Equipment for Kids

[Fast Joey]

Thanks for that link, that product looks wonderful. I gave them a call about that Smart Drive earlier today, hopefully I will get a call back soon, so I have some kind of comparison to the e-motion she tried the other day. Like you had mentioned, the weight of those wheels kinda raised an eyebrow for me here, and I'd love to have a better option.

*sigh* Ergonomic techniques huh? Ugh. So much I hadn't thought of...and I'm sure there's a whole lot more I'm not thinking of just yet. Your input is really appreciated, thank you for that...

If anyone else that uses the e-motion or any other system wants to chime in with the pros and cons of what they've found, please...feel free!

[ProjectWalkSanFrancisco]

Hi there! Like it was stated before, a big drawback to the E-Motion wheels is that they weigh a whole lot. The Smart Drive system is great, but some clients who have come in with it mention that you must break on the wheels pretty hard to stop once it gets going. There's a newer system out there called the Tailwind that seems to be pretty good.
http://www.clintonrivermedical.com/
As far as personal additions to wheels, if it hasn't been mentioned already, light up scooter (Or skateboard/roller blade) wheels work great in place of castors!
http://www.amazon.com/Light-up-Scoot.../dp/B0026LNDFU
The resource posted by SCI-Nurse is great regarding the shoulder ergonomics. Too many times have we seen clients come in without knowledge of how to protect their shoulders! All else fails, work the reverse movements of pushing wheels. Hope this helps!

[Fast Joey]

Thanks for that! I was on the phone today with the rep for the Tailwind, and it seems like a perfect chair for her. The features on it are great , and he went over it all with me for about a half-hour...REALLy nice people there...

Over the next few days we are going to figure out how to get a meeting together so my daughter can try it out...I'm really liking this one from what I'm seeing.

[elarson]

If she only needs power assist in some situations, another to consider might be the Spinergy ZX-1. It connects to the camber tube of a manual chair to make it work like a joystick controlled power chair and can be easily dis-connected when not needed. Here is a video:



There are a few of us on the forums who have it, and you can find more information by searching "ZX-1". Spinergy put it on the market last summer, but still does not have a lot of information on their website. You can get it from an on-line dealer like Bike-on.com or Sportaid.com.

If anyone else that uses the e-motion or any other system wants to chime in with the pros and cons of what they've found, please...feel free!

[Fast Joey]

Thanks for that link, that one looks great for down the road sometime, but not just yet. Docs don't want her a using a joystick...not until it is absolutely necessary. Plus, we need a chair that will fold up small enough to get in our vehicles.

I have an appointment to have her try the Tailwind on 5/5, they are bringing it straight to me at my home to try, which I thought was great of them. As for the Smartdrive, they didn't seem too happy to try and help, they wanted me to drive two hours to go see it...ugh. No thanks.

[elarson]

If I recall, the Tailwind is the former iGLIDE by Independence Technology, a Johnson & Johnson Company. For those who the chair worked for, they seemed happy with it, and it seems like the changes Tailwind made are all good.

My only concerns would have to do with the integrated nature of the chair and the power-assist. I would make sure that the core chair works for her, and that there is not a compromise for the power-assist. I see that the chair itself is custom made, and that may also not be so practical for a growing kid, but maybe they have some suggestions about that. It's also not clear about what the weight is when not using the power-assist if she wants to move around completely manually. It says the overall weight is 56 pounds and 30 pounds when transferring the chair to a vehicle. It looks like the battery can be pretty easily removed, so I would think that would make it not too heavy.

I found this video that may be of help:


About the SmartDrive, can you call another place to see if they are more accommodating? I've heard of others being able to demo at home, and especially with a 9 year old kid, I think that's important.

You are right about the ZX-1 being heavy for transporting, but I just wanted you to be aware of it. There are a few others out there that can be removed from the chair, but most also have a joystick. Here are some links, just in case they may be of some use later on: Otto Bock z10 / z10-ce, Excel Click & Go, AAT max-e, Benoit Solutions Light Drive / Light Active.

Good luck with the Tailwind. I hope this works out for her. I know how much work it can be to find the right equipment, and finding good stuff for a growing kid must make it even harder.

Just as a note, I know that here in Europe it's the time of year for rehab trade shows. I don't know where you live, but going to one might be a good opportunity for your daughter to test a lot of different equipment, and might be a fun day out for her.

[Fast Joey]

Gotta love this forum, so happy I stumbled across it...lol.

To everyone here, thank you from the bottom of my heart for all your input and assistance. I really appreciate it. Thank you.

[Gordy1]

Elarson has made some really good comments. The only other thing I would add is that both the Tailwind and the e-Motions add some width to the chair. So you might want to check how that additional width fits in your house (specifically doorways).

I apologise for my ignorance regarding UCMD (googled it so have a limited understanding), but if your daughter can use a manual chair with no power assist (inside on smooth floors for example), and just needs assistance outside, then I definitely recommend the Firefly, as you may have seen from my other posts. One big advantage of the Firefly is that the user has the handlebars to provide some upper body stability, particularly when braking whilst going downhill. (Primary advantage for a child is that it is fun to use!).

[Fast Joey]

Hi Gordon, thanks for the response...

Wow...that would turn it into a trike! Definitely not something she could use in school, and that's where she will be using this chair the most. As for a manual chair, while she does have upper body strength, it's not enough. Gotta have the added help at all times.

About the width issue, I know that the e-motion wheels add width for sure, but everything that I have come across in reference to the Tailwind says that it doesn't add any width because everything is contained under the seat. Guess I should look into that just a little more to be sure. Hmmm...

[Gordy1]

Ok, knowing she needs the extra assistance all the time, then it seems that you are looking at the right options for her. (Although my son does use his firefly at school, he doesn't use it indoors).

Regarding the Tailwind width, I've just checked their website again (as I couldn't recall exactly why I'd picked up on the width issue). I think they are being a bit sneaky...

They state: "Power assist added width - none."
Then they state: "Overall Tailwind Width - add 8" to seat width."

So that means 4" added to each side, which seems to be a lot for a child's chair. (I've just measured my son's chairs, and they are both 3".)

The extra width may not be a problem for you (and the e-Motions would be wider still), so being able to try one out is great.

Having watched the Tailwind video, I would ask if they are compatible with a FreeWheel, as that would work even better in his off-road efforts, and might help you (for pushing, assuming you can with a Tailwind) and your daughter too.