Thanks to our wonderful customers, amazing staff and talented editorial department, Rehabmart continues to grow each and every year, providing the medical supplies that many want but cannot get at a better price.  

The following medical supply categories represent the most sought after items from Rehabmart in 2013.  Some of them might interest you, some will make you smile, and a few will surprise you!

Pool Lifts

I must start off by saying that this category title is somewhat of a misnomer.  We are not talking about something that will lift a pool but rather this category is referring to lifts that will transport people safely and comfortably into a public or large private pool.  Not everyone is able to walk down the pool steps into the pool, and many who cannot are the ones who often need to get into a pool for aquatherapy.  Having a pool lift at a public pool is also a good idea because since early 2013, it has been a law that public pools must have an ADA-compliant pool lift for individuals who are not otherwise able to get into a pool.  Some types of pool lifts that Rehabmart has sold this year include the Global Rotational Series 375 Pool Lift, which is a stationary deep anchor lift; the Aqua Creek Patriot Portable Pool Lift, a good solution for a handicap accessible swimming pool with limited space availability, and the Gallatin Water-Powered Pool Lift that is powered solely by hydraulics.

Pediatric Swings and Swing Frames

I remember as a child of swinging back and forth, back and forth, higher and higher, faster and faster, watching the ground and sky become one big exhilarating blur, and I think all kids should have the chance to experience this, and Rehabmart can help.  Offering everything from an outdoor playground Standard 8 Ft High Swing Set with 1, 2 or 4 Swing Seats to a Class Champs Indoor Gym that provides indoor vestibular therapy to many users, and just about every other swing frame, both outdoor and indoor, in-between.  Many different swing seats have also been big sellers in 2013, offering a swing seat such as the JennSwing which has been designed for children with disabilities of movement-limiting handicaps and meets the American Disabilities Act guidelines for playground equipment accessibility and safety.  The year 2013 also saw other types of swing seats sold with such intriguing names as the Twizzler Swing and the Flying Purple People Eater.

Treatment Tables - Power Adjustable

Power adjustable treatment tables powered along well in 2013.  With more hospitals, clinics, and doctor offices wanting the new and medical staff/patient-friendly medical treatment tables, the offerings are wide and diverse.  With Rehabmart supplying more than a hundred varied treatment tables in 2013, from the Power Treatment Table with One Piece Top that has foot controlled power height adjustment for lifting or lowering patients, to the Armedica AM-SX5000 Hi-Lo Treatment Table with Motorized Center that has a four-piece top section that is also fully height adjustable and provides capabilities for the center section to be moved for better positioning of the patient.  Also of interest this past year was the DOC Decompression Table, a chiropractor adjustable treatment table that uses a digital command center to decompress specifically targeted vertebrae, with separate lumbar and cervical decompression programming, continuous readout and the graphing of treatment protocols.  It might also whistle the song “The Girl From Ipanema”, but I could be wrong about that.

Pediatric Standers, Standing Frames and Systems

Standers and standing frames assist people who either cannot stand unassisted or have trouble standing to be able to enjoy the benefits of standing, both physically and psychologically.  Providing the ability for a wheelchair-bound child to be on the same eye-level as his friends, and to be able to better interact and play is a great way to enhance his positive self-image.  Physically, standing helps to build strong bones in children.  With both children and adults, standing can help decrease tension and spasms in leg muscles, assist in digestion, breathing and constipation.  Rehabmart has offered more than 45 models of standers, the following are just two examples.  The Kaye Dynamic Stander, once the person is safely aligned in a standing position, will allow 360 degrees of movement.  The EasyStand Glider provides an active standing with lower body range of motion and upper body strengthening.  

Bath Tub Lift

Once again, a misnomer, these lifts do not lift up a bath tub, and if they did, I see no medical value in such a device.  Bath tub lifts are really designed to assist the handicapped, elderly and people in weakened conditions to be able to get safely in and out of the bath tub.  A bath tub lift can offer an individual a greater feeling of independence, or it can assist both the individual and his or her caregiver in assisting with the user’s personal hygiene.  Both the facts and common sense demonstrate that getting in and out of a bath tub is one of the most dangerous acts to do within a home or facility, yet to be fully immersed in warm water is a great feeling and highly therapeutic for mind, body and spirit, which is what makes bath tub lifts so important.  There are basically two types of bath tub lifts, battery operated which makes sense because an electric plug-in bath tub lift might not sell so well, and a water-pressure powered lift.  The Bellavita Automatic Bath Lifter is designed for home use and is one of the lightest bath lifts weighing in at only 20.5 pounds, yet has a 300 pound weight capacity and is able to recline to 50 degrees at its lowest position. The Hektor Bath Lift is designed with a low profile to fit under low hospital beds and walk-in bathtubs.  This bath tub lift has been tested to 40,000 lifts and is specifically intended to be utilized in medical facilities.

Patient Lifts

Another good seller for Rehabmart in 2013 were patient lifts.  A patient lift does what the description sounds like, it safely lifts a patient from a bed to a wheelchair, from a wheelchair to a toilet, assists a patient to stand from a seated position, helps lift a fallen patient from the floor, and also limit the chances of a caregiver getting hurt while assisting the patient.  There are many different types and models of patient lifts, with Rehabmart offering over 65 different lifts.  Traditionally, there are two different types of patient lifts, models powered by a hand activated hydraulic action, and the models powered by electric battery.  Some patient lifts are comprised of both types of lifting power.  There are also floor patient lifts, ceiling lifts, and bariatric patient lifts. 

For example, the Hoyer Advance Patient Lift is a newer design of technology that can offer either a hydraulic action lift system or a battery powered lift system and is a functional, yet still stylish patient lift that can lift up to 340 pounds.  Another example of patient lifts that sold in 2013 is the Rifton SoloLift Mobile Transfer Device, allowing patients to be transferred from a sitting to standing position anywhere in a medical facility with zero lifting required from either the patient or caregiver.  While accommodating individuals up to 350 pounds, this patient lift will transfer a user in a natural sit-to-stand arc while at the same time providing stability, comfort, and dignity.  This lift can be moved about the facility, from bedroom to sitting area to bathroom where it simplifies toileting.

Continue to read part 2 of the Best Selling Medical Supply Categories for Rehabmart in 2013.

Bill Stock
Executive Editor,
Content & Social Media Services
and
Hulet Smith, OT
Rehabmart Team Leader & CEO