Weights for a Walking Frame

23rd December 2024

Stair barrier

19th December 2024

A barrier to prevent the client falling down the stairs at night.

Holder on a Wheelchair For a Helping-Hand Grabber

22nd October 2024

Solution to ensure a grabber is always to-hand for a wheelchair user. 

Activity board for an adult

29th May 2024

We were asked if we could make a heavy duty activity board for an adult who was living in a care home. He is quite strong but the care team were anxious to keep him occupied.

ADAPTED Garden chair

7th July 2023

This client is an amputee who uses a mobility scooter and struggled to transfer into a garden chair to sit outside with his family. He needed a solution which would allow him to transfer independently, recline and elevate his leg.

Extra height for a horse mounting step

25th May 2023

The local Riding for the Disabled needed an additional step for their mounting platform. The young clients are getting smaller and the ponies bigger so the steps that are currently used were not quite high enough.

Activity Boards

11th October 2022

We recently received a request to create two activity boards: one for use in a school and another for a portable board to help stroke victims rehabilitate (the items used were decided upon after discussion with the referrer, focusing on the needs of the person utilising them).

Cot Sides

1st August 2022

We were asked if we could make it easier for a client who has reduced strength to lift her baby in and out of their cot.

Baryatric Perching Stool that folds

25th May 2022

The client could not obtain a folding stool of sufficient strength to enable him to use it in his kitchen area. He wanted to be able to cook healthy meals and possibly go fishing, but is unable to stand for prolonged periods with out perching.

Shower seat

12th May 2022

The client had suffered a stroke and was unable to use his arm or leg on the left side of his body. His wife was unable to get him into the shower as it was too narrow for a shower chair to be manoeuvred so the client’s Occupational Therapist contacted us to ask for help.

I made a sliding shower seat from wooden slats supported by two old shower stools and added a sliding seat on inset casters. This enabled the client to be assisted onto the seat outside of the shower and then gently slid into the shower area.

Another School Stool Step

18th February 2021

Make a folding step for a science stool that is adjustable.

School stools for a short pupil

7th November 2019

We have been asked to modify 3 stools for a secondary school who have a very short pupil entering Year7 The young person we are helping is 98cm in height. with a thigh length of 23cm. Lower leg length (back of knee to heel) 19cm. We are aiming for a stool with a lower footplate to step up onto and a higher footplate which can be used to rest her feet.

Fishing Trolley Stool

6th September 2019

Malcom an Ex Soldier has many health problems now, his arthritis and back problems stop him walking any great distance but he can manage quite long distances if he sits down fairly often.  He would love to go fishing again and he has a fishing cart to carry all his gear (a considerable amount of Carp fishing gear) but he needs to sit down often when he pushes it to the lake. Most of his fishing lakes have good paths and are level so he can push it easily enough. I made him a folding seat that is easy to fold down so he can rest at regular intervals. Seat is a simple one leg stool supported by drop arms from the trolley frame all the Clients weight is taken by the leg which has a 3 legged foot. The seat is stabilised by the drop arms.

Activity Board

11th February 2019

An activity board was required for a special needs class of 5-7 year old children, consisting of a wall mounted panel with simple everyday activities fixed to it allowing the children to interact with them. The items are to be from ‘real life’ not toys, making ‘off the shelf’ activity boards unsuitable.

Patio door opener

10th December 2018

As temperatures rise this summer, those of us with gardens have been making the most of them. It’s ideal weather for hosting a barbecue, or relaxing in the sun with a cold drink and a good book.

These simple pleasures weren’t quite so simple for Bob. Although his sitting room has large French doors which open out to his garden, he needed someone else to open and close them for him. No long summer evenings with drinks on the patio for him — when his personal assistant went home for the evening, they had to be closed and locked up.

Remote stop device for Kubota mini tractor

11th June 2018

Ashley, Chairman Essex North Panel, has requested help with the following please:

Remap Essex North have been asked to make a remote stop device for an older Kubota Mini Tractor. The Tractor is used on a Therapy Farm run by a very experienced OT.  Clients are occasionally allowed to drive the tractor once the supervisor is happy they are competent to do so and have had enough training. Currently if anything goes wrong or a dangerous situation arises the supervisor reaches over the drivers leg and pulls the stop control.  Tractor is quite old and diesel powered stopping it is possible only by cutting the fuel achieved by pulling the stop lever, this is common to most older diesel farm equipment. We have been asked to make a remote stop device, the solution we have currently is a cord (extending dog lead?) attached to the control in such a way that pulling it will activate the stop control. However, this solution is not really what is required they really want a completely remote system that the driver is not aware of , I think this is a driver confidence issue.  Remote we take to mean within 20-30M or so with safety person behind or out of direct sight of the driver whist still being able to assess the driving. Tractor is used on level ground albeit quite muddy at times.  We have thought of solenoid valves and car key fobs but all have issues with failing safe.  Has anybody made something like this?  Perhaps  a contact with a University or College could help we are open to any ideas or if you want more information do get in touch.

Thanks

Ashley  essexnorth@remap.info

Squeeze machine

18th December 2017

This is the third Squeeze machine Essex North has made. They are all similar being two air mattresses constrained so that a person lying between them will be squeezed once they are inflated to provide a calming effect on the user’s nervous system.
The pump for this incarnation is a modified Mangar Bath aid pump. The article in the School Newsletter explains the theory better than me.

Sip/Puff Sewing Machine Pedal Actuator

16th December 2017

This sip/puff actuator was developed from an original design from the Herefordshire Panel, the electrical circuits  and motor are exactly the same as the Herefordshire Panel Device. I modified the actuator to use a cam and lever after realising almost all of the older sewing machine pedals are identical. More modern machines pedals differ. Motor mount uses a torque reaction switch to stop motor then it reaches a limit stop, a hand button is provided to stop machine and cycle cam back to zero.

Modified Cozy Coupé car to allow use by growing child

13th October 2017

The client had a rare genetic disorder and was really only happy when he was sitting in his “cozy coupé” toy car. However, as he was outgrowing the  coupe he was having to bend his legs backwards to allow him to use the car. Essex north  adapted the wheels by extending both the front steering wheels and the rear fixed axle, this “jacked up “ the coupe by about 100mm giving the client about another year’s play with the car.

Xbox Controller Modification

13th October 2017

The client’s physiotherapist asked Remap to devise a way of preventing the client working the left side buttons with his right hand which he was apt to do but it was preventing correct development of his left hand. Essex North  volunteer added a perspex shield between the buttons preventing the right hand operating the left buttons or visa versa.

Modified Cot Ends to allow feeding tube between the bars

12th July 2017

Client wanted to be able to pass a child’s feeding tube through the cot ends, this allows the child to turn without getting entangled in the feed tube which is the difficulty if the tube is passed over the cot sides. A small section of the cot side top was removed and a swinging section made to bridge the gap, a locking mechanism was devised so that lifting the removable section required two hands or sufficient dexterity only possible by an adult.

Oxygen cylinder carriers for a specialised wheelchair

12th July 2017

Client needed to use Oxygen via nose tubes at all times , however when the blood oxygen monitor alarm sounded an additional oxygen supply via a face mask was required quickly, this meant that two oxygen cylinders were required to be with the client at all times. Remap Essexnorth designed and made a holding frame  that enabled two cylinders to be carried together with a small platform for the oxygen monitor.  Holders were made from 12mm Birch ply.

Trolley for Oxygen Generator

12th July 2017

Client used oxygen on a regular basis and preferred to use an oxygen generator rather than the gas bottles as this would allow  client to go on holiday by plane without the cost of the airline supplying oxygen.  Client was unable to carry the generator very far as it was too heavy. A small trolley was made using an old extending suitcase handle, a simple welded frame and wheels from inline skates. Inline skate wheels are superb for this use.

Adjustable foot rests on school stools

12th July 2017

Client needed an additional footrest on the stools at School to be more comfortable in class.  However different classrooms used similar stools so it was essential that each classroom the client used had the appropriately modified stool. A steel strip with equally spaced fixing holes was welded to the two front legs of the stools, rails were made to fit. Easy adjustment was enabled by use of locking handles and captive bolts.