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Wheelchair to support the independence of people with cerebral palsy: The family and health services staff who care for people with cerebral palsy may experience a deterioration in their physical and mental health.
An EU initiative has introduced a new wheelchair solution that allows patients with cerebral palsy to live more independently.
Caring for people with cerebral palsy places great physical and emotional strain on family members, nurses and domestic workers. These caregivers are also more likely to suffer accidents at work. These costs continue to pile up on an already overburdened healthcare system.
With this in mind, the AIDWHEELS project together with MOOEVO set out to develop a wheelchair with an integrated lifting system that reduces the need to physically lift and manipulate people with cerebral palsy.
Project partners created a design concept similar to that of standard wheelchairs, but which also takes into account the difficulty, comfort and cost of lifting a patient with cerebral palsy. They built and tested a prototype that meets all biomedical requirements of patients, European standards and safety regulations.
The device functions as an everyday wheelchair allowing access around the house. The winch connects to dedicated floor clamps and lifts users from the wheelchair and transfers them to the toilet, shower, couch or bed. Other areas can also be accessed by detaching the hoist and using it separately.
AIDWHEELS portable solution and lifting functionality are cost-effective and feature a simple yet lightweight design. People with cerebral palsy will be able to enjoy a better quality of life by being more independent in a family environment. The well-being of your carers will also improve while the need for many expensive disability aids at home will be reduced.
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