News and Events
Many Disabled Children will Soon be Riding Their Own Special Trykes,
Thanks To Ambucs, Northeast Rehab and Southern New Hampshire Rehabilitation
Centers.
Northeast Rehabilitation Health Network, an official
evaluation and demonstration site for AMBUCS and
Southern New Hampshire Rehabilitation Centers, are co-sponsoring an Open
House for disabled children in the Nashua and surrounding area on
Wednesday, May 21st from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Northeast Rehab's Nashua
Facility, located on the west campus of SNHMC, 29 Northwest Blvd.,
Nashua, NH 03061.AMBUCS, is an 86 year old national charitable
organization, is committed to creating mobility & independence for
people with disabilities. The AmTryke, a unique tricycle, is hand
and/or foot powered. It improves motor coordination, increases
self-esteem and is fun to ride!
Disabled children unable to ride trykes or bicycles in the past, will
be fitted for the AmTryke equipment which will enable them to play in
the neighborhood along with other children.
Northeast Rehab Hospital is one or two organizations in New England
that is an approved official evaluation and demonstration site for the
AmTryke equipment. Last fall, at the first event held at
Northeast's Salem facility, 8 children were able to obtain an AmTryke
through a combination of family funding, community donations and nation
wish funds
Northeast Rehab and SNHRC are co-sponsoring this event to bring
awareness about the AMBUCS program to the community and to encourage
parents of disabled children in the area to have them assessed for the
equipment. If the family cannot afford the equipment, the child's
name is added to the AMBUCS national wish list, and the child will
eventually be awarded an AmTryke through donations made to the wish list
program.
The event is also designed to highlight the need for AMBUCS volunteer
chapters to be set up in New England for the fund raising program.
As volunteer chapters are set up and funds are raised, the money will be
used to purchase equipment for area children waiting for their AmTrykes.
Jo Copeland, Executive Director of AMBUCS will be on hand for the
event to assist the physical therapists in evaluating the children for
the correct equipment. Joe will also answer questions for anyone
interested in starting an AMBUCS volunteer chapter.
Northeast Rehab Offers Free, Private Web Services to Patients
Northeast
Rehabilitation Health Network has become a sponsor of CaringBridgeTM,
a non-profit, private web service. Founded in 1997, CaringBridge
now connects over 15 million people each year. This web service is
free to patients and provides a way to stay connected with family and
friends during a health crisis, treatment and recovery.
Patients and or a family member can create a personal CaringBridge web
page quickly and easily and write journal entries to update other family
members, friends or co-workers on an as-needed basis. Visitors to
the web page can read the entries and send messages of support and
encouragement in the guest book. CaringBridge, convenient and
always available - day or night - can be used as long as needed.
CaringBridge does not sell banner ads or pop-ups that distract and
clutter the site and the private database of users is never sold or
rented for any reason. All content on a CaringBridge site is
created and posted by a patient or family member therefore no HIPPA
restrictions or regulations apply.
Setting up a personal site on CaringBridge requires only basic
computer skills and can be updated as frequently as needed, by the
patient and/or family member. CaringBridge offers a menu of
privacy settings, including password protection for both author and
visitors.
"We are pleased to be able to provide our patients with this service
so they can stay connected to their family, friends, and co-workers
while they are hospitalized at Northeast Rehab." said John Prochilo, CEO
and Administrator. "It's a great comfort during their stay at the
Rehab Hospital."
Popular Holiday Gift Used in "Rehab"
Northeast Rehab reports that the Nintendo Wii is being used as an
additional option in the therapy process. "It gets people to move;
they stand up, work on balance, weight shifting, endurance and strength
while having fun in the process," explains Pam Ayotte, Team Leader of
Therapeutic Recreation at Northeast Hospital.Although it is not
replacing traditional therapies, recreation with the Wii can be
especially helpful for stroke patients who have weakness on one side or
visual neglect. Having to deal with moving the mechanism and
pressing buttons to hit a tennis ball or bowl a strike etc., patients
concentrate on the game and not their limitations.
Active video games are also being recommended for pain management,
Multiple Sclerosis, traumatic brain injury and a wide range of
diagnoses. Even speech therapists find the video game helps
increase attention span, memory and ability to follow instructions.
"We have even had a patient ask for a prescription to purchase a Wii to
use at home for therapy," says Pam Ayotte.
"Although that isn't an option we can prescribe" says John Prochilo,
CEO and Administrator, "we are excited to see patients making progress
while using the Wii."
Northeast Rehab Hospital and AMBUCS Award 5 AmTrykes to Patients
Northeast Rehabilitation Hospital in Salem, NH along with AMBUCS
assisted the hospital's pediatric physicaltherapists in evaluating and
awarding 5 AmTrykes to their patients. So, before winter weather
set in, 5 lucky children were out riding their AmTryke.
AMBUCS, a
national charitable service organization is dedicated to creating
mobility and independence for people with disabilities. For 85
years they have served various community needs. In 1990 AMBUCS
became involved in the AmTryke project out of basic need. There
are several models of the AmTryke, for all types and sizes of children
with disabilities, to help them experience the fun of riding along with
the other neighborhood kids...something they might not enjoy otherwise.
AMBUCS is working to establish non-profit chapters in the Northeast
to promote mobility and independence for people with disabilities
through community events that will bring in donations. Local
AMBUCS chapters focus on giving away 5 AmTrykes (therapeutic tricycles)
per year, sponsor one AMBUCS scholarship annually as a part of their
charitable activities. Visit
www.ambucs.com to learn how you can start a chapter in your area.
Northeast Rehab Launches Mobility Park
The realization of a long-time dream came to life with the
launch of the new Mobility Park at Northeast Rehabilitation Hospital.
The multi-level, all terrain outdoor park is used to help patients
return to outdoor navigation after illness or injury.The park
encompasses a variety of surfaces such as stone, mulch, brick, grass and
cement. Patients from toddlers to seniors participate in therapy
activities in the park. This project represents another aspect of
the continuum of services provided to patients, enabling their safe
return to the activities of daily living.
Get Back into Action at Northeast Rehab
Patients at Northeast Rehabilitation Hospital (NRH) are playing golf,
riding bikes, and brushing up on other recreational skills. NRH has
teamed up with Northeast Passage to offer their patients a unique adaptive
recreational experience.As part of their inpatient therapy program,
patients are assessed for their leisure interests and hobbies. Appropriate
patients are given the opportunity to participate in a monthly adaptive
recreation session where they are introduced to specially modified equipment
that allows them to once again partake in their sport of choice. Northeast
Passage has equipment for over 20 different activities ranging from fishing to
basketball to skiing. Each session is individually tailored to a small
group of patients who share similar interest. The patients, with the help
of their therapists, are able to actually try out the equipment during the
session. At the conclusion of the session, the patients are given further
resources for pursuing their recreational interests once they are discharged
from NRH. Perhaps more importantly, the patients gain insight into what
recreational opportunities are out there, regardless of their physical
limitations.
Recent research has shown that participation in recreational activities has
numerous benefits for individuals with disabilities, including an increase in
self-determination, the development of friendships, an improvement in physical
functioning, enhanced perceptions of social acceptance and the development of
socially-appropriate behaviors. (1)
Northeast Passage, founded in 1990, is a nationally recognized leader in the
provision of innovative therapeutic recreation services. Northeast Passage
delivers disability-related health promotion and adapted sports programs
throughtout New England. Northeast Passage is a program of the University
of New Hampshire and is an affiliate of Disabled Sports USA.
1. Devine MA, Koch LC. Recreational planning: an
important component of career counseling for people with disabilities.
Work 2003;21(1):83-8
The Next Generation of Mobility
After receiving input from clinicians and users of
the iBOT® 3000 Mobility System, Independence®
Technology, a Johnson & Johnson company, recently launched their new
Independence® iBOT® 4000 Mobility System. Many of
the improvements have expanded the usability of the device by a wider
variety of people with disabilities.
The iBOT® 4000 now has a lower seat to
floor height (18”) which allows the user to more easily transfer in and
out of the device. Additionally, there are two seating options offered,
including a traditional automotive style seat and a rehab style seat
which allows placement of any pressure-relieving cushion on the seat
pan. Both seating options include footrests that swing away and are
removable. The User Control Panel (UCP) has been reduced from a series
of 10 buttons to a combination of 3 buttons and 2 toggles, making it
easier for people that have limited use of their fingers. The UCP now
swings away to allow the user to get up close to tables and under
desks. The power button, which was once located below the seat on the
power base, is now more conveniently located on the User Control Panel.
The overall performance of the iBOT® has also been enhanced
in its ability to climb taller curbs (5”), steeper inclines (10º), and
turn corners more smoothly. The iBOT® 4000 has also passed
testing for user occupancy during transport, which allows the individual
to safely remain seated in the iBOT® with a 4 point tie down
system while they are being transported.
The iBOT® 4000 retains all of the
innovative and exclusive features of the iBOT® 3000 allowing
individuals to travel over uneven terrain, climb stairs, and raise up to
eye level while in a seated position. The iBOT® 4000 Mobility
System still uses patented iBalanceä Technology that combines computers
and gyroscopes to constantly maintain the user’s center of balance. The
changes to the design and maneuverability of the iBOT® 4000
Mobility System will continue to offer new and exciting opportunities to
a variety of people with mobility impairments.
For more information on the iBOT® 4000
or Independence® Technology, please visit
www.ibotnow.com. Also visit Northeast
Rehab Health Network's iBot® Evaluation Center.
NRH Outpatient Pediatric Program Welcomes New
Physician
Dr. Harry C. Webster, well-known expert in the care and treatment of
children with cerebral palsy and muscular dystrophy, has joined the staff of
Northeast Rehabilitation Hospital, Salem, NH as a consultant in pediatric
physiatry. Dr. Webster, who is Chief of Pediatric Rehabilitation of
New England Medical Center, will conduct clinics on a regular basis at
Northeast Rehab, 70 Butler Street, Salem.
In addition to pediatric patients with cerebral palsy and muscular
dystrophy, Dr. Webster will also deal with spasticity and tone management,
long-term care of chronically impaired children and the transition of these
children to adult services. Appointments may be made by calling (603)
893.2900 extension 3230.
Last Updated:
05/01/08 |
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