These Moving Times

THESE MOVING TIMES

Issue No.

1

We are live... ... and open for business online

After 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 CONTINUED ON PAGE 3 >>>

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Page 1

WELCOME A 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.

“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.”

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 info@lynchhc.com 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

CONTENTS We are live page 1 Our new retail website goes online

Cleaning up the shower chair market page 5 We offer one of the most comprehensive ranges

Welcome page 2 A message from David

Lynch chosen as gold MOLIFT UK dealer page 6 We are proud to offer their full range of products

Osprey Toilet and Transfer Sling page 3 The trouble with toilet slings

Hoistmans Blog page 7 We look at toilet systems in detail

Folding mobile hoist review page 4 We compare two of the best

The latest on Lynch page 8 Find out the latest news from Lynch Healthcare

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OSPREY TOILET AND TRANSFER SLING

WE ARE LIVE...

ONE OF THE BIGGEST PROBLEMS YOU COME ACROSS WHEN ASSESSING FOR SLINGS IS THE NEED FOR A COMFORTABLE TOILET SLING.

.... CONTINUED FROM FRONT PAGE

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 www.lynchhc.com

this and maybe have a section on our more complex products with data sheets and technical manuals.”

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.

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.

CHECK OUT THE BACK PAGE FOR MORE INFO ON OUR ‘MOVING & HANDLING MASTER CLASS’ EVENTS IN 2012!

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FOLDING MOBILE HOIST REVIEW 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 Page 4

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. www.lynchhc.com

WE’RE CLEANING UP ON SHOWER CHAIRS THE FREEWAY RECLINER ONE OF OUR MANY SHOWER CHAIRS

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!”

NHS CHOOSES LYNCH FOR SHOWER CHAIR RECYCLE CONTRACT 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

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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.

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.

Lynch Healthcare have recently invested in IT software to allow Page 5

LYNCH HEALTHCARE CHOSEN AS GOLD MOLIFT UK DEALER

PARTNER

QUICK RAISER

SMART 150

• 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

• Unique slanting column lifts the user up and forwards to imitate and stimulate the natural movement of the body

• Lightweight and foldable in one piece (without tools)

• Simple charging routines • Unique service and security program

• Portable, out travelling or on house calls • The user can assist during the lifting and transfer • Small, compact and comfortable for toileting, standing up and stand-up training

• Adjustable legs • Electronic lift logging

• New Molift Partner 255 has a SWL of 255kg 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 info@lynchhc.com for more information.

MOVING & HANDLING MASTERCLASS

Lynch Healthcare invite you to a Moving & Handling Masterclass in Partnership with Molift Patient Hoists This 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 >>> Page 6

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HOISTMANS BLOG:

BOG STANDARD 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 eyecatching 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.

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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.

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.

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.

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MOVING & HANDLING MASTERCLASS

Lynch Healthcare invite you to a Moving & Handling Masterclass in Partnership with Molift Patient Hoists This 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 session Standing 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 MUCH FREE and a fantastic way of updating your CPD files TO REGISTER Simply email info@lynchhc.com with your full name, contact number, first and second choice of date, alternatively book by calling 0191 516 2080.

A delicious Lunch and refreshments will be provided throughout the day.

The Events will be held at The Stadium of Light, Sunderland, Tyne & Wear SR5 1SU

‘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!

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