What if the best designed chair in your home happened to be your loved one’s wheelchair?
Imagine a wheelchair so innovative it could significantly improve quality of life. Movi, created by designer Lloyd Cooper, could change the nature of long-term care.
Lloyd was inspired by his father who spent the last two years of his life in a wheelchair. He experienced first-hand the drawbacks of traditional wheelchairs.
Comfort and safety are at the forefront of its design.
The Movi, with its built-in patient assist lift, reduces the assistance required from the caregiver, reducing risk of injury to both the patient and the professional. The patient-assist lift helps a patient stand by raising his or her center of gravity until centered over the legs, mimicking the biomechanics of standing from a seated position.
Transport personnel are not required to lift a patient’s total weight, reducing the chance for injury or accidental falls for both patient and nurse.
Cooper, CEO of Push Design, was hired by the UAB Health System to lead the product design effort. Cooper’s motivation was inspired by the personal experience of his father, who had had been permanently confined to a wheelchair and suffered a sharp decline in his quality of life.
“My father was 87,” Cooper said, “He’d fallen twice and had broken both hips. Eventually, he had to use a wheelchair on a permanent basis. We purchased a high-end chair, yet it still came with bad ergonomics. It was awkward to move. He could only sit for a short time before his body slumped forward, making it difficult to breathe properly and placing additional pressure on his back. Sitting wore him out. But worst of all, his quality of life was significantly diminished as well as the lives of those who cared for him.”
We all know that Kickstarter-funded projects have the ability to make a difference in people’s lives.
Visit the company’s website here or watch the Kickstarter video and help fund Lloyd’s project here.
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