How can we help at Fortuna?

Mobility Needs

A key feature of IBM is reduced mobility. Our equipment range is suitable for people at many different levels and we have lots to help:

• Footwear can make a difference to stability and help reduce falls. Our Sandpiper range of shoes, slippers, sandals and boots have lots of adjustability so can fit well on your feet, are lightweight and have good grip on the soles.
• Our extensive range of walking sticks includes, wooden canes, folding sticks and a range of quad sticks including the Fortuna Quad.
• Walking frames and rollators for aids to walking and stability and many also have a seat which means you always have a handy seat to rest on as you go about your daily life. Our rollators are all foldable and lightweight.  
• Wheelchairs range from the simple to complex. We can provide advice on the most practical and comfortable solution for you and your family.
• Scooters may be the answer for some people’s needs, but again, we would advise you to contact us to discuss your requirements.

We’ve also got lots of accessories to maximise the benefits and uses of our mobility equipment; examples include covers, capes, cushions, crutch and stick holders, drinks holders and attachable carry bags.

Walking Frame

Lightweight wheelchair

Mobility scooter

Happylegs - a passive exerciser

Exercise

Exercise and retaining muscle forms an important part of the management of IBM. General activity, including walking, is important. However many people forget about exercise equipment which can be used while sitting down and in the comfort of their own home, examples include:

• Pedal exercisers 
• Electric pedal exerciser with digital display. 
• Our Happylegs ‘seated walking machine’ which provides passive exercise. With two foot pads it moves your legs whilst seated, stimulating muscles, improving circulation and general health.

Life at Home

Seating and Standing
Seating is an important part of everyone’s life, but sitting and standing from a chair can become problematic with  IBM. If  are sitting for long periods, it’s vital to choose the right chair that fits you properly. A variety of options are available:

High Back Chairs promote a good anatomic and supportive posture which help standing up much easier compared to a low armchair. Some have adjustable legs to optimise the right seat height for you, or we have furniture raisers which can help with raising chairs, sofas and beds. Generally, the higher seat the easier it is to stand and in the early stages this may be all that is required for IBM.

Riser Recliners can help make standing up easier and safer at the touch of a button. These are ideal for the home use and are very comfortable. However, with IBM the characteristic weakness and wasting of the quadriceps muscles means that living with IBM often brings difficulty rising from a sitting position even from standard riser recliners. This is due to the need, as quadriceps weaken, to lock knees before being able to support your weight to stand. This process can be made easier if the chair includes a high-rising Vertical Angle Lift (VAL) mechanism. There are many considerations when choosing the right chair so we always recommend taking advice from one of our seating specialists before buying a riser recliner chair and offer a full assessment service both in our showroom or in your own home.

High Back Chair

SitnStand
The SitnStand Portable Rising Seat offers the functionality of a riser recliner but is portable and folds into its own bag. The SitnStand seat lifts vertically, so it's particularly good for those living with IBM.

It can be used with almost any chair, so it's a perfect solution for anyone who struggles with getting in and out of seats but leads an active lifestyle. It can be transferred between chairs even when dining out or visiting family and friends. 

TOPRO Taurus Walker
The Topro Taurus Walker is a well-designed and functional walker which offers good support for the upper body.

The electric version (Taurus E) may be of particular value in IBM where severe quadriceps weakness makes standing up very difficult - an electric motor raises the arm supports, assisting the user as they stand up.

Beds

We can help with a range of beds, mattresses and accessories to make life easier:

• Profiling Beds – with motorised movement reduce the work of getting in and out of bed and make it easier to sit up in bed.
• The most advanced adjustable bed in our range is the Theraposture Rotoflex – at a touch of a button it can rise and turn completely.
• As well as high-quality domestic mattresses, for particular needs we also have healthcare mattresses, pressure care foam mattresses and air mattresses.
• Our range also includes simple solutions like bed levers, which are devices which can be used with a variety of conditions to enable a patient to pull themselves up into a sitting position from lying and provide support when getting in or out of bed. 

Stairlift

Stairs

The quadriceps are important for climbing steps, so coping with the stairs can become difficult with IBM. We offer a range of stair solutions from simple handrails through to Stairlifts, which provide a powered seated means of moving from one floor to the next.  

However we also install the award-winning StairSteady, which comprises a high strength fixed handrail attached to the wall with a sliding supporting handle that moves freely when pushed but locks in place when weight is applied. This provides support and reassurance when going up and down the stairs without assistance.

Stairsteady

Ornamin

 

Ucello Kettle

Daily Living

Weakness of the arms and hands can affect many everyday daily living activities but we have many living aids that are designed to be easy, safe to use and helpful.

Preparing food and enjoying eating are a fundamental to family life and with our extensive range of products, we can make life easier when preparing and enjoying food and drinks. Great examples include the Ornamin range of cups, mugs, plates, cutlery and food preparation items designed to make eating and drinking easier, maintain independence with a modern and smart design. Something as simple as making a cup of tea or coffee can become difficult, but the stylish and clever Uccello kettle can make the process much easier and safer.

It’s important to us all to keep hydrated and when with weakness in the arms it can be easy to overlook this important aspect of our health to avoid the associated problems of dehydration. Apart from the range of Ornamin cups and lids we also have: The Hydrant and Drinkup21

To relieve tiredness when after standing for long periods a Perching Stool or Bambach Saddle Seat can help sit at the right height for a work surface, provide support whilst also helping to retain muscle strength.

Other miscellaneous examples of products which can make life easier include reachers and dressing aids.

We also have easy to use sensor technology Frequency Precision such a push button alarms and fall alerts, to provide reassurance.

Bambach Saddle Stool 

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Shower Installation

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Bathroom & Toilet Aids

Depending on the severity of symptoms we have an extensive range of bath, shower and toilet aids, including shower stools, bath lifts, commodes, shower chairs and many more. 

If standing from the toilet becomes difficult, the Vertica toilet lift  is the perfect solution for those living with IBM, to help retain independence when toileting or to reduce the number of carers needed.  With a high vertical lift it enables users to lock their knees before supporting their own weight when standing which makes it ideal for those living with IBM.

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   Vertica Toilet Lift

Managing Immobility

If weakness becomes very severe the person will spend long periods in bed or sitting – careful management of posture and tissue viability becomes very important. Choosing the correct mattress or pressure cushion becomes important.

If weakness of the arms becomes so severe that lifting a cup becomes difficult, we have solutions such as the Armon zero-gravity dynamic arm support which makes lifting much easier. Alternatively, the Drinkup21 hands-free system may be the solution.

Our range of products is far wider than outlined here so contact us if you have a problem and we’ll try and come up with a solution.