you can sign up for respite care in your area.

LA Medical hopes this list of ideas helps to get you, your spouse and your family a little break and helps your loved one interact with others too. Please see our inventory of bathroom safety equipment, walking aids and incontinence supplies today!

Caring for a Child with Special Needs- Part 2

Posted on: April 17th, 2014 by LAMedicalBlogger

Caring for a Child with Special Needs- Part 2

LA Medical is sharing a few of the best tips and suggestions we have heard from wonderful parents of special needs children who we talk to every day.

Remember that a diagnosis is important, but will never tell the whole story of your child. A diagnosis is the first step to getting the proper care and discovering what to expect, but that will never tell the story of your child. Just like height, skin color or eye color, a diagnosis is just one part of who they are.

Take notes. You may be at a conference or watching TV when someone shares a wonderful piece of advice. Write it down and look it up later. You’re note file will probably be pretty big in the years to come.

Accept that other people may not know how they should act around you or your child and they will take their cues from you. The more comfortable you are, the more comfortable they will be. Don’t be offended if they ask a question that may seem odd or insensitive; they probably just don’t know the answer or what to ask in this situation.

Having said that, don’t let people use outdated, offensive or stereotypic phrases or words in discussing your child. If they use one of these terms, simply say firmly but politely that you find that word or phrase offensive and offer a better one. Changing many years of culture and habits takes time.

Daycares and other businesses are only required to make “reasonable accommodations” and affordable changes to their staffing and environments. Use the ADA as a tool to educate, not a club to threaten. It may take some extra time and experts to help find the right care and the right people to care for your child.

Let LA Medical be a resource for you when you are looking for wheelchairs, ramps and other home medical equipment that you or a loved one will need.

Caring for a Child with Special Needs- Part 1

Posted on: April 14th, 2014 by LAMedicalBlogger

Caring for a Child with Special Needs- Part 1

LA Medical talks to parents of special needs children every day. We have compiled a list of some of the best advice from those parents and want to share them with you now.

Remember that children with special needs are, first and foremost, still children. It’s easy to get so into the diagnosis and medical terms, doctor’s appointments and specialists that we can forget that the child is just that: a child. People outside the family may need this reminder too. Like every child, they need love, friends, interaction, playmates, involvement and time to just be a kid.

There are resources out there; sometimes you just have to ask. Whether you are new to parenting a special needs child or have many years of experience, there are always new discoveries, treatment options and information out there. Stay in touch with these resources online, by meetings or one-on-one with the people who are current on these things.

Be a resource. They always say that you don’t really know how much you know about something until you teach it to another person. If you have wisdom and experience about raising your child, share it. If you have jumped hurdles and fought a battle with a school district, help someone new to the challenge. You’ll be surprised with how much of a resource you are!

Your life is not all about your child’s disability. That can be a hard one to admit for many parents. All of the appointments, doctor visits and information about their needs can make it easy to forget that you are a person too. You have a name, a history, talents and interests outside of your child’s needs. Just like we say to remember that a child with a disability is a child first; remember that a parent of a child with a disability is a person first and needs to be cared for too.

Let LA Medical be a resource for you when you are looking for wheelchairs, wheelchair cushions and for many other items that you need. More important tips are on the way!

Flying with Ease: Airport Wheelchair Travel 2

Posted on: April 10th, 2014 by LAMedicalBlogger

LA Medical is continuing on with wheelchair travel and making sure your needs are being taken care of by the airport or airline. Every airline has a list of reservation requirements that vary for rules or regulations. LA Medical wants you to be aware of certain regulations such as providing medical certificates and battery storage for power mobility products.

If you or someone you know has a condition where they require additional assistance on the aircraft, they may need to provide the airline or travel agent with a medical certificate. Under certain conditions, you may need to apply and receive a medical certificate from your doctor. You may need to be examined by an FAA-designated Aviation Medical Examiner (AME) to receive a medical certificate before you board a plane. You must state if you need or have one of these:

Medical oxygen while on-board
If you have a communicable disease or infection
Require medical attention during the entire flight

Every airline has different rules and regulations to work with you in these predicaments. Contact your airline or travel agent with any questions.

Battery operated wheelchairs or mobility scooters must be looked at more in-depth while going through security. Newer power wheelchairs and mobility scooters have lithium-ion batteries installed which makes security checkpoints go a little smoother. But what do you do if you have an older machine?

While going through security, your wheelchair or scooter will not have to be disconnected from the battery, but your equipment must have an effective method of preventing accidental activation during transport or flight such as removing the key, turning on a kill switch, removing the power arm or taping a switch in a closed position.

Wet cell batteries, or spillable, require special preparations to be transported. The battery must be disconnected and terminals must be protected from causing an electrical short. Sometimes wet batteries will be transported in a special box to reduce damage and leaky batteries. Dry cell, or non-spillable, batteries have fewer requirements for transport and handling. Dry cell batteries can stay plugged in during transport.

Contact LA Medical today with all of your mobility questions!

Rolling to your next Flight: Airport Wheelchair Travel

Posted on: April 7th, 2014 by LAMedicalBlogger

If you or someone you know has a disability, wheelchair travel can sometimes bear a headache or two. Airlines and their travel agents are available to assist you or someone you know with any reservation requirements you may have while traveling with a wheelchair. LA Medical wants to share with you what you can do to prepare for your next trip and how to successfully navigate airport wheelchair travel.

If you’re planning a simple weekend getaway or something more exotic, make sure you set up reservation requirements with the airline you’re flying with. Every airline has different accommodations to serve the needs of their passengers.

Manual wheelchairs are provided by every airport and airline. You may request wheelchairs at time of departure at the front door, after security and before and after departure. Special aisle wheelchairs help someone who has a regular wheelchair that will not fit on and get through the small aisles of an aircraft.

Mainline aircraft, or passenger planes, include one onboard wheelchair that is designed to fit in the aisle of an aircraft. This chair is also used to get to and from the lavatory. This wheelchair isn’t used for outside the aircraft.

Whatever wheelchair you or someone you know may have, most airlines will accommodate transporting your equipment. Here’s a general list that airlines can transport, but not limited to:

Folding, non-folding and collapsible manual wheelchairs
Electric or battery-powered wheelchair
Electric or battery-powered scooters
Crutches or prosthetic devices

Make sure to contact your travel agent or preferred airline ticketing office within 48 to 72 hours before purchasing tickets to set up your special reservations with your wheelchair. LA Medical wouldn’t want you to get all the way to the airport with nothing setup.

LA Medical offers many wheelchair travel options to suit your needs. Take a look at our standard, power wheelchairs or complex power chairs today!

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