NEWLIFTWALKER.COM

FROM THE CREATOR OF THE ORIGINAL LIFTWALKER

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FAQ


Who can use it?


Almost anyone in a wheelchair.

How much weight will it take?


The standard model is designed for adults up to 250 pound.

Who can benefit and how?


Patient benefits


patients with cerebral palsy, stroke, m.d., m.s., brain injury, spinal injury, accident rehab, geriatric issues, conversion syndrome, amputee therapy.
Safe and comfortable opportunity to stand, walk, or be transferred or toileted
Eye level communication with others
Patients often exceed the the expectations of conventional western medical models
All the normal benefits of physical exercise
Increased bone strength
Reduction of negative behaviors
Contractures reduced or eliminated
Muscle strength increased
Increase of endurance and lung power
Improvement of digestive system often resulting in removal of gastro-intestinal feeding tubes
Improved circulation
Increased mobility and independence
Increased feelings of happiness, self assurance, and accomplishment
Occasionally someone learns to walk independently
No patient ever falls on the floor with the LiftWalker
Exercise greatly increases life span and health which means not only happier daily life but greatly reduced medical costs and hospital stays.

Therapist benefits


Allows new tasks and therapies which are otherwise impossible or difficult
Prevents back injuries when used properly
Extends work of therapist and aides, in other words, more therapy can be done with fewer helpers
Applies to patient more quickly and easily than any comparable tool, thereby making help for more patients feasible. In other words, if a therapist gives walking therapy to eight patients a day, that number can be doubled or tripled with less energy expended.
Ability to work effectively with difficult symptoms of cerebral palsy, muscular distrophy, stroke, multiple sclerosis, brain injury, spinal injury, Rett syndrome, conversion syndrome, bone and muscle injury, age related infirmity, etc.

Organization benefits


Rehab times can be compressed
Patient progress increases customer and staff satisfaction
Fewer staff are required to do tasks of standing, transfers, walking, toileting...
More work done with less energy
Reduction of back injuries which translates to greatly reduced expenses of insurance disability claims, and extra staff
Avoidance of patient fall related injuries which can cost enormously especially when such injuries lead to lawsuits
Program attractiveness is enhanced. When customer families and health professionals see that institution is filled with upright walking patients it is not only beautiful, but it attracts additional business

Can I put a chest support in there?


You might put in a pillow there if you really want to, but usually the combination of existing prompts will encourage the child to straighten up if used properly. I can also modify anything for special cases.

Will MediCare pay for it?


I'm not set up with them but your local DME might be.

My kid doesn't walk, never has, how could it help him?


I don't know, why don't we try him out. He just might surprise you.

Does insurance cover this?


Often it does, yes.

Do doctors ever prescribe this?


Usually they will if they see a video of their patient walking with it.

When should someone definitely NOT use it?


There have been a few cases I've seen where a patient has some strange internal rods and supports and the doctor has absolutely forbidden vertical standing. I've only seen it a few times. There are occasionally other cases where the patient's heart is not accustomed to pumping blood through a vertical body and gradual application is required. If there is any question about trying it please consult your physician or phyical therapist. But otherwise almost everyone will benefit from standing and walking.

How long does it take to teach someone to walk independently?


If the reports to me are any indicator it is relatively rare for someone to gain complete independent mobility. I saw one bedridden stroke victim regain his independence after a few weeks. Another young woman spent four years of high school relearning to walk. Most LiftWalker users gain the benefits of walking by having the device as a firm and steady support system. So far, the best candidates for full independence are those who have walked before and are struggling to overcome some injury or disease. If independence is possible the LiftWalker will greatly assist in realizing it. I have recently come to realize that many of my customers make really amazing gains of strength and skill, but that they do not walk independently because they still lack a developed sense of balance. So I am working on tests and exercises to teach balance. Initial indicators are very positive that balance can be taught to those who've never walked. But it is early and we need some money to do this study fully.

Is it possible to fall?


I've never gotten a report of someone falling while in the LiftWalker.

Will it tip over?


Not easily. It can happen if you run quickly against a curb or other similar obstacle. But if you can run perhaps you should use some other device.

Can someone fall through it?


I've never heard of this happening. It's especially impossible if the thigh prompts are used. If sudden collapse is a possible issue then by all means use the thigh prompts as a safety device.

What is the height and weight range?


At the high end I've seen men up to 6'6" and 250 pounds use the LIftWalker comfortably. Below 30 pounds is too small and for such we are developing a toddler model. Larger models available by special order.

How long does it take to make me one?


It just depends. Usually three or four weeks. Unless it's a special order our goal is to have it in stock.

Can I rent or lease one?


We're working on a lease program but it's not ready yet.

Is there a buy back policy?


Not currently, but if you've achieved your LiftWalker goals then I can help find a customer for your used machine.

This one is more expensive than the Original LiftWalker which you invented in 1989. Is it really better?


The New LiftWalker is better because....

1. It solves the issue of adjustment. The Original LiftWalker had six screw knobs which had to be separately
adjusted for each client/user. Consequently these adjustments found their way into the most neutral adjustment
which would accomodate all users in a mediocre way. It was, plainly, too much work to adjust it properly each
time and it wasn't getting done. So I created a self adjusting thoracic prompt which has no knobs and fits
itself to the torso as the back belt is snugged up. This not only is easier but much quicker.

2. Much more comfortable to use.

3. The creation of the thigh prompts makes it possible for almost anyone to stand up. The Original LiftWalker
required that the client/user have a fair amount of upper body strength and control. Over the years I was
encouraged to attach pelvic and groin and buttocks straps to compensate for weak shoulders and arms. But they
hurt. I discovered in my search for better support that mountain climbers know of a danger called "Hang
Harness Syndrome". If someone suspended in a harness stops moving they will lose consciousness in under 7
seconds and die in under 14 or 15 seconds. This was too great a risk so I looked for another way. I created
what I call "Thigh Prompts". These wrap easily around the thighs while the client is seated and they have a
connection point at the hip socket. This attaches to the New LiftWalker and allows many more individuals
to successfully ambulate. I tested them and found I could dangle over the ground for over an hour with no
loss of circulation or even discomfort. With the Thigh Prompts you can practically "levitate" a client over
the ground with whatever percentage of their weight on their feet as you choose. I makes a gradual gainings
of weight bearing strength very convenient and easy.

4. The New LiftWalker is powered by a small 12 volt battery which operates an electric lift column. This thousand
pound capacity "pump" makes it not only easier to raise someone to standing, but it makes infinite height
adjustments possible and easy. When someone is learning to walk they encounter many variables which make a
height change desireable. Someone will stretch over a walking session. A body will tire and slouch. The
floor surface may change from carpet to tiles to cement or asphalt. All these variables require a height
adjustment to facilitate easy stepping by the client. In actual use I find the height adjustment being
tweaked by an eighth or quarter or half an inch several times a minute. It makes all the difference to be
able to make these little adjustments by the simple momentary touch of a switch.

5. The New LiftWalker is made of stainless steel and aircraft hardware and grade 8 bolts.....highest quality of
everything possible. I find Original LiftWalkers still being used after 14 or 15 years. But they are thrashed
and scratched and rusty. The stainless steel will not rust and since it is unpainted there is no danger of a
scratched surface. It is much easier to clean and to keep sanitary. As the construction is beefier I believe
the durability should be greatly enhanced.

6. The geometry of the New LiftWalker is changed to keep the user/client in a more central position within the
frame. This is an enhancement of safety and balance.

7. The rear wheels of the newest machine are directional casters, meaning you can actuate a lever and they fix
themselves in a straightforward direction, thus eliminating the wasted movement of extreme hip sway and also
makes the machine/client easier to manage, especially on an uneven surface. It tracks in a straight line
when this feature is engaged.

8. The linear bearings for the ankle prompts are placed under the frame instead of over. This protects the bearing
rod from being bent by well meaning teachers and therapists who frequently step on and bend the item in the
older machines.

9. The addition of weighted ankle prompts on the New LiftWalker adds to the anti-scissoring function. Weights
dampen and steady the wild gait of some spastic and spinal patients. The weighted ankle prompts also act as
a gentle and steady traction to accomplish stretching of contractures. Some facilities use the New LiftWalker
as a very gentle stander. Also, the weighted ankle prompts serve as weight training. It is a rare case where
the weighted ankle prompts are too heavy to be helpful. In those cases the old style ankle prompts can be
substituted where only abduction muscle assistance is needed.

10. For extreme "scissoring" cases the New LiftWalker can be fitted with an knee high abductor prompt. This gently
pulls the legs slightly apart right at the knees so that reciprocal steps can be taken.

Why do you use those expensive thigh prompts instead of cheaper crotch straps? Isn't that just a gimmick? What's this
Harness Hang Syndrome and is it real?


Allow me to suspend you above the ground first with crotch straps and then by using thigh prompts and you tell me your preference. My discovery that the
entire weight of the human body can be supported by the surface area of the thighs changes everything. It makes effortless the comfortable standing
levitation of the wheelchair bound. Harness Hang Syndrome is well known in the mountain climbing and rope rescue operations worlds. It occurs when a person is freely suspended in a harness with groin straps. When body movement stops it is a matter of minutes before unconsciousness occurs. Then it is another matter of minutes until death occurs. Do a Google search and you will find several university studies. I knew that groin straps are very uncomfortable but I didn't know they could be so dangerous. This is why I created the thigh wrap supports. They are a VERY comfortable way to suspend the human body. Like floating. Try them out for yourself.

What sizes are available?


Normal adult size production model is for 30 to 250 pounds.
Toddler model for one to three years of age is in development.
Special order sizes are extra large institutional model, a spinal edition, and a narrow home use model.