These Moving Times
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THESE MOVING TIMESWe are live...... and open for business onlineAfter eight months of development, the
Lynch Healthcare online store is now open
for business! The online store was developed
following many requests from private
customers and the company believe this is a
growing market, already receiving sales above
expectation. The online store is a massive
project and the company stated this is only
the tip of the iceberg.
“Lynch Healthcare offer such a large product
range that it’s impossible to get everything
on there, we spent time discussing which
products should be available from day one
and which ones should be phased in.” Buying
online is completely different to the usual
way of working for Lynch but the company
is adapting well to this change and are
looking to employ a full time telesales advisor
because the very nature of the products does
mean that buyers sometimes need help and
advice before purchasing. Lynch Healthcare is
also offering a unique 30 day full money back
guarantee.
“Some people don’t want any human
interaction, they like to order late at night or
on a weekend, so we thought it was critical
that we helped instil as much confidence in
the customer so they could order without any
worry of getting it wrong.”
Phase two of the website is now well under
way and the company are working on ways
to ensure a good mix of products that can be
shipped out immediately, whilst still having
technical information for some of the more
complex installation products such as height
adjustable baths.
“We are now finding that people are searching
online for larger items, don’t necessarily want
to buy online but want to ask questions about
our products especially with regard to the
installation process, so we plan to look at
1
Brought to you by
Issue No.
www.lynchhc.com Page 1
CONTINUED ON PAGE 3 >>>
WELCOMEA MESSAGE FROM DAVID...
Welcome to the first issue of ‘These Moving
Times’ with so many developments going on
in the business in the form of new products,
training events and management changes.
I thought it would be good to produce
something informative and useful twice a
year. Don’t worry, it will not just be along
the lines of ‘we have moved here, we have
done this, we have done that’. I want to keep
you all updated with what is happening in
the company, but thought it would be useful
to let you, our customers, know about new
products, training events and share our
knowledge in the form of product reviews
etc. These Moving Times is now born, and
welcome again to the first edition for 2012.
I write this article and really still can’t believe
that I am sat here, with the business being
nearly three years old, doesn’t time fly when
you’re having fun!
We have had some massive changes in the
business over the last six months, we have
gone from three to seven staff in six months
and wow has that been challenging! Its
certainly given some growing pains and I bet
some customers have experienced our service
levels dropping over this period. Its been
frustrating for you and believe me it’s been
frustrating for me as I’m such a perfectionist,
however all small businesses have growing
pains and I firmly believe we have come
through this and we are getting back to
providing the superior service levels we have
always been known for.
We have invested heavily in training new
staff and they are starting to come into their
own and are now adding real value to the
company. I have employed my first ever
manager, who has a wealth of experience in
office management which has been invaluable
through this transitional period. We are also
about to launch a brand new IT system which
will allow us to track and trace customer
orders to a far superior level to what we had
been able to previously.
The company has some exciting plans for
growth with the launch of our new online retail
store, geared up for the private market as well
as plans for manufacturing our own products.
We are now getting enquiries from throughout
the UK and have started to provide a service
in other areas of the UK. In doing this we
have won a large service and maintenance
contract in Norfolk. However, covering other
areas always comes with the risk of diluting
your service levels in existing areas which I’m
determined not to let happen!
In the past, we have been complimented on
our successful training days. In 2012, the
training days will return and with a bang as we
are currently designing a day like never before
which will take place around June. However,
we will be holding the first of our product
focused sessions very soon.
Why not send us a quick email to
[email protected] quoting ‘add me to all
training day mailshots’ to be kept informed.
Finally, I hope you enjoy this edition of These
Moving Times and if there is anything you
think would add value in terms of content for
future publications please do not hesitate to
get in touch.
David Lynch MD
CONTENTSWe are live page 1Our new retail website goes online
Welcome page 2A message from David
Osprey Toilet and Transfer Sling page 3The trouble with toilet slings
Folding mobile hoist review page 4We compare two of the best
Cleaning up the shower chair market page 5We offer one of the most comprehensive ranges
Lynch chosen as gold MOLIFT UK dealer page 6We are proud to offer their full range of products
Hoistmans Blog page 7We look at toilet systems in detail
The latest on Lynch page 8Find out the latest news from Lynch Healthcare
“The company has some exciting plans for growth, with the launch of our new online retail store geared up for the private market as well as plans for manufacturing our own products.”
www.lynchhc.comPage 2
OSPREY TOILET ANDTRANSFER SLING
CHECK OUT THE BACK PAGE
FOR MORE INFO ON OUR
‘MOVING & HANDLING
MASTER CLASS’
EVENTS IN 2012!
this and maybe have a section on our more
complex products with data sheets and
technical manuals.”
Although the online store is mainly aimed
towards the private market, Lynch are
hoping they will be able to provide online
purchasing to the public sector. David
Lynch, MD, commented “I’d love our
Occupational Therapists to be able to order
online and although I fully appreciate that
this would mean a massive change in the
current ordering process, it may actually
save authorities money in holding large
amounts of stock and sticking with stock,
it is the companies vision to have most of
the products online available for next day
delivery.” The company are also looking
at ways of giving Occupational Therapists
discount codes which they can pass onto
their service users. The service users can be
offered discounts and assistance when they
are ordering out of their own budget.
Why not visit the site www.lynchhc.com to
find out more.
WE ARE LIVE....... CONTINUED FROM FRONT PAGE
www.lynchhc.com Page 3
ONE OF THE BIGGEST PROBLEMS YOU
COME ACROSS WHEN ASSESSING
FOR SLINGS IS THE NEED FOR A
COMFORTABLE TOILET SLING.
Generally speaking, toilet slings are
only suitable for around 25% of
users. This is because you have a
large access area between the
bottom of the back and the back
of the knee, needed to gain
access for the removal of
clothing when transferring
onto a toilet. This means,
that the sling is lifting the
user under the armpits, a
mechanical drag lift if you
like, and under the back of the
knees. This is very similar to the
old “kings chair” lift we used to do
in the playground. This, even when
you have strength and are quite supple
is very painful. There are two major
pressure points in these areas, if
someone doesn’t have the capacity to
hold themselves by using their stomach
muscles they can end up being suspended
under the arms which then forces the shoulder
to push up. The result is that the users arms
end up above the head and the bottom then
starts to slip through the access aperture.
The use of a toilet sling should only be
used when someone has the ability to hold
themselves. If the upper body strength isn’t
there, then we need to look at alternatives.
The first alternative is to use a general transfer
sling which has a large aperture and larger leg
pieces, something like the Deluxe sling. This
means extra transfers are required to remove
clothing in preparation of the final transfer to
the toilet. You would need to hoist the user
onto the bed using the Deluxe sling, remove
clothing on the bed then transfer to the toilet.
This alternative is more time consuming,
but in my eyes time consuming is preferred
over what can be a very uncomfortable and
potentially unsafe transfer.
Lynch Healthcare now have a solution, The
Osprey sling. The Toilet and Transfer sling
has a unique “arms in” design where instead
of lifting under the arms, the sling wraps
around the shoulder, stopping the arms from
raising. It uses a deeper back section lined
with fleece to secure the user during transfers.
This greatly improves the comfort of the user
and can help prevent someone from sliding
through the aperture. The Toilet and Transfer
sling is designed to offer good access for the
adjustment of clothing and quick fitting for
toilet transfers.
The new Toilet and Transfer sling is designed
to be used with the clients arms on the inside
of the sling, meaning it does not ride up under
the arms and is suitable for a greater array of
clients. For added safety and comfort the sling
is supplied with a double buckle chest strap
as standard. The sling is available in a range
of sizes.
As a final footnote, this will enable more
people to benefit from the use of a toileting
sling, however it is not suitable for all users.
To arrange a demonstration of the Osprey
Toilet and Transfer sling please contact
Lynch Healthcare.
Having worked with mobile hoists for over 10
years in one capacity or another, it is quite
clear to me that there is an ever increasing
need for a light weight hoist which can be
folded for transport and storage. The general
consensus would be that folding hoists are
only used at home in a domestic setting, this
is now something of the past, and the real
benefits are actually being noticed by a variety
of professionals looking for a hoist that can do
more than a standard mobile hoist.
In a care home or hospital environment,
the function to fold up to allow transport
between different areas of the building is a
consideration. All well and good I hear you
say, all hoists can be transported. But, given
the fact that these new folding hoists are
constructed of lightweight aluminium chassis’,
they are easier for the care giver to
manoeuvre and require less effort to
accomplish the task at hand. Now, add in the
space constraints of the modern building and
the space required to store all of the equipment
which these services must use and we start to
see why folding hoists are coming to the fore.
Finally, we come to the pièce de résistance.
Historically, when selecting equipment that will
enable a safe transfer from the floor, institutes
felt that a professional hoist like a column
lifter would have to be purchased. This went
against both the points made above regarding
size. These column lifters are big and heavy
and take up a great deal of space. Now that
we have established the growing trend of
folding hoists, let’s have a look at what is
on the market. Having looked at quite a few
models of hoists, I have whittled the selection
down to the two main contenders. These
are the two products I would take out to a
demonstration; (I feel it is always beneficial to
compare both models as each case may have
a unique consideration.)
Firstly, we have the long standing champion,
the Swiftlifter from Swifttech. This is the
first lightweight folding hoist I ever came
across whilst working for Hunter’s Mobility.
Extremely lightweight, weighing in at 57lbs
(26kg) it was the perfect hoist for district
nurses and such like, to perform their duties
in the community. Secondly, we have the new
contender, the Molift Smart. Designed using
the Scandinavian ethos of ergonomics, it has
a vast lifting range and is very easy to operate.
The first function I look at is how easy it is
to fold away and assemble. This obviously
needs to be accomplished without the need
for tools or an engineer! The Molift Smart is a
one piece action hoist, where the main task
is to unlock the mast from the base. This is
really easy to achieve as all you need to do is
lift a lever at the back of the base, lift the mast
a couple of inches and then lower the mast
down to the base, mission accomplished. This
should take no longer than a minute to be fully
operational. The Swiftlifter, on the other hand,
has a different method altogether. There isn’t
so much a folding action; you need to remove
the base legs by depressing a button on the
base and sliding each leg out separately. Then
you need to locate the legs onto a peg on the
base for storage. Unfortunately, the champion
takes a battering in the first round, but the
fight is not over yet.
The second feature I will compare is the
weight of each hoist. As we mentioned, one
benefit of these hoists are the transportability
and as such they need to be able to fit into
a car boot or van. To be able to lift the hoist
into a boot, the hoist needs to be as light as
possible without reducing the lifting capacity.
We have already mentioned that the Swftlifter
is a sprightly 26kg, now the Molift Smart has
been in extensive training and now weighs in
at an impressive 52lb (24kg). Not a lot in it I
hear you say, but the slender contender packs
a mighty punch, with its ability to lift 150kg
compared to the champs 135kg! This makes
the Smart the best pound for pound lifter.
The second round ends with the champ on
the ropes, desperately holding on needing a
knockout blow to have any chance of retaining
its crown.
The third feature I am considering, is the lifting
range of the two. As we mentioned earlier,
this is now an important feature of any mobile
hoist. Not only are we looking at the ability to
lift from the floor if someone has had a trip or
for picking up a child who has been engaged
in floor based therapy, but also we sometimes
require a higher lifting range to transfer to a
shower trolley or similar. With the Swiftlifter
we have a maximum spreader bar height of
1630mm. The contender as by now you may
have guessed has a slightly longer reach
of 1650mm. There seems to be little in this
until you attempt the floor transfer. When the
spreader bars are at a height of 400mm from
the floor, we see a different story; the Smarts
spreader bar is 500mm away from the mast
whilst the Swiftlifter is closer at 400mm. This
makes the Smart a much safer transfer for the
user as they have less chance of knocking
against the hoist during transfers. At the end
of the round, the champ has held on despite
a battering. We now need to go to the judges
score card to determine the winner.
THE SCORE CARD
Criteria Smart Swiftlifter
Ease of use 10 8
Weight 10 9
Lifting capacity 10 8
Lifting Range 10 9
Appearance 10 7
Dimensions 10 10
Battery Life 10 10
Durability 9 10
We now go over to our announcer for the
decision. The results are in, the judges
have scored this bout 79-71 in favour of
winner and new lightweight champion of the
woooooooorld... the Molift “lifting” Smart.
FOLDING MOBILE HOIST REVIEW
www.lynchhc.comPage 4
With the addition of the Freeway range of
shower chairs to our already successful
Osprey Healthcare and Kirton H2o range,
Lynch Healthcare are now one of the
few providers to be able to offer such
a comprehensive range, this puts the
company in a unique position to guarantee
you 100% success with any patient
assessment.
But as you well know, its no use having large
ranges of equipment available with a rep too
busy to demonstrate or worse, doesn’t have
the range of models available, so what have
Lynch done to overcome this?
For the first time in our company history we
have employed a dedicated shower chair
specialist. We thought, with so many models
to work with and so many customers wanting
joint home assessments that we would
employ someone purely for shower chairs
and kit out his van full of shower chairs and
shower chair options. We caught up with Dave
Welsh (Shower Chair Man), the first of a new
breed of specialist at Lynch Healthcare. He
said:
“Of course I’m delighted to be the first
person employed by the company with such
a dedicated role and focus. We don’t want
to be a company that brings out one brand
of chair to home assessments and ‘make
it fit’, we deal with so many people with
so many disabilities that we really do need
many options. The addition of the well known
Freeway range has enabled us to offer more
standard options for the chairs and I have
managed to talk our MD into letting us hold
a large range of demo stock, so that my van
really is a shower chair assessment vehicle!”
Hope you are not fed up of
hearing about shower chairs! If
you can bear just a little more, it
is worth hearing about a contract
we currently have in conjunction
with a local NHS Trust.
So, what’s unique? What’s
different about our service? Well,
for starters it’s one of the few
contracts that delivers a vastly
higher level of service to the
healthcare professionals and end
users, whilst actually making cost
savings.
How it works is quite simple. We
hold all recycled shower chair
stock belonging to the trust and
when a healthcare professional
needs a shower chair they either:
1. Complete a request form
with their exact requirements,
we then build the chair and
ship it direct to the end user.
OR
2. If a joint assessment is
required our ‘Shower Chair
Man’ comes out with a van full
of products and 90% of the
time will assess and leave the
product on site. No waiting
lists, no panel meetings, just
a high quality rapid response
service.
Our Managing Director, David
Lynch, reckons “We are one
of the very few, if not only the
provider, that has the skills to
be able to offer such a bespoke
service”
When you are dealing with NHS
reconditioned equipment you
pretty much have to work with
every single brand of shower
chair they have ever bought and
it’s because our team are so
experienced in Freeway, Osprey,
Aid Service, Chiltern and many
other brands, we are able to offer
such a great service.
Lynch Healthcare have recently
invested in IT software to allow
the company to roll out the
contract to other authorities and
have future plans to be fully web
based. With various cost saving
exercises and budgets getting
tighter, more emphasis will be
placed on recycling equipment
already belonging to local
authorities.
WE’RE CLEANING UP ON SHOWER CHAIRS
NHS CHOOSES LYNCH FOR SHOWER CHAIR RECYCLE CONTRACT
www.lynchhc.com Page 5
THE FREEWAY RECLINER ONE OF OUR MANY SHOWER CHAIRS
PARTNER• Linear lifting pattern in combination with
4-point suspension, makes positioning
much easier for carer and gives increased
stability, comfort and safety for the user
• Simple charging routines
• Unique service and security program
• New Molift Partner 255 has a SWL of 255kg
LYNCH HEALTHCARE CHOSEN AS GOLD MOLIFT UK DEALER
www.lynchhc.comPage 6
More than 25 years ago Molift’s founder and inventor, Hans Kasper
Andresen, was hospitalised for a long period of time. From his hospital
bed he saw how much strain the nurses suffered to their backs,
shoulders and arms when lifting or moving patients. An idea started to
grow.
Andresen refined his idea into what was to become the world’s first
battery-powered patient lifter. His wife, a physiotherapist, provided
valuable information about lifting procedures, strains and injuries
associated with improper lifting, and the importance of proper
technique to avoid aggravation of a patient’s condition.
Molift continues to push the boundaries by introducing new and
innovative means of safety transferring people in a comfortable and
dignified manner, whilst avoiding physical strain on the healthcare
worker. This is according to the vision of Hans Kasper Andresen,
Molift’s founder, “to create products designed for life.” So you can
imagine, with such a prestigious history, Molift do not choose their
dealers and distributors lightly!
Lynch Healthcare are one of the few key UK dealers and now have
a full stock of demonstration products (some shown here) ready for
assessments and demonstrations, Don’t hesitate to contact us at
[email protected] for more information.
QUICK RAISER• Unique slanting column lifts the user up and
forwards to imitate and stimulate the natural
movement of the body
• The user can assist during the lifting and
transfer
• Small, compact and comfortable for
toileting, standing up and stand-up training
SMART 150• Lightweight and foldable in one piece
(without tools)
• Portable, out travelling or on house calls
• Adjustable legs
• Electronic lift logging
MOVING & HANDLING MASTERCLASS
Lynch Healthcare invite you to a Moving & Handling Masterclass in Partnership with Molift Patient HoistsThis FULL DAY event will be focussed on the correct and safe procedures to follow to ensure safe patient handling. We will explore the award winning Molift range of Hoists and Standing Aids and how they meet the manual handling needs of those in the caring profession.
FOR MORE INFORMATION SEE BACK PAGE >>>
HOISTMANS BLOG:
BOG STANDARD
www.lynchhc.com Page 7
Today, many options and variations are
available of what is historically known as
the Closomat.
The single most advantageous aspect of
these toileting systems, is the exceptional
levels of hygiene they offer for the user and
carer. Reducing the need for subsequent hand
washing, whilst removing the need for the loo
roll.
The Clos-O-Mat has been on the market
for over 30 years in some guise or other.
The latest model being the Palma Vita, of
which seems to be the favourite among
Occupational Therapists. The Palma Vita
along with the wash and dry functions offers
a wide range of ancillaries, making it
adaptable to most situations.
The function of these toilets are to wash via
a shower nozzle, sometimes known as the
douche arm. This arm, upon flushing and
providing the sensors on the seat, are enabled
from you sitting on the seat which comes
forward out of the toilet pan to an area below
the bottom. This then sprays warm water,
subsequent to the water, the final function is
to blow warm air into the toilet pan for drying,
and all of these functions are operated from a
single push of the elbow pads.
Please beware that the warm water spray
is limited to approx 0.5ltr, and once this has
emptied and your still keen on cleaning, you’re
going to get a cold surprise!
CLOSOMAT TOILET
Whilst providing exceptional hygiene
benefits the Closomat also lends
itself to a wide range of scenarios,
this largely due to their expansive range
of add-ons. These range from simple fold
down support arms to the more supportive
Columbia body support systems.
GEBERIT TOILET SYSTEM
Another model to consider would be the eye-
catching Geberit, aquaclean 8000 model, it
offers quite a bit of flexibility due to its douche
arm (spray arm) being variably adjusted.
BIOBIDET TOILET SEAT
And for those situations where budget may be
an issue, the BioBidet is an excellent option.
This will retrofit onto almost any conventional
toilet and offers the same wash and dry
functionality of both the Clos-O-Mat and the
Geberit models.
Finally, what I would like to finish on is the
provision of shower chairs for those who are
using any of the above toilet systems. Many
people requiring these toilets often require the
support and mobility of a shower chair to aid
them with their toileting and to facilitate their
independence. The reason I bring this up is
quite simple, a shower chair that physically fits
over isn’t necessarily compatible with these
systems. We have to consider the functionality
of these products and how, when presenting
the shower chair over the loo, this may
change the effectiveness it has on the client.
As you wont be sitting directly on the seat
does the position of the shower chair position
the client so the douche arm (spray arm) has
maximum effect?
Also, the client’s bottom will not
be creating a seal directly on the
seat so a splash skirt may need
to be considered to prevent the
water from spraying into the room.
The shower chair seat will be
elevated above the toilet seat naturally,
how will this effect the drying time of the
clients bottom? It may be that a height
adjustable shower chair is most suitable.
These systems operate from pressure sensors
when the client is sat on the seat. How will the
shower chair integrate with these sensors?
Don’t get too bogged down with my
information and I look forward to the next
episode... sorry cant help myself sometimes.
www.lynchhc.comPage 8
‘WEAR’ SETTLING IN NICELY TO OUR GREAT NEW OFFICES
Nearly a year has gone since we moved
into our new HQ and we are already running
out of space! Nesting right on the banks of
the River Wear... about three meters to be
precise! Lynch HQ offers the company a
great environment to work in whilst giving
great access to A19 and A1 for our sales and
service staff. There was another reason we
moved here, what was it again? Oh yeah...
it’s walking distance to the Stadium of Light
so our MD can do a bit of work on a Saturday
morning and walk to the match!
MOVING & HANDLING MASTERCLASS
Lynch Healthcare invite you to a Moving & Handling Masterclass in Partnership with Molift Patient HoistsThis FULL DAY event will be focused on the correct and safe procedures to follow to ensure safe patient handling and will explore the award winning Molift range of Hoists and Standing Aids and how they meet the manual handling needs of those in the caring profession.
9.30 coffee and arrival
10.00 start - AM session Choosing a specialist patient hoist
Including: • Lightweight folding hoists • Bariatric Options • Column Lifters • Lifting from the floor • Why 4pt suspension
12.30 Lunch and Networking
1.30 Start PM sessionStanding aids and specialist slings
Including • Choosing a Standing Aid • Standing Aid Slings • Ambulating vests • Toileting and Bathing Slings • Bariatric Slings • Patient specific slings (disposable )
4pm Close
Together with an insight into expert manual handling techniques and knowledge direct from European experts in physiotherapy and manual handling.
WHEN We expect this event to have great interest and so will be running the event on 2 separate days 17th and 18th April.
Please note we expect all two dates to be fully subscribed and places will be on a first come basis
HOW MUCHFREE and a fantastic way of updating your CPD files
TO REGISTER Simply email [email protected] with your full name, contact number, first and second choice of date, alternatively book by calling 0191 516 2080.
The Events will be held at The Stadium of Light, Sunderland, Tyne & Wear SR5 1SU
A delicious Lunch and refreshments will be provided throughout the day.