Equipment Needs/Exchange Information

Need a wheelchair, crutches or other medical equipment?

Goodwill/Easter Seals Minnesota lends assistive living medical equipment to anyone in need. We offer wheelchairs, commodes, walkers, crutches and more free of charge in this temporary loan program. Short-term loans of equipment should be returned in about three to four months.

ABOUT BORROWING MEDICAL EQUIPMENT:

1. Anyone with a temporary need may borrow equipment.

* You are recovering from an injury or surgery.
* You want to try the equipment before buying it.
* You are waiting for insurance coverage approval.
* You are helping a friend or relative accept the idea of using equipment.
* You are ill and uncertain about the period of need.
* You are a visitor to the area who may not be able to transport your own equipment.

2. How to borrow medical equipment from Goodwill/Easter Seals:

* Determine what you need, including size, special features, etc..
* Talk to your doctor or therapist if you have questions on specific needs.
* Call the number below to inquire about equipment availability and to arrange a time to pick up the equipment.

3. Where to pick up the equipment: St. Paul 553 Fairview Ave. N. St. Paul, MN 55104 (651) 379-5922 4. Please, always return the equipment on schedule. Metro area customers may return equipment to any metro area Goodwill store for your convenience.Non-metro area customers, please return equipment to the place you picked it up. Donate medical equipment to our loan program We need and accept donations of the following assistive living and medical equipment:

* Walkers
* Commodes
* Bathtub rails and tub seats
* Wheelchairs (not powered)
* Transfer benches
* Children's wheelchairs and other equipment
* Other assistive living equipment

Donations are accepted at the following location in the Goodwill store drop off lanes. Ask for a receipt to document your donation for tax purposes. St. Paul 553 Fairview Ave. N. St. Paul, MN 55104 (651) 379-5922

In addition to the Loan Program there is a monthly list called the Specialized Equipment List that is emailed out to those who request it. This list contains equipment that has been donated to Good Will Easter Seals 'as is' for ownership transfer. If you wish to be on the email list to receive updates on avaiable equipement please contact:

Ryc Lyden Medical Equipment Loan Program and Work Force Development Supervisor Goodwill Easter Seals, MN. 553 Fairview Ave No. St. Paul, MN. 55104 Direct phone number: (651)-379-5926

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TheraSuit Therapy for Cerebral Palsy

Here is some information on a great intensive therapy that is designed specifically for people/children with Cerebral Palsy:

TheraSuit Method® was created by Izabela and Richard Koscielny (Physical Therapists and parents of a daughter with Cerebral Palsy). It is a very holistic approach to treatment for those afflicted with neurological disorders like Cerebral Palsy, Developmental Delays, and Traumatic Brain Injuries. It combines the best elements of various techniques and methods, and has a sound rationale based on physiology of exercises. The key element is a strengthening program established for the participant based on his/her individual needs, strengths and weaknesses. Increased strength reflects in daily functional activities that usually follow or are combined with the strengthening exercises. TheraSuit Method® is based on an intensive and specific exercise program. Elimination of pathological reflexes and establishing new, correct, and functional patterns of movements is of significant importance. TheraSuit Method® utilizes various tools and exercises. One of them is the soft dynamic proprioceptive orthosis called TheraSuit®. TheraSuit® aligns the body as close to normal as possible. Reestablishing the correct postural alignment plays a crucial role in normalizing muscle tone, sensory and vestibular function. Universal Exercise Unit is used to train one the abilities to isolate the desired movements and strengthen the muscle groups responsible for that movement. Universal Exercise Unit allows to gain range of motion, muscle and joint flexibility, as well as functional skills. TheraSuit Method® is a structured program that enhances growth and development of each individual. (Taken directly from http://www.suittherapy.com/index.htm)

We have done two separate TheraSuit intensive therapy sessions with our daughter Emily. The first time she did an intensive she was only 18 months old, so she did not wear the complete TheraSuit and her session were only two hours long instead of three hours. We saw a huge improvement in Emily head control, trunk stability, and her eyes seems to improve in how they looked at things.

The second time we did the TheraSuit intensive with Emily was when she was 3 1/2 years old and we did it in conjunction with hyperbaric oxygen therapy. This made for very long days for Emily, but the results were well worth it! Emily gained a tremendous amount of strength throughout her body, her head control continued to improve and her stamina improved as well. You could also tell how proud Emily was of her self and everything she accomplished each session. This is a therapy that I highly recommend looking into to give your child a kick start in gross motor development.

There are only a few places in the Twin Cities are that I am familiar with that offer this therapy:

Special Children's Center in Hudson, WI - http://www.specialchildrencenter.com/

Courage Center in Burnsville, MN - http://www.couragecenter.org/

For more information regarding this therapy please contact me directly.

KristyK

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Reflexology for Constipation

Emily is on many medications which have the side effect of constipation. So finding ways to get her to have a bowel movement can sometimes be difficult. We have pretty much tried everything for her and one of the things that seems to work well is reflexology in addition to her bowel management plan.

There is a spot on the inner part of your foot that is affiliated with the digestive system. If you push gently into this are with your finger and either hold it or gently massage it, it really seems to work in producing a bowel movement.

I would recommend that you take your child or yourself to a reflexologist or a massage therapist that knows reflexology to learn the proper way to perform it before attempting it on yourself or anyone else.

For more information on reflexology visit http://www.reflexology-research.com/whatis.htm.

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