Monthly Products Showcase: Connected Chair

Smart wheelchairs improve user confidence and decrease downtime. We've already got smart phones, smart cars and smart homes. Having a smart wheelchair just makes sense.

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Overview

In the simplest terms, power assist provides manual wheelchair users with power when they need it. Power assist: 

• Requires less force to propel, reducing the number of pushes needed to go the same distance;
• Makes it easier to propel over difficult terrain such as grass, gravel, carpet, curb cuts, ramps and inclines;
• Allows users to do more while using less energy, which helps fight fatigue and overuse injuries, such as carpal tunnel and rotator cuff problems. “Power assist helps give people the ability to do more,” said Mike Salvi, director of mobility and seating at Invacare. “But it also helps prevent pain, fatigue and injury. Power assist can help reduce the risk of upper extremity injury due to decreased burden and helps users maintain more neutral joint positions.” 

Benefits to users include:

• Greater connectivity: Bluetooth gives you the ability to control speed and customizable settings with an app. It’s now possible to control some products without being in the chair, making it easy to store when not being used.  
• Safety: Many products offer increased speed to cross busy streets or assisted braking when going downhill, helping to make daily life a little more safe. 
• Improved drivability and transportability: Thanks to continued innovations, products continue to get lighter and easier to remove for travel, while engines are becoming stronger and more efficient, helping you get where you’re going with a little less hassle. 

Types

Manual wheelchair users have two main options when it comes to power assist: power assist wheels or an add-on unit. In deciding between the two, experts suggest taking stock of your goals and finding the right combination of options that fit your lifestyle. 

You and your care team should consider functional and comfort levels as well as safety when making decisions about which product might work best. If you qualify, power assist may be covered by insurance, whether you’re a new or existing user. Private pay options are also available. If you have questions, consult your doctor, therapist or National Seating & Mobility. 

NSM Client Spotlight: Kathleen Tevnan

Kathleen Tevnan has always been inspired by the arts. A painter, world-traveler and aspiring opera star, her passions have continued to fuel her studies and encouraged her to finetune her craft and knowledge of the arts. 

“As a student, my career goal was to study music and become a famous opera singer,” said Kathleen. “My very wise mother (and payer of my college tuition) insisted I have a back-up plan. Turned out, she was right.” 

After graduating from the University of Maryland in music education, Kathleen joined the Department of Defense Dependent Schools while pursuing her dreams of reaching opera fame. She completed a year of additional studies in London, and her years of living abroad were just beginning.

“Okinawa, Japan, was my first full-time job as an elementary music teacher with the DoD,” she said. “I then moved to Bad Kreuznach, Germany, and stayed for 18 years. We took every advantage of the location—driving trips to France, ski trips to Switzerland and Austria or spring break on the Italian coast. What an incredible life and an exceptional job teaching our American military children.” 

Back in the states in 2008, a fall left Kathleen with a cracked vertebra. What should have been a routine procedure resulted in a surgical error, leaving Kathleen a T-9 incomplete paraplegic. 

“My injury was life-altering, but not life-ending,” Kathleen said. “Following my injury, I found that I can no longer take images of the world for granted.” 

Kathleen’s passion for the arts did not subside, and she began attending a weekly watercolor painting class that ultimately inspired her to enroll in a three-year Master of Arts program. 

“The hours spent at the easel embolden me as I understood that though certain avenues may have closed to me, other gorgeous ones have opened,” said Kathleen. “As my experience with painting has grown over the years, so too has my confidence.” 

More than 10 years later, Kathleen continues to paint, pursue new avenues for learning and enter her pieces in art shows. 

While the pandemic has paused in-person learning, Kathleen is currently taking painting classes through the Zoom platform. 

“My instructor, Roberto Osti, uses the technology to his advantage and to the advantage of his students,” she says. "The platform has opened doors for all painters, not just those with a disability."