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Beechwood NeuroRehab Hosts Wheelchair Wash and Tune

April 9, 2022

Looking good and feeling good – the wheelchairs of Beechwood NeuroRehab have undergone some spring cleaning.

 

Therapy Aide Shelby Tibbetts created and hosted a “Wheelchair Wash and Tune” where chairs were cleaned, repaired, and examined for further fixes and replacement.

 

“The same way we want to have a clean house or clean car, they want – and deserve – a clean wheelchair,” Tibbetts said. “But they may not necessarily have the ability to do this, so we do this so their wheelchairs can be squeaky clean… It hurts me when they’re unclean, so I’ve really taken an interest in giving them attention,” Tibbetts said.

 

Beechwood held its first Wash and Tune in September 2020 with her, the help of some clinicians over their lunch, and wheelchair vendor NuMotion. Isolated amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Tibbetts felt the event would engage staff, residents, and the vendor positively and fill some of the time lost from closed programming.

 

The effects of the event reach far beyond just a clean set of wheels.

 

In addition to basic wheelchair care, the group also took inventory of everyone’s wheelchairs. With serial numbers cleaned off, Tibbetts created a massive spreadsheet detailing when each wheelchair was due for maintenance or complete replacement. The result: the team placed 20 wheelchair orders.

 

The Wash and Tune also helps build relationships with the vendor. Hosting weekly repair clinics and these clinics allows Beechwood to stay top-of-mind when services are needed.

 

This year, the wash was on two separate days, March 23 and April  5. On March 23, Tibbetts sought the assistance of our recreation department.With this help in hand, nearly 30 wheelchairs were washed and repaired. April 5 yielded a similar result.

 

Tibbetts began in a field far different than Beechwood. Originally a hairstylist, she would cut hair for clients. Her interests grew; she joined the staff and is now studying to become a Physical Therapy Aide at Harcum College.

Google’s indieGo Wheelchair Demo Comes to Woods

April 26, 2018

Lauren McGowan couldn’t believe it. She rolled into the Employee Training Center at Woods Services for the Google indieGo demo in her manual wheelchair and just a few minutes later it was transformed into a power wheelchair that she could control easily on her own. The 29-year-old resident of Beechwood NeuroRehab quickly gave her approval to those in attendance as she glided and navigated easily around the room.

 

“I can’t believe this is my manual chair! This feels so natural and I would recommend this to anyone with mobility issues,” said McGowan.

 

Lauren wasn’t alone in her enthusiasm for indieGo, an innovative device developed by the Discovery Center in New York that rolls onto any size wheelchair to quickly convert it into a power chair. Three other residents of Woods also got a chance to try out indieGo and all gave an overwhelming stamp of approval.

 

“Weeee…this is so fun,” said 6-year-old Jayla Saunders, who raced around the room and beeped the horn using the joystick control. “This is super-duper cool!”

 

Beechwood NeuroRehab resident, Sharon Kelly said she is typically nervous when riding in a power chair but felt comfortable using indieGo because she was able to use her own manual wheelchair.

 

Carol Dickey, a 63-year-old resident of Woods, enjoyed the experience so much that she asked to keep the device after testing it out, but unfortunately, it is not yet available to the public.

 

The Discovery Center team, which is comprised of Director of Innovation and Project Manager Jason Kean, along with occupational therapists Sarah Laux and Danielle Kean, are still conducting demonstrations and gathering feedback to perfect product development. The development of the indieGo device was made possible by the Center for Discovery’s assistive technologies department and a $1.125 million grant from Google.org Google Impact Challenge. Once indieGo is available for sale, it is projected to be priced around $3,500, about half the price of a typical power chair.

 

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Health, Wellness & Therapeutics

In an effort to improve communication, daily living skills and educational outcomes for both … Read More >

Vocational & Adult Day Services

We are committed to eliminating barriers and creating possibilities for achievement.   We … Read More >

Learning

Our school programs help students meet educational, emotional, behavioral and medical needs, while … Read More >

Having Fun

We exist to drive greater achievement for the individuals we serve.  Whether living  on our campus, … Read More >

Continuum of Care

We offer our individuals a full continuum of supports through our affiliates and various programs … Read More >

Copyright © 2023 Woods | Routes 413 & 213 | P.O. Box 36 | Langhorne, PA 19047-0036 | Ph: 215.750.4000 | E: communications@woods.org

  • .
  • About Woods
    • Our History
    • The Woods System of Care
    • Meet the Woods Services Leadership
    • Meet the Woods Services Board of Trustees
    • The Woods Clinical Approach
    • News & Events
  • Services
    • Short Term Residential Treatment
    • Health, Wellness, & Therapy
    • Vocational & Adult Day
      • Holland Enrichment Center
      • The Woods Enterprises
      • Yellow Daffodil
      • Common Grounds Café
      • Woods Wear
  • Education
    • An Overview of Education
  • Research Institute
  • Work With Woods
    • Employee Testimonials
    • Benefits of Working at Woods
    • Staff Development
    • Teach with Woods
  • Support Woods
    • Make a Gift to Woods
    • Join the Heart of Woods
    • Give through your Donor Advised Fund
    • Give through EITC
    • Leave a Legacy
    • Honor a Friend or Loved One
  • Admissions
    • Tour Woods
    • Email Admissions
    • FAQ
    • Meet the Admissions Team