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- Reduces injuries
- Reduces fear of falling
- Invented by a physician for his patients
- Sold as a Wheelchair-Wheel Lock Unit or as a Wheel lock kit that can be retrofitted to some popular wheelchairs.
- Overrides installed for easy mobility
- Easily collapsible
- Reduces probability of increased legal expenses in regard to wheelchair falls
The risks of falling.
Each time someone transfers in and out of a wheelchair, there is a risk of falling. Some falls result in serious injury that requires long-term medical care. Often the injury permanently affects one's quality of life.
Nearly half the patients who use wheelchairs in nursing homes have a fall each year. Of those falls, approximately eleven percent result in a serious injury such as a fractured hip. Nationally, falls from wheelchairs cost individuals and businesses billions of dollars each year. This includes costs paid by Medicare, Medicaid, private insurance companies and hospitals.
The Problem is growing.
Although wheelchairs have manual brakes, they are of no value if the person forgets or is unable to use them. The very act of applying the brakes before exiting a wheelchair takes two physical actions: applying the brakes, then bracing on the wheelchair's arms. It is no wonder the incidence of falls is greater among people who have experienced strokes, have Alzheimer's disease, or multiple sclerosis.
In addition to increased medical costs, there is also the possibility of increased legal expenses in regard to wheelchair falls. Many employers and healthcare workers have experienced this firsthand.