All sports fans will know that the Olympic and Paralympic Games are to be held in London this year. All over the World and here in Canada our athletes are preparing for the biggest event of their careers – the ‘Big Dance’, as some have coined it.

Well, local sports fans and followers of this blog will be very pleased to hear that local sailors John McRoberts and Stacie Louttit have won their ticket to the dance!

John and Stacie, from Victoria BC, represented Canada in the 2008 Paralympics in China and came home with a Bronze medal in the Skud 18 sailing event.

Their qualifying event for London was the IFDS (International Federation for Disabled Sailing) World Championships held in Port Charlotte, Florida, this January.

In a week of tricky, highly competitive racing on the waters of Charlotte Harbor, John and Stacie beat their Canadian rivals in every race but one and were officially selected for the Games.

They then went on to sail in the Miami Olympic Class regatta for another week of glorious racing in beautiful Biscayne Bay, achieving fourth place against the top World teams of GBR, Australia and USA.

‘By the end of the month we were on top of our game,’ said John. ‘We were in the mix the whole time and led many races. So now we need to consolidate our tactics and decision making in preparation for September.’

The 2012 Paralympic Games take place from 29 August to 9^th September and the sailing competition will be in Weymouth, Dorset (not London!). The team has already raced twice at the venue and the Canadian Yachting Association has rented a house locally so that athletes can train and prepare effectively.

‘We feel at home there now,’ said John. ‘It’s great to be familiar with the venue and the conditions. We’re excited and very proud to be representing Canada again.’

If you would like to support John and Stacie’s efforts to bring home another medal then please visit their website www.teamucan2.ca

And there was another ‘family’ success down in Florida this January. Jackie McRoberts (John’s wife and the author of this blog) qualified for the Canadian Sailing Team in her single-handed 2.4mR keelboat ‘Ula’. She is more than excited to be able to continue her sailing career here in beautiful BC and proud to call Cadboro Bay her ‘office’!

Angel Accessibility Solutions is proud to be a sponsor for these terrific Canadian competitors.

Interview with Vesa Myllyniemi

By Jackie Gay

The first question I asked Vesa, when I met him at Angel’s offices on a chilly December day was, ‘so what’s your role within the company?’

‘Hmm,’ he said, ‘a bit of everything, I guess.’

Starting as a project manager undertaking CAD drawing projects, Vesa quickly established himself as a Jack (and master…) of all trades, able to move between machinery installation, repairs, the company’s computer systems, and ‘anything that needs fixing, really.’

‘I do the stuff that nobody else can,’ he said.

Vesa has been with the company for over 7 years, and prior to his move to Angel, was a repair technician in the fitness equipment industry.

‘I built it and fixed it,’ he said, ‘great work for me because I like to be “hands-on” but the nature of the job meant that I could be sent away from home and this became incompatible with my home and family life.’

Working for Angel enables him to get this balance right – whilst still getting his hands dirty.

‘I like the variety of this job. I’d go crazy staring at a computer screen all day, I like to get out there and get things done.’

I reminded him that eventually the computer will need fixing too, and he smiled, wryly.

‘I’ve always been interested in technology, how things work, I’m self-taught when it comes to computers and this gives me the confidence to tackle problems. I know I can “step into the breach”.’

‘George is a good boss for me because he steps back and gives us responsibility. I like that, I respond to it well because I know I can get the job done without anyone breathing down my neck. I thrive when I’m given more rope.’

Studies show that George has the right approach; once their basic needs are satisfied (they can pay the bills!) people are motivated by autonomy, challenge and making a contribution.

Like all Angel’s employees, Vesa is proud to be a part of Angel’s role as an enabler in the community. ‘We’re not just making or fixing parts, pieces of machinery, we’re improving people’s lives. All of us here are trying to make things better. You might start as a fitter or a receptionist but soon you’ll become involved in the company’s ethos, in working together to help people with disabilities.’

‘I’ve been to China twice,’ he said, ‘and I never once saw a person in a wheelchair. To me that was shocking because it’s such a part of my life, here.’

Which led us to talking about another journey Vesa has taken over the last five years.

It all started when Vesa and his wife Jennifer started sponsoring a child in China. The couple – who already had two children, Annaleena and Luke – had friends who had visited the country and the experience of sponsorship made them keen to visit the Chinese orphanage.

‘We volunteered for two weeks,’ said Vesa, ‘then came home for a year. When my wife said she wanted to adopt one of the children, I already knew, I’d seen the way she was with the babies and children when we visited – I was too, you can’t help it, you want to pick them up and bring them home.’

The adoption process meant that they weren’t able to adopt the child they’d sponsored but a year ago they brought home Kate, who will be 4 in January.

‘She’s a special needs child,’ said Vesa. ‘They all are, in the orphanage. Basically she’d been abandoned.’

Kate was born with facial hemangioma, which caused a benign tumor to grow, covering a quarter of her face and head. ‘All we know is that she came to the orphanage at 17 months old, probably when the tumor started to grow. She’s had surgery, sponsored by an American charity, to remove the tumor, and has facial scarring as a result. At some point she’ll have plastic surgery, and she’s under the care of the BC Children’s hospital in Vancouver.’

The family took their daughter Annaleena to China when they went to bring Kate home and it was Annaleena who coaxed Kate out of her shell. ‘Annaleena would bring her toys and eventually they started playing together.’

‘She’s my girl, now,’ says Vesa. ‘It really brings the work we do home because I see people in group facilities now who would have been left to die in other places and times. But they have good lives.’

As will little Kate, now.

After a story like that it was difficult to get back to the topic of work. I rounded off our chat off by asking Vesa about his ambitions with the company. ‘I’m not sure,’ he said, ‘But stuff will get thrown at me. The company is growing, accessibility is on everyone’s radar – builders, architects – and products that improve access and enable people will continue to be sought after. There will always be developments in technology and products. I can deal with people and problems. I’m a fixer.’

Every company should have one.

Ad note: It is hard to peg a Job title for Vesa, closest thing is Special Projects Coordinator. But when you are the IT Expert, an installer, the best finisher for installed goods, a service tech, CAD operator and our swimming pool structural guru, what title can really do him justice. How about Robin Hood of Victoria, Vesa was a National Junior Archery Champion!!

George

December 12, 2011

Angel Accessibility Solutions is pleased to announce we have acquired part ownership of
Beka-Hospitec, a quality Healthcare Manufacturing firm based in Wetzlar, Germany.

On September 1, 2011, Angel Accessibility Solutions with two other key investors purchased the assets of Beka-Hospitec, a German based manufacturing company. Beka was established in 1986 and has a global distribution network with exports to over 40 countries.

For Angel Accessibility Solutions, this is a strategic acquisition and long term investment. This investment will provide us a top quality product range into the foreseeable future. Angel has four years experience with Beka Products and we know this will provide our customers with top quality. Beka is a valuable company with tremendous potential.

Beka is a manufacturer of quality products. Their core competency is around effective, well-designed and functional care products. The product range includes care tubs, transfer devices, transport devices and hygiene products.

At Angel Accessibility Solutions, our main focus is quality care through the elimination of staff injuries when moving residents and patients. Beka products span the range from transfer devices and stand aids to bathing systems and tubs. Angel has been a Beka dealer in North American since 2006. This acquisition solidifies our supply chain so we can deliver long-term benefits and are in a position to guide future development.

At Beka, the value proposition is based on design, functionality and quality. Design has reached a zenith at Beka and some of the newest products, such as the Avero Phoenix Tub and the Avero Comfort Tub are the best available, sidestepping the tradition of institutional looking Products.

The Avero Comfort and Avero Phoenix Tubs (shown above).

The basis of good design in healthcare is functionality. The data for this product design has been collected from actual users. The analysis of the design includes input from different disciplines as well as the users in the marketplace. Beka products are designed for a purpose with a purpose. Angel has carried Beka Products for over 5 years, and they are proving their functional design works.

Quality, mentioned last is the main reason Angel first went with Beka. We were tired of products that were not built robust enough for the market, and tired of products built in so only expensive repairs from the sole source manufacturer could be used to fix every piece of the tub or equipment. Beka products last under institutional use and many of the plumbing components can be acquired at a local store.

The Beka philosophy translates to “Just because a product is made for use in healthcare, it should not be so special you need to mortgage your future to do any repairs’.

Beka Products are built under ISO standards, with the typical German penchant for high quality. We are pleased to announce to all our customers that we can deliver this high end product, for the long term.

Our focus is to make this the product line of choice at Care Facilities across North America.

John McRoberts: The long and winding road...

It is one year until the 2012 Paralympics in England, and John McRoberts, skipper of Canada’s Skud 18 paralympic sailing team, is well aware of the challenges of the next 12 months. ‘The last year is certainly the most intense,’ says John, who has represented Canada twice at previous games and brought a bronze medal home to BC after the Beijing Games in 2008. ‘Competition for medals is fierce, the sport is developing fast and in sailing you never stop learning, so we will have to be fully on our game this year.’

John, whose sailing career includes podium success in 2.4mR, Sonar and Hobie Trapseat classes, is now focused solely on the Skud 18 for London 2012. ‘The Skud 18 is the best boat for me,’ he says. ‘As a C6-7 quadriplegic I need to feel safe and comfortable on the water and we have worked hard to develop seating and steering so that I can focus on driving the boat and making the right decisions.’

Having recalled his medal-winning crew from China, Stacie Louttit, and engaging coach Mike Pinckney (Beijing Gold medal coach), John feels he has all the pieces in place for a successful campaign. ‘We are ready to go,’ he says. ‘We have a new boat, excellent training partners and a full program of events set up.’ The team will be heading south for the winter season, aiming for podium results at the IFDS Worlds at Port Charlotte in January and again at Miami Olympic Classes regatta.

And the team’s goal for 2012?   ‘To see the Canadian flag raised in London’ says John. ‘It’s emotional even to think about it. Standing on the podium, watching the flags get raised, hearing O Canada; the cameras, the medals and congratulations. But Stacie and I both know the work it takes to get there. As Muhammed Ali said, “The real part is won or lost somewhere far away from witnesses… out there on the road long before I dance under those lights.” That is our challenge this year, to focus on the process and not just the prize.’

Our very best wishes to John and Stacie.

—

Angel Accessibility Solutions has been a proud sponsor of U Can2 and John McRoberts for over 5 years. Prior to John winning Bronze in Beijing we assisted in purchasing a Skud competition boat and recently purchased a newer boat for the Program.

Angel is pleased to be a key sponsor of this very successful athlete and we wish him all the best as he goes for Gold in 2012.

Introducing Patrick Sheridan, Service Manager

Patrick Sheridan has been employed as Service Manager for Angel for three years, prior to this he worked Canfor in Vancouver, manufacturing wood products. ‘I’ve moved from a world of where the mantras were productivity, input, output, and efficiency gains into one where customer satisfaction is king,’ he says.

‘Angel has customers right across BC, and down into Washington, Oregon and California,’ he says. ‘If a client has a problem with their equipment, then it is my job to arrange servicing, book technicians, order parts and deal the follow up.’

This is not as simple as it might sound. Sometimes the locations are so remote – hospitals in Prince George or Dawson Creek for example – that it is more cost-effective to arrange shipping of the equipment to the technician, rather than the other way round. ‘Often I troubleshoot on the phone,’ says Patrick. ‘Customers may be unfamiliar with the functions and if it is a genuine breakdown then I need an accurate description of the problem. I deal with servicing of equipment from A-Z.’

‘My job involves a lot of contact with customers. This may be a maintenance technician for a big institution or a lady who has a problem with her stair lift. We give the same level of service to all customers. I enjoy it, there’s a great deal of satisfaction to be gained from helping people.’

‘We try to get to people as quickly as we can,’ he says. ‘Level of service and speed of service are both extremely important. In fact many people comment that they’re surprised that we showed up so fast!’

Calls can come in at any time and there is always someone on duty via the 24 hour pager service. ‘We get lots of calls at 3.30 on a Friday!’ says Patrick. ‘Even on Christmas day. I remember one gentleman who was in the middle of cooking Christmas dinner. Two of his guests were wheelchair users and he discovered that his porch lift wasn’t working. We fixed it – after all, if no one from Angel came there would be no alternative but to call the fire department.’

‘It’s the nature of the business – you have to stick your neck out. With Ministry and Veterans client we will fix their problem first and then deal with the paperwork later – we’re not going to leave someone without batteries for their chair, for example.’

‘A lot of my job is plate-spinning,’ he says. ‘Ordering parts in good time, following up on calls, booking technicians. I can locate all our equipment on the database and see when it was last serviced, if there has been a previous problem. My role is critical within the company because I make sure service happens.’

Even on Christmas day.

To find out more about the Angel Team, visit our website >

The Commode from Angel Solutions

Generally, patients go into hospitals to be cured of their illness or fixed up after an injury; but the painful truth is that some get sick from being in there. In Canada, research estimates that healthcare associated infections are linked to between 8,500 and 12,000 deaths per year – the fourth leading cause of death for Canadians. No wonder we all have a hospital bug story – one in nine people pick up a healthcare associated infection whilst in hospital, and there was a 17-fold increase in MRSA in Canadian hospitals from 1995 to 2006.

One way to tackle this problem is through design. In 2008, the UK Design Council – more closely associated with funky spectacles and non-glass beer glasses – was commissioned to lead the Design Bugs Out project by the Department of Health. London-based designers Tom Lloyd and Luke Pearson began by studying the products that were already on the market. ‘Commodes felt incredibly primitive or informed by accidents of industrial heritage—tube bending and clips and rivets and bolts and welds,’ says Lloyd. ‘There was so much opportunity to make an impact.’

Using the principle that if a product is easier to clean then it will be cleaned more often (which we all know is true – think of those awkward nooks and crannies in your home…), the challenge then was to create a commode that is easy and quick to sanitize, which also improves the user experience. A key goal was to minimize the number of parts. This meant designing out all unnecessary touch points, joints between metal and plastic, sharp corners, grooves and hidden nooks and crannies.

The Commode is designed for bedside use, and as a portering chair to take patients to the toilet, where it can be wheeled over a static toilet. It is constructed from just two main parts: one smooth, continuous patient interface that can be quickly detached and cleaned and a frame that can be nested for easy storage. Materials were also considered: the seat is plastic with an integral finish which avoids the need for paint finishes or lacquers that can scratch and the frame is stainless steel for robustness and cleaner, stronger welds.

Robust, functional and easy to clean, the commode minimizes the risk of infection without compromising the patient’s dignity.

The products created through Design Bugs Out – which include a porters chair, a patient bedside system and a self-timing cannula – were toured across 25 hospitals across the UK, soliciting more than a thousand written responses. Three independent studies have also been commissioned, and following the results the Department of Health concluded that the evaluation strongly suggests that the DBO Commode is a significant improvement on existing designs. The product has been well received by patients, staff and visitors alike.

The impact of the new commode on healthcare associated infections cannot be fully assessed until the product has been rolled out more significantly. However if we take account of the Québec coroner’s conclusion, following his investigation of the deaths of patients from C. difficile in 2006: ‘the way to avoid an outbreak is to prioritize cleanliness and hygienic measures in every facility’ then that data should be available very soon.

The DBO commode is available in Canada through Angel Accessibility Solutions and is being trialed by St Joseph’s Hospital in Comox, BC.

We look forward to giving you more information on this exciting innovation and have added pages featuring both the Commode and the Patient Bedside Chair on our website.

To view the YouTube video, click here >

Sources:

http://cupe.ca/health-care/health-care-associated-infections#breaking-chain-infection

Angel Accessibility Pool Solutions

Is your public aquatic center both fun and easily accessible to all?

In our last post we talked about the human affinity with and connection to water – we want to live on or near it, we love to fish, swim, sail, kayak and otherwise enjoy our beautiful coastlines, lakes and built aquatic environments. There is no doubt that the human need for water extends beyond our need to drink it. But did you know that as we get older the amount of water as a percentage of our total body mass decreases? As babies our bodies are almost 90% water, decreasing to as low as 55-60% in later life. No wonder doctors and healthcare professionals recommend a regular trip to the pool to help us hydrate!

We have all seen how much babies and children love the water and every family has a story of a toddler who simply refused to come out! This sensory pleasure, the feel of water against our skin, does not decrease as we get older. However jumping into a tropical sea is far more enjoyable than a polar plunge (unless of course you are a polar bear…). Water temperature is just one of the issues to consider when creating an aquatic environment for your clients, and we hope that the considerations raised in this post will help you define and determine others.

Accessibility issues and environmental barriers affect people on many levels; if a facility merely appears problematic then some people will be deterred. What is not in doubt is that many of us will face special requirements in our lives, as both society and demographics transform. This is one of the challenges of the 21st Century: is it possible to make everything accessible for all?

Our focus is on aquatic environments. Our last blog discussed the impact of building codes, ADA and other standards, and the fact that these regulations only go part of the way towards making an environment accessible. Any rule or standards based system is only as good as the intentions of the people that implement them. Of course rules are necessary and essential for safety and legality, but a rule-based approach is just one step towards the goal of an accessible environment.

Every built environment creates different expectations for human interaction. Planners and designers need to consider which systems create the opportunities your pool users or customers are looking for. The first step is to consider who will be using the system; who are your customers and how do you aim to serve their needs? For example, for a paraplegic to operate independently within the pool area, systems specific to a wheelchair user have to be constructed. You need to consider the whole environment and the experience from beginning to end in order for that person to be able to enjoy a stress-free (and therefore beneficial) dip.

If you want to serve people who have severe multiple disabilities you need to design systems, which will enable caregivers to safely provide the right assistance for all needs in a pool area.

We have created design checklists for complete pool system planning and access. Here are some of the things you need to consider: • Parking: from where to where?

• Accessible front doors

• Accessible/reachable counters

• Wide doors and hallways

• Easy open or power doors

• Lifts and full-length change tables in the changing area

• Private areas to change

• Transfers to deck area

• Water temperature

• Easy access to all pools and the ability to transfer people without lifting

• Accessible changing and showering area

Angel has created and worked with many Aquatic Centers to provide functioning systems. In our next blog we’ll discuss some specific pieces of equipment you may want to add to your accessibility system.

Everyone loves the pool and people with disabilities can benefit hugely from accessible, friendly, facilities: relief of joint stress, hydrotherapy, exercise and of course that wonderful sensory feeling of the water. If you build it they will come!

For more information, visit our Pool Lift and Accessories on our website…

Aquatic Access through Angel Accessibility Solutions Ltd.

Make pools accessible and user friendly for everyone !

What are your most treasured memories from childhood? Odds are that they include summer sun, fresh air, water and swimming.

Growing up in Edmonton one of the great and ongoing joys of summer was the outdoor pool. My favourite activity was to take a picnic to Borden Park, where there was a beautiful public pool. With several pals or my brothers we spent almost the entire day in the water – with the weather so nice, it was hard to go home. Who could forget such experiences: the feeling of floating, sunlight bouncing off the water, the smells of chlorine and sticky lemonade, sounds of laughter and happy splashing; the whole image is embedded in my mind’s eye.

And it’s not just me: man has been swimming since at least the Stone Age; evidenced by 7000 year old drawings found in ‘the cave of swimmers’ near Wadi Sora (or Sura) in Egypt (and featured in the film The English Patient). The Indian palace Mohenjo Daro dating from 2800 BC contains swimming pool sized 30m by 60m; swimming was one of the noble skills of the Samurai and in Ancient Greece a common insult was to say that a man could neither run or swim.

Now, people swim for many reasons: recreation, exercise, and athletic training. Recreational swimming is a both relaxing mentally whilst providing a full body work out. Because the density of the human body is similar to that of water, our bodies are supported whilst swimming, therefore placing less stress on joints and bones. Swimming frequently features in rehabilitation programs both after injuries or for people with disabilities.

As primarily an aerobic exercise, swimming is also believed to reduce the harmful effects of stress. However for people with disabilities, the difficulties and perceived dangers in transferring from land to water, can overshadow the benefits. Swimming has to be fun, not a trial! Imagine life if you couldn’t just jump into that sparkling aqua pool? If lakes and open water were something you could only gaze at longingly?

This is where Angel can help. With a 15 year background in access equipment and accessible pool design, experience has taught us that the guidelines and standards offered by the ADA or Building Code are a bare minimum: they do not ensure fully achievable and functional access. Everyone is different and disability covers a wide spectrum of abilities and needs. We do. We tailor products to specific requirements and a wide range of users. Don’t let swimming become just a memory – watch out for our next blog on Accessibility Projects and products to get you back in the big blue!

After a 35-year career in healthcare, Michael Pontus is exiting the stage. Since 1989, Pontus has been the President and CEO at St. Joseph’s General Hospital in Comox, BC — a 241-bed facility serving acute, residential, and complex care patients from across northern Vancouver Island. Among his many achievements, Pontus was one of the first hospital leaders to prove that ceiling lifts reduce workplace injuries and costs.

Pontus learned the importance of taking risks while studying at UBC, where he eventually graduated with a Masters in Health Services Planning. But it was in the Northwest Territories as the assistant deputy minister of health that he really cut his teeth wearing various hats and learning how to deliver services across such a vast space.

He was recruited to St Joseph’s as it was transitioning from the founder, The Sister’s of St Joseph’s of Toronto, to the Diocese of Victoria. He realized very quickly that innovation and ambulatory care were the two major factors impacting the future of healthcare. “I looked at St Joseph’s and with minimal resources and an aging population, realized that we needed to embrace innovation in order to move forward,” Pontus says.

That visionary approach culminated with a chance meeting with Angel’s own CEO George Szwender back in 1996. George showed Michael his data on how ceiling lifts were reducing caregiver injuries in community care group homes. Pontus and the St Joseph’s team quickly recognized the potential for their hospital. Within a month he commissioned a “field test” of a single ceiling lift system in a 4-bed complex care ward. It was a bold move. “As far as we know it was the first hospital ceiling lift in BC, perhaps Canada,” recalls Pontus.

Up to this time floor lifts and manual lifting techniques were the predominant way of moving patients at St Joseph’s, which contributed to persistently high staff musculoskeletal injuries. Everyone knows that care facilities in BC are dealing with the pressure of the aging population, but what’s less well known is the challenges inherent with an aging staff. “Most of our staff had been lifting people for 20 years,” says Pontus. “The implications for reducing injuries was obvious.”

The ceiling lifts paid off in a big way. “Our staff wanted to put more lifts in,” Pontus says. “But we are frugal, and we knew it would take a long time to do it room by room.” So Pontus approached the Worker’s Compensation Board (Now called WorkSafeBC), and convinced them to fund a $300,000 project to outfit all the hospital’s complex care rooms with ceiling lifts.

Between 1997 – 2002, a rigorous independent review by the Occupational Health and Safety Association (now a BC government service) led to some impressive statistics for St Joseph’s:

• 40% reduction in worker’s compensation costs
• 82.9% reduction in lost hours due to lift and transfer injuries
• Payback on lifts range from 0.82 to 2.5 years

With these stats in hand, the BC government committed to a multi-million dollar rollout of ceiling lifts across the province, in no small part due to the path-breaking efforts of Michael Pontus and the St Joseph’s team of nurses, managers and caregivers.

And now Michael is retiring. Although we are sad to see him go we are happy for him and wish him all the best!!

1) Angel Forum – our forum allows you to post any question you may have about your ceiling lift system OR to respond to a fellow user’s question about ceiling lifts. Our goal is to create a platform for all users to share solutions, as well as a method to stream constant feedback to us, so that we can improve our product and service!

2) Angel Blog – we want to share what’s new! Whether it be to introduce you to a new product or service available through Angel, or to share research and success stories about ceiling lifts, this information will be available on our blog!

3) Quarterly Newsletter – We want to help health care professionals to become educated about ceiling lifts, so that you can make the best decisions for your sites.

We hope this information will be valuable to you! If it is, please let us know, we are motivated by positive feedback. And if your not, let us know that too! Tell us what information would help you, and we’ll do our best to carter to your needs.

Make it an injury free day!