On Feb. 25, Mobility Management and Editor in Chief Laurie Watanabe hosted the webinar CRT Defines Innovation, with panelists Stan Arledge, ATP/SMS, at Senior Mobility Aids, a provider in California; Tamara Kittelson, ATP/SMS, an occupational therapist and executive director of the Clinician Task Force; and Julie Piriano, PT, ATP/SMS, senior director of payer relations and…
CRT Defines Innovation: Mobility As Health Risk Mitigation
The Science of Seat-to-Floor Height
How this seemingly basic wheelchair measurement can impact a client’s overall mobility experience.
A successful wheeled mobility intervention is the culmination of dozens of measurements and the optimal combination of hundreds of components, all brought together in precisely the best way. Of all the numbers to come out of a seating evaluation, seat-to-floor measurements might seem among the most basic — merely the inches or centimeters from the…
Measuring for Seat-to-Floor Heights: It’s All in the Numbers
Accurate seat-to-floor height measurements are crucial to seating systems. So is knowing how to take those measurements.
Creating optimal seat-to-floor height depends on many factors, including knowing which measurements are most important. “Popliteal to heel is a crucial anatomical measurement for determining seat-to-floor height (to ensure adequate ground clearance) while considering how much knee flexion will be incorporated while seated,” said Jessica Presperin Pedersen, OTD, MBA, OTR/L, ATP/SMS, North American director of…
RESNA Calls for Submissions to Developers’ Showcase, Student Design Challenge
Submissions may be chosen for display at the RESNA conference in Chicago in May.
In preparation for its May conference, the Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society of North America (RESNA) is calling for submissions for its Developers’ Showcase and Student Design Challenge. The Developers’ Showcase “features new products, products under development, and products that are currently being enhanced or redesigned,” RESNA said in its call. “All types of…
Power Assist’s Exhilarating Evolution
With more designs available, seating teams can better choose the best option for every client.
Once upon a time, power assist for manual wheelchairs was dominated by hub-mounted designs incorporated into the wheelchair’s rear wheels. But over the years, those venerable in-hub systems were joined by power-assist systems that mount to the front or the back of folding or rigid wheelchairs to provide more choices for wheelchair riders and seating…
Commentary: 4 Takeaways from RESNA’s Lying Posture Care Management Position Paper
Optimal positioning when lying down can impact CRT clients’ waking hours, as well.
When getting into bed requires little or no effort, it’s easy to take lying down comfortably for granted. But last week, a new position paper from the Rehabilitation Engineering & Assistive Technology Society of North America (RESNA) addressed bed as a place of pain and discomfort for too many clients with positioning challenges. The paper…
December Spending Bill Extends Medicare Telehealth Coverage Through March
NCART lauds the extension of telehealth for occupational and physical therapists as crucial to timely CRT provision.
The late-December spending bill that funds federal government programs through March 2025 includes an extension of Medicare telehealth funding. President Joe Biden signed H.R. 10545, the American Relief Act 2025, into law on Dec. 21. While critical home medical equipment (HME) legislation, including much-needed funding relief for HME providers, was left out of the bill,…
Lois Brown to Lead LUCI’s Canadian Launch
Industry veteran will relocate to Toronto to support LUCI’s national sales, educational campaigns.
Industry veteran Lois Brown, MPT, ATP/SMS, CRTS, has joined LUCI to lead the company’s upcoming commercial introduction in Canada. In a press release, LUCI — manufacturer of smart power wheelchair technology — said Brown would “lead LUCI’s market expansion into Canada, wearing multiple hats that will span national sales, education, and customer satisfaction. Lois will…
Cindi Petito Joins VGM & Associates
VGM’s new director of clinical networks will focus on CRT and home accessibility.
Complex Rehab Technology (CRT) and accessibility veteran Cindi Petito has joined VGM & Associates. Petito, OTR/L, MBA, ATP, CAPS, CEAC, is VGM’s new director of clinical networks. In an Oct. 23 press release, VGM said, “Cindi brings with her over 29 years of experience in multiple health-care settings, including Complex Rehab, as well as being…
NCART Shares Updated Wheeled Mobility and Seating Evaluation Form
The new evaluation tool includes “a clear delineation” of the work done by suppliers and clinicians.
The Wheeled Mobility and Seating Evaluation tool used for years by many seating clinicians has been updated for 2024 and is being shared by the National Coalition for Assistive & Rehab Technology (NCART). In an Oct. 16 bulletin to Complex Rehab Technology professionals, NCART said, “This updated version includes additional evaluation and justification information that…