Tech & industry

For a child with motor disabilities, taking control of their first or latest powerchair can be a major milestone in their young life. It’s a challenging process and, often, a fearful one too – for parents as well as the child. Various healthcare professionals, and technology provider representatives, may be involved in preparing the chair and its control system. The child then has a limited time to try it out before they and their family make decisions which can have a huge bearing on their future quality of life and independence.

At Hatfield House, in the Hertfordshire countryside on a typically wet English summer day, actor David Proud is taking a pretty special set of wheels out for a spin. The former EastEnders star has the condition spina bifida and has always used a wheelchair to get around. He was, therefore, an ideal candidate to test drive a unique innovation in mobility technology. AddSeat has been created to allow wheelchair users the freedom to reach places they previously wouldn’t have been able to.

The platform, which enables home care providers to more efficiently manage and support their staff and oversee appointments, has gained its 1,000th customer. CarePlanner is a complete staff rostering and management system for domiciliary care providers, including those who support people with complex disabilities caused by brain and spinal injuries and neurological conditions. Users are able to realise significant efficiency savings on a wide range of tasks such as communicating with staff, monitoring mileage costs and booking appointments.

Greater independence and several proven health benefits have contributed to growing global interest in stand-up wheelchairs, says C.Y. Cheung, founder of Wheelchair88. His Malaysia-based firm produces four stand-up wheelchair models, which are sold internationally and are becoming increasingly popular. Part of their appeal is the practical differences they can make to an individual’s life. Using gym equipment, withdrawing from cash machines and reaching for high shelves in supermarkets are some of the weekly tasks made possible by being raised from a seating to a standing position.

Every year in the US, there are an estimated 1.7 to three million sports and recreation-related concussions, 300,000 of which are American football-related, according the UPMC sports medicine concussion programme. More startling is that according to this data, five out of 10 concussions go unreported or undetected. Many college and professional teams have standardised tests in place, performing baseline tests at the start of the season and implementing others during practice and game situations.

Over 350,000 people in the UK rely on mobility scooters and powerchairs every day. These devices should be a fast-track to freedom, independence and the vital journeys of daily life. Yet this is not always the case, with several challenges hindering their usage. Firstly, as scooters/powerchairs operate on rechargeable batteries, travelling distance is limited. Users going further afield may have to disassemble the device, load it into the back of their vehicle, drive to the destination and then unload it. Some scooters and powerchairs can’t be disassembled, meanwhile. In this case, a vehicle able to accommodate their height and a ramp or hoist to access the vehicle are needed.

The device, which allows people who traditionally may have used a seated chair to make face-to-face and eye-to-eye contact through them being able to stand, has played a central role in developing and regaining the confidence of many users. Going to the gym, using a cash machine, reaching the top shelf in a supermarket, and so many other activities which may have previously proved problematic, are now routinely possible. Additionally, its positive role in a multitude of health matters is also a key factor in its adoption - from improving blood circulation, heart and lung function, bowel movement and bone density to reducing muscle spasm, joint stiffness, shrinkage of tendons and development of pressure sores.

There’s a dilemma for people who need residential care and for their families and loved ones. On one hand it is important for their morale, dignity and rehabilitation that they should enjoy as great a degree of independence as possible. Yet, those who are living with brain or spinal conditions are, by definition, vulnerable. For their own safety and for the peace of mind of their families and carers, they require monitoring to a greater or lesser extent. Monitoring, however, is something which undermines, or even negates, independence.

‘Necessity is the mother of invention,’ so the old proverb goes. For Guillem Singla Buxarrais, that necessity stemmed from his uncle; who was struggling to recover from a stroke suffered in 2010. The Spanish inventor-turned-entrepreneur says: “I wanted to find a solution to motivate him, that was at least affordable to buy and was also fun; that was my criteria and I couldn’t find anything at the time.” Guillem was looking for an antidote to his uncle’s upper limb problems; a device to fire up his morale and get him exercising towards recovery. After a fruitless search, he set about creating something himself.

“People on the ground don’t care about the political situation between the UK and Russia,” says Alesya Chichinkina, PR director of Russian tech firm NeuroChat. “Everyone has these barriers in their heads but they are not the reality. The politics is just for the politicians.” We’re chatting midway through her enthusiastic demonstration of NeuroChat’s impressive communication system. Certainly here at the the NEC in Birmingham, there is no hint of the frosty British/Russian relationship. NeuroChat is one of several Russian parties showing off their wares at a large exhibition stand at the European Neuro Convention. The Russian delegation is eager to work with neuro-rehab professionals, patients and care providers in the UK.