A-2-B Transfer Chair

When a woman in Hamilton, Ontario developed MS and eventually became unable to get in or out of the tub safely, her husband developed the A-2-B transfer chair. Made of stainless steel, it features a commode on one end and a rail to glide you into the tub or shower. The seat is reversible for right or left facing tubs and it has large suction cups on the legs to safely adhere to tile floors. The package weighs 19.5 pounds and the travel case, 11 pounds. It will take a person weighing up to 450 pounds in weight. The entire thing is totally transportable and breaks down to fit into a wheeled carrying case. Replaceable vinyl seats are available. The price is $899.00 Cdn.which includes the carrying case, safety strap and commode pail. It comes with a 10-year warranty. For further information call 1-877-547-7799. Area code (905) if in Hamilton area or fax: 877-547-1802; Write to Nestor Manor Inc., 60 Balsam Ave. S., Hamilton, ON L8M 3B3, Canada or P.O. Box 366, Buffalo, N.Y. 14240-0366. E-mail nestor@interlynx.net or on the web at http://nestormanor.com.

Shower/commode travel chair

Linda here - So many of us eventually lose the strength to safely stand in the shower or to get down into or up out of the bathtub that I thought these two items might be of interest. I'm sure there are others out there. If you've found something that works for you, won't you please share it.
Bruce Hammer was building a successful motorcycle racing career for himself until 1982 when a crash resulted in a broken neck and quadraplegia. Bruce became a computer draftsman but he loves to travel, so when he founded Nuprodx two years ago, he concentrated on a lightweight shower/commode chair that goes easily from toilet to tub to shower. Either one fits neatly into a suitcase and IS easy to transport. I asked Bruce some questions.

Q: What are the chairs made of?
A: Aluminum and stainless steel.

Q: What stops the wheels from corroding and sticking if they are constantly getting wet?
A: Triple sealed plastic bearings. The casters are made by Tente, a German company, which is the second largest in the world.

Q: Does skin stick to the Ensolite plastic?
A: Some people have complained about that, usually they're high quads. I'm a C6/7 and don't have any problems with it. I will be offering Naugahyde covers in a month.

Q: How much do the parts weigh?
A: The standard chair weighs 12 lbs.

Q: Could an average woman lift it?
A: I can lift it, my 5'-5", 130 lb. fiancee can easily lift it, set it up, etc.

Q: Will it take the weight of an adult pushing on the arms to lift up?
A: My chairs come with arm rests that have a fixed pin and a bolt to hold the arm in place. You could do chin-ups (so to speak) from the arms. I'm working on a locking swing-away arm.

Q: How high is it to the seat when the casters are on it?
A: The floor to cushion height varies from 19" to 24"

Q: Can it be put together in a variety of ways?
A: The square design (17" wide x 17" deep) allows for front or side placement of parts.

Q: I see it has the ability to be taken apart for travel. Does that not lessen the strength of it?
A: I specifically designed it for use at home and for travel!

Q: How much does it cost?
A: $495. U.S. for the basic chair.

Q: How can we get one.
A: Go to http://www.nuprodx.com to read more or write to Nuprodx, Inc. 461 2nd St., Suite 109, San Francisco, CA 94107, U.S.A. (888)288-5653 fax: (415)957-1050, e-mail: sales@nuprodx.com. They'll ship anywhere.

Toileting - Lubidet

Linda here - In the last issue of the newsletter I addressed the problem some of us have wiping ourselves after a bowel movement. Andrew Jackson wrote in to tell me about the Lubidet. I'd known about it for quite a while but never really looked into it. After calling the marketing director at Lubidet, I can see why Andrew suggested this marvelous little add-on bidet to us. Europeans have included a bidet in their bathrooms for many years but North Americans, for some reason, do not include this little wonder in with their bathroom fixtures and ordinary bidets only wash your perineal area and not dry it. The drying you do yourself. The Lubidet is a little device that washes and dries you with warm water first and then warm air. You do not need to wipe yourself. It can mounted on either the left or right-hand side of an ordinary toilet and anyone who is handy can do it. They also customize models to fit the physical needs of customers. In the U.S. the Lubidet is available for $420 U.S. plus $20 shipping and handling from Lubidet, 1980 S. Quebec St., Suite #4, Denver, CO 80231; Tel: 1-800-LUBIDET (1-800-582-4338), Fax: 303-368-0812. E-mail: info@lubidet.com Web site: www.lubidet.com The company will also air mail to Canada for $30 U.S., thus saving any problems with customs and brokers.

The Valette

We were recently asked if there is a toilet seat that helps a person rise from the toilet if they have a problem lifting themselves. The answer is yes.
The Valette is designed to allow independent use of the toilet even though you have no use of legs muscles and very little push from arms and shoulders.
It isn't easy finding The Valette but there is a dealer up here in Canada who will try to get one to you no matter where you are. Please write Clark Medical Products Inc., 5510 Ambler Drive, Unit 10, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada L4W 2V1. Tel: (416)238-6163 or FAX: (416)6243161. They will send you out a brochure and sheet to be filled out so the Valette you order will fit your style of toilet.