Stair gate

25th April 2014

Saeed is a young man with a learning disability who was unable to use the stairs safely.

A door was made to prevent him getting to them, and was secured with a magnetic catch. The magnet which operated the catch was kept by his mother. When this was placed on the outside of the door opposite the catch it would release it and allow the door to be opened. When the door was closed, the catch would latch automatically.

Saeed is not keen on the gate! His mother, however, is much happier that he cannot get on to the stairs.

Special bed lever/grab rail

25th April 2014

The client, an elderly lady, was having extreme difficulty getting in and out of bed. Conventional “side” bed levers could not be fitted because it was a lifting bed and there was no standard equipment to help her pull herself up when she got out of bed.

A standard side bed lever was modified so that it could be attached firmly to the bed. A special adjustable handle was made which was attached to the foot of the bed and positioned in such a way that she could reach it to pull herself up and would not prevent her swinging her legs out of bed. In this position it also served as a hand rail for her once she was on her feet. The client can now get in and out of bed unaided.

Shower chair conversion to commode

24th April 2014

The client found that his shower chair was very comfortable and also used it as a commode over the toilet. Sometimes it would be more convenient to use the chair as a commode with a “Bucket” and the request was to have one fitted. Support rails would have to clear the WC pan and the space here was obstructed by the tubular frame holding the chair seat.

Rails were made that would swing down to clear the tubular frame to fit and remove the “Bucket” and when pushed up could be latched in position for use. In this position the chair, without the “Bucket”, could also be used over the toilet.

The client’s shower chair can now double as a commode that can be used with a “Bucket” or over the toilet as required.

Reading aid to separate magazine pages

21st April 2014

Judy, who has multiple sclerosis, had difficulty in turning her pages of technical magazines on her wheelchair table, owing to poor control of her fingers.

The panel made a raised magazine support with a vertical gap to accommodate the spine and a covering of nonslip material. A serrated gripstick, with a rubber finger stall on the tip, was made to help Judy separate and turn the pages. The rubber stall provided enough friction to slide the corner of one page over the rest of the magazine whilst in a near-vertical position. The angle of the support also helped Judy’s vision.

Music reading aid

14th April 2014

This 95 year old professional pianist has macular degeneration and could no longer read the music.

A device to hold a magnifying glass 125mm in front of her eyes. This was made from threaded studding, to make it adjustable, was attached to the webbing lining of a hard hat. The weight of the magnifying glass had to be counter-balanced by weights incorporated in the rear of the device.

She can read the music so no longer has any excuse not to practice!

Modified grab handle

14th April 2014

The client required a bed lever to get in and out of bed. Unfortunately she had a lifting type of bed and the standard bed lever that fits under the mattress is unsuitable, as it will move whenever the bed is raised.

A second bed lever was purchased and, by cutting and brazing, one bed lever was made from the two levers which would pass under the bed. The lever was then secured to the bed with 25mm conduit saddles.

The client can now get in and out of bed more easily and the operation of the bed is not affected.

Liquid feed bag opener

13th April 2014

The client, who has motor neurone disease, is fed through a tube with liquid food supplied in litre packs. It took the client about one hour to break the foil seal of the pack due to his condition.

A device was designed and made which holds the feed pack and a lever mechanism pierces the foil seal. The foil seal is actually pierced by the feed tube, which is attached to the pack.

The client is able to continue living at home, and can open the feed packs in a matter of minutes.

Knee restraint

12th April 2014

The client has muscular dystrophy and requires an electric scooter to move about. To assist his posture a means was required to keep his knees in but there was no standard equipment available.

A bar was fixed to the seat and hinged in such a way it could be swung up out of the way to permit access. The end of the bar where the leg rested was padded with pipe insulation. When in the down position the bar located into a “U” shaped clip which held it rigidly.

The client now sits in the correct position.

Hoist for sailing

12th April 2014

The hoist used at the client’s sailing club fails repeatedly and is often sent away for repair. In view of this unreliability (the client is competing for a place in the Paralympic Team and is down to the last six contenders), another hoist was obtained to act as a standby for such occasions. Remap was approached to see if we could make a sleeve to enable the new hoist to fit the existing mounting.

A bronze sleeve was made which was clamped to the new hoist and fitted into the old mounting. A ‘bung’ with a brush attached, was also made, which fitted the mounting to inhibit the ingress of dirt into the mounting, which might cause the hoist to jam on insertion, and the brush provided a means of cleaning the mounting if necessary.

The client is now back on the water.

High commode

12th April 2014

The client required a ‘downhill’ transfer to move to and from the commode when he used it at night. His bed was height adjustable and the height could be adjusted to enable him to get onto the commode but would not go low enough for the return journey.

By extending the legs so that the seat of the commode was 24” high a downhill transfer could be achieved in both directions. The additional height was achieved by removing the wheels on the chair and making up new legs from electrical conduit. These were turned down to fit inside the tubular legs and were held in place by the original bolts that retained the wheels. Walking stick rubbers were fitted to provide grip protection for the floor.

The client was able to use the commode at night unassisted.

French window opener

11th April 2014

The client has a very weak grip and was having great difficulty opening her sliding windows to access her balcony.

Using an old dc electric wheelchair motor and a wire on a continuous loop attached to the door, the door can be opened and closed by operating the motor in the appropriate direction. Access to the balcony is now easily achieved.

Folding shower bench

10th April 2014

The client was a double leg amputee and to shower he needed a larger area to manoeuvre on than is available with a normal shower chair. Whatever was developed needed to fold up to maximise the limited space in the bathroom.

The bathroom was already equipped with a shower chair, which folded up against the wall. The chair back and plastic seat were removed and a slatted bench was constructed from hardwood and fitted to the chair ‘chassis’. This enabled the bench to fold up against the wall.

The client can roll around and wash himself with ease and the bathroom space was not compromised.

Exercise bike raiser

10th April 2014

The client has cerebral palsy and has an exercise bike that he enjoys using. He has difficulty not only getting onto it but also keeping his right foot on the pedal.

A frame was constructed to lift the bike up so as to provide an almost level transfer. The right hand pedal was fitted with a plate and Velcro straps to hold his foot in place. The client can now enjoy riding his bike.

Car handrail

12th March 2014

The client has difficulty walking and uses a three-wheeled ‘Walker’ to give him support. When going out in the car he takes the ‘Walker’ in the boot. The problem then arises of how to get from the boot of the car to the driving seat and vice versa.

A rail was made from electrical conduit that clamped to the rear door. The clamps were rubber faced to protect the paintwork.

He now feels he can move between the car boot and the driving seat much more safely.

Braking modification to a three wheeled walker

11th March 2014

Mr C’s three wheeled walker had two-handed braking, but he had only one hand. The application of only one brake caused instability.

The walker was modified so that both brakes could be simultaneously applied by one hand.

Mr C is now much more confident in the use of his walker.

Bed lever

10th March 2014

The client needs to use a bed lever to transfer from her bed to a wheelchair. As the bed is of the elevating type, the normal bed lever that fits under the mattress without any fixings, moves about when the bed is elevated.

The solution was to fix the ‘handle’ portion of the bed lever to the bed frame by means of a pair of clamps. Vee blocks were used to ensure the bed lever was held firmly. The part that normally goes under the mattress was discarded. The bed lever makes it much easier for the client to transfer to her wheelchair.

Bath transfer seat

10th March 2014

Arthur, who is paralysed from the waist down, was finding it more difficult as he got older to get into the bath.

A plywood platform standing on pillars was made to fit his wheelchair which brought the seat up to the correct height for the bath. The platform pillars located into the arm sockets of the wheelchair and the wheelchair arms, then into sockets in the platform.

Arthur first transfers to a raised toilet seat – made for him in a previous project – to permit the raised platform to be fitted to his wheelchair. Once fitted he then transfers back to the wheelchair and sits on the platform. With the arm rests in place the wheelchair is then manoeuvred to the side of the bath. The nearside armrest is removed and he can transfer to the bath.

Arthur can now get into the bath more easily.

Bath seat

10th March 2014

Margaret needed support whilst sitting in the bath. Previously an old wooden seat had been used, then a type of beanbag had been tried.

In discussion with the occupational therapist, it was decided that the plastic seat from a shower chair might be suitable. A shower chair was obtained and the seat removed. This was fitted to a new padded copper tube frame that would fit the bath.

The new seat has proved to be very comfortable and Margaret can bathe much more happily.

Baby lifter

9th March 2014

A lady with a general weakness in her hands, arms and back cannot carry heavy weights. She was concerned that she would not be able to care for her new baby properly.

A ‘mini’ forklift truck was constructed with a ’C’ frame for a base and a vertical pillar that contained a shaft/guides on which the lifting frame moved. A winding drum driven by a windscreen wiper motor provided the motive effort and the power was provided by a re-chargeable battery. A suitable container was constructed on the lifting frame to hold the baby and the unit was mounted on castors to enable it to be moved around the house. The height of lift can be adjusted from floor level to 1 metre.

The ‘Baby Lifter’ is in daily use and the mother doesn’t know how she would have managed without it.