Author: Peoria Ear, Nose & Throat Group

Individuals with disabilities, injuries, or older adults who are at an increased risk of falling may choose to use an assisted device. These devices such as canes, walkers, etc. can benefit patients in several ways.

Assisted devices promote independence and increase activity level and mobility. They reduce the stress on caretakers and family members, improving their quality of life and that of the person they are caring for. These devices also reduce the risk for falls and injuries, and reduce early entry into care homes and hospitals.

Finding the right type of assisted device is crucial. One of our physical therapists can help. By assessing your balance, gait, cognition, musculoskeletal challenges, cardiovascular fitness and any neurological conditions, they can help recommend what device best suits your needs. You may also need an assisted device that matches your weight-bearing status. The most common type of assisted devices include canes, walkers, wheelchairs, and more.

Canes and crutches both support the body’s weight and help transmit the load from the legs to the upper body. However, canes take less weight off the lower body and place greater pressure on the wrists and hands. Canes and walking sticks come in a variety of designs. However, they need to be sized properly and have a grip that you are comfortable using. It is estimated that 1 in every 10 adults over the age of 65 in the United States uses a cane.

Walkers are very stable devices that are used by nearly 5 percent of adults in the United States over the age of 65. The metal framework has for legs that provide support and stability to the user. Some walkers have wheels or glides on the base of the legs.

Wheelchairs are best for those who should not put weight on their lower limbs or who are unable to walk. They can be manually propelled by the user, pushed by someone else, or power electrically.

For more information on assisted devices, please visit our website at fyzical.com/peoria or call (309) 589-5900 today.

FYZICAL THERAPY & BALANCE CENTER – A DIVISION OF PEORIA EAR, NOSE & THROAT GROUP

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EDWARDS (WEEK) – 13-year-old Ben Jones has started making, what are called ear savers, for those wearing masks at Peoria Ear Nose and Throat Medical Group.

The teen from Edwards is using his 3D printer. The idea came to him after he saw boy scouts from Canada doing the same. Jones says he is used to just making figurines on his printer, so it has been a learning curve when it comes to making ear savers. Now that he has the hang of it, he can make nearly 45 ear savers per day.

” I’m not making masks, I’m making the ear savers because nurses that use them, their ears get really raw, the back of them, after using a mask for a really long time, and they’re going to be using masks for a really long time because of the pandemic,” Jones said.

So far, Jones has made more than 100 ear savers for Peoria Ear Nose and Throat Medical Group. Doctor James Klemens says this is a game changer for the one size fits all model for masks.

“You can’t necessarily pull the masks very tight, so wearing those ear savers, it has an adjustable setting,” Doctor Klemens said.

Doctor Klemens says in addition to the ear savers, the medical group has been looking for a piece to connect a new type of face mask. Doctor Klemens explains the mask is a reusable device that can be washed and used with a filter. In the UK, doctors have figured out how to use a scuba mask connected to a filter as a replacement for an N 95 mask.

“One of the reasons we haven’t been able to do more elective procedures is because we don’t have enough protective gear,” Doctor Klemens said.

Doctor Klemens asked Jones if he could create something new on his 3D printer to connect the scuba mask to the filter, and Jones was able to do that.

“It’s going to really be the difference between us being able to get the real back log of surgical cases that, maybe they weren’t urgent at the beginning of all this, but the longer that we wait, more of them need to be done,” Doctor Klemens said.

“I’m just trying to be helpful because I know a lot of other people with 3D printers are doing this so I’m just doing my part to help people out during this pandemic,” Jones said.

An estimated 90 million Americans (42% of the current population) experience dizziness at least once in their lifetime. For people over 70 years of age, balance disorders and dizziness are the primary reasons for visiting a physician, and dizziness is a significant factor for falls. Falls have been estimated to be the leading cause of serious injury in persons over 65 years old and falls account for 50% of accidental deaths in the elderly. Our ENT physicians are board-certified and have specialized training in evaluating patients with dizziness, imbalance, and other vestibular problems. Teamed with our award winning Doctors of Audiology and our specialty trained Doctors of Physical Therapy, Peoria ENT offers a full team approach and can develop a treatment plan that can improve you or your loved one’s ability to function in activities of everyday living, reduce your risk of falling and, ultimately improve your quality of life. To find out more, contact our office for an appointment and start down the path to YOU, ONLY BETTER!

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