December 30th, 2009 Admin
Older adults’ use of, and satisfaction with, electric powered indoor/outdoor wheelchairs
BACKGROUND: Research documenting the experiences of electric medical scooters indoor/outdoor medicare power wheelchairs(EPIOC) users has generally failed to take into account the specific needs and concerns of older adults. This study sought to qualitatively examine the older EPIOC users’ satisfaction with the chair and service providers. METHOD: Eight women and nine men aged between 60 and 81 (mean 69) years were recruited through a specialist wheelchair service database. All had severe mobility disabilities. Analysis was performed using a qualitative framework approach. RESULTS: Participants reported a variety of EPIOC uses, including shopping and some social contact. Moderate satisfaction with the chair was reported. Use was compromised by indoor and outdoor environmental barriers; and the chair not meeting users’ needs. Accidents were rare, but many users still experienced insecurity in the chair. High levels of satisfaction with the service were reported, although concern was expressed over length of waiting times. CONCLUSIONS: EPIOCs proved useful to most older people with disabilities. However, even those who were satisfied reported only moderate use of the chair outdoors. Limited use related to an infrequent need for outings, outdoor barriers, feelings of insecurity over chair safety and lengthy waiting times for chair delivery and required modifications. Service providers should be aware that older EPIOC users may require extra support and the provision of timely adjustments to increase chair use.
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December 29th, 2009 Admin
Why Compare Credit Cards?
There are many financial institutions offering building business credit cards- but they are not all alike. Company A and Company B can both offer pre-approved business line of credit cards to consumers with acceptable building business credit, but the terms can be very, very different. It is important to compare credit cards to ensure you are using your money and credit wisely.
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December 28th, 2009 Admin
Medicare program; conditions for payment of power mobility devices, including power wheelchairs and power-operated vehicles. Final rule
This final rule conforms our regulations to section 302(a)(2)(E)(iv) of the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003 and medical scooters. This rule defines the term power mobility devices (PMDs) as power wheelchairs and handicap scooters vehicles (POVs or scooters). It sets forth revised conditions for Medicare payment of PMDs and defines who may prescribe PMDs. This rule also requires a face-to-face examination of the beneficiary by the physician or treating practitioner, a written prescription, and receipt of pertinent parts of the medical record by the supplier within 45 days after the face-to-face examination that the durable medical equipment suppliers maintain in their records and make available to CMS or its agents upon request. Finally, this rule discusses CMS’ policy on documentation that may be requested by CMS or its agents to support a Medicare claim for payment, as well as the elimination of the Certificate of Medical Necessity (CMN) for PMDs.
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December 26th, 2009 Admin
Win a Job Interview With An Email Cover Letter
Every job hunter wants an interview. It’s the in-person meeting that can make the difference between getting hired and being ignored. To insure your opportunity to win that interview, use an email cover letter. Email is read more often than postal mail and you’re likely to get a faster response with email cover letters, as well. Use standard letter protocol and be sure to study the specifics of the organization you’re targeting. A clear, well-written email cover letter guide is an excellent way to reach the hiring manager of your choice and make your bid for a job interview.
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December 25th, 2009 Admin
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Aerosmith lead singer Steven Tyler has entered a rehab facility for pain management and an addiction to prescription painkillers resulting from 10 years of performance injuries, PEOPLE has learned.
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December 25th, 2009 Admin
The effects of rear-wheel camber on the mechanical parameters produced during the wheelchair sprinting of handibasketball athletes
be taken into account in the search for optimal regulation of a power wheelchairs
and medical scooters. This study examined the effects of different rear-wheel camber (9 degrees , 12 degrees and 15 degrees )-today used mainly in the handibasket championship-on the various kinetic and kinematic parameters of the propulsion cycle. Eight males, all players in the French handibasket championship, were asked to participate in this study. They performed three 8 s maximal sprints as measured by a wheelchair ergometer, 9 degrees , 12 degrees , and 15 degrees of rear-wheel camber. The results of our study show that residual torque increases in proportion to the increase in wheel camber. This could explain other study results, which show a decrease in mean velocity and an increase in both power output and time of the propelling phase, in relation to the wheel camber. These results should provide the information necessary for optimal wheelchair regulation.
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December 23rd, 2009 Admin
The effect of providing power mobility on body weight change
OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether the provision of power mobility would have an effect on body weight in adults who were first-time qualifiers for power mobility. DESIGN: This was a retrospective observational study of consecutive subjects, who served as their own controls. The medical scooters, handicap scooters records of 468 subjects who were approved for power mobility during a 17-mo period were reviewed. Three weight groups (12 mos before, at, and 12 mos after the power mobility evaluation) were evaluated with repeated-measures analysis of variance (ANOVA). The weight changes on subjects in different age groups (45-54, 55-64, 65-74, and >74), in geriatric vs. nongeriatric groups, and in different body mass index (BMI) groups were analyzed. RESULTS: Eighty-nine subjects met the inclusion criteria. They were obese (49.4%), and most of them were geriatric (64%). Congestive heart failure (30.34%) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (22.47%) were the two main presenting diagnoses. The repeated-measures ANOVA showed no significant weight change in the three studied weight groups. Similar results were seen in the age and BMI subgroups. CONCLUSIONS: There was no statistically significant weight change in adults who were first-time qualifiers and who used power mobility for 1 yr.
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December 22nd, 2009 Admin
Who Should Consider This
Transfer the balance from the building business credit card with the higher interest rate to the one with the lower rate so that you are not paying as much monthly.
With that said, if you have business line of credit cards with relatively low interest rates then to consolidate your credit card debt is not something necessary. Another thing you must keep in mind is that you may be charged for transferring your balance from card to another, so if the transfer fee is too much you may want to think twice.
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December 20th, 2009 Admin
Mechanisms of blood pressure and heart rate variability: an insight from low-level paraplegia.
It is still unclear whether the low-frequency oscillation in heart rate is generated by an endogenous neural oscillator or by a baroreflex resonance. Our aim was to investigate this issue by analyzing blood pressure and heart rate variability and the baroreflex function in paraplegic subjects with spinal cord injury below the fourth thoracic vertebra. These subjects were selected because they represent a model of intact central neural drive to the heart, with a partially impaired autonomic control of the vessels. In our study, arterial blood pressure and ECG were recorded in 33 able-bodied controls and in 33 subjects with spinal cord lesions between the fifth thoracic and the fourth lumbar vertebra 1) during supine rest (lowest sympathetic activation), 2) sitting on a power wheelchairs and handicap scooters (light sympathetic activation), and 3) during exercise (moderate sympathetic activation). Blood pressure and heart rate spectra, coherence, and baroreflex function (sequence technique) were estimated in each condition. Compared with controls, paraplegic subjects showed a reduction of the low-frequency power of blood pressure and heart rate, and, unlike controls, a 0.1-Hz peak did not appear in their spectra. Sympathetic activation increased the 0.1-Hz peak of blood pressure and heart rate and the coherence at 0.1 Hz in controls only. Paraplegic subjects also had significantly lower baroreflex effectiveness and greater blood pressure variability. In conclusion, the disappearance of the 10-s oscillation of heart rate and blood pressure in subjects with spinal cord lesion supports the hypothesis of the baroreflex nature of this phenomenon.
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December 19th, 2009 Admin
Comparison of mobility device delivery within Department of Veterans Affairs for individuals with multiple sclerosis versus spinal cord injury
Individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS) report decreased satisfaction with their handicap scooters devices compared with individuals with spinal cord injuries (SCIs). This study (1) investigated the demographic differences between veterans with MS (V-MS) and veterans with SCI (V-SCI) who were issued a wheelchair by the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) and (2) described differences in mobility device prescription. We merged two VHA databases to obtain demographic and wheelchair information for all V-MS and V-SCI in 2000 and 2001. Descriptive information for issued wheelchairs was available for 2,154 V-MS and V-SCI. We found that V-MS were significantly less likely to receive higher quality wheelchairs (manual or power) compared with V-SCI (p < 0.001). The disparity in VHA medicare power wheelchairs prescription between these two groups indicates a need for further research regarding the assistive device prescription process in these populations.
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December 18th, 2009 Admin
Write a Stellar Job Cover Letter Now
It doesn’t take much to attract a hiring manager, given the number of poorly written cover letters he or she receives every day. So make your job cover letter the best it can be and your will rise to the top of the pile. resume cover letters should include pertinent information about your experience, training, education, and interest in the specific position you’re bidding for. Start your cover letter letter with a friendly greeting and your desire to be considered to fill the opening. And don’t forget to ask for an interview where you can show your best assets in person.
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December 13th, 2009 Admin
Mechanical efficiency and wheelchair performance during and after spinal cord injury rehabilitation
The purpose of the present study was to investigate whether mechanical efficiency (ME) relates to medical scooters propulsion capacity and wheelchair performance tasks during and after rehabilitation of people with a spinal cord injury (SCI). Eighty participants with a SCI were tested during rehabilitation (3 x) and 1 year after discharge. Two 3-minute submaximal exercise blocks, a maximal medicare power wheelchairs exercise test, and four wheelchair performance tasks were performed. ME, peak power output (PO (peak)), the sum of the performance times of a 15-m sprint and figure-of-eight, and the heart rate reserve (%HRR) during 10 s of wheelchair propulsion on a 3 % and 6 % slope were calculated. The relationship between ME and PO (peak), %HRR and performance time was tested with a multilevel regression analysis. ME showed a significant relationship with PO (peak) (p = 0.002). A 1 % higher ME related to a 1.6 - 2.2 W higher PO (peak). ME of exercise block 2 was related to the sum of the performance times of a 15-m sprint and figure-of-eight; the tests were performed faster by participants with a higher ME. No relationship was found between ME and %HRR during wheelchair propulsion on a slope. ME showed a significant effect on wheelchair propulsion capacity and wheelchair performance time during and 1 yr after SCI rehabilitation although the isolated effect of ME is small.
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December 13th, 2009 Admin
Charge Cards
Western Union began issuing charge cards to its frequent customers in 1914. However, the actual concept of using a business line of credit card for paying merchants was invented by Ralph Schneider and Frank X. Macnamara in 1950. Diners Club was the first to make the general purpose building business credit card followed by American Express.
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December 12th, 2009 Admin
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Brian Balzer’s friends liked to say he was larger than life. But his heroin addiction turned out to be bigger than him.
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Alkaline Trio Talk About The Addiction (Metal Hammer)
Alkaline Trio frontman Matt Skiba explains the meaning behind the title of the bands forthcoming album, The Addiction. Talking to Spinner.com, Skiba has said: Its a metaphor for being addicted to somebody, being in love with them.
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December 11th, 2009 Admin
BBQ FACTS: Precooking
Precooking <a href=’http://www.1topsecret-bbq-sauce-recipe.com’>bbq recipe</a> food partially in the microwave, oven, or stove is a good way of reducing <a href=’http://www.1topsecret-bbq-sauce-recipe.com’>best barbeque</a> grilling time. Just make sure that the food goes immediately on the preheated grill to complete cooking.
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December 10th, 2009 Admin
Write a Super Cover Letter for the Teacher Job of Your Dreams
Do you want to teach elementary school, middle school, or high school? If so, you’ll want to study a top-notch cover letters sample for a teacher. Where can you find one? On the Internet. Use your favorite search engine to locate cover letter examples for teachers. Notice the wording, the elements included, the details about the individual job seeker, as well as the bid for the specific job. Each sample cover letter for teachers that you can find will help you write your own letter requesting the teaching position you want and are qualified for. And be sure, at the end, to ask for an interview in person. Then add the time and date when you’re available.
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December 9th, 2009 Admin
Vibration exposure of individuals using wheelchairs over sidewalk surfaces.
According to the International Standards Organization 2631-1 standard on human vibration, individuals in a seated position are at risk of injury due to whole-body vibrations when exposed for long periods of time. Wheelchair users fit this description perfectly; however, little research has been conducted to evaluate the amount of vibration transmitted to a medicare power wheelchairs user. The vibration exposure produced by traversing nine surfaces was evaluated by having 10 individuals without disabilities propel over them in both a manual wheelchair at 1 m/s and a power wheelchairs at 1 and 2 m/s. Root-mean squared (RMS) vertical vibration was examined to determine if differences existed between surfaces. At 1 m/s for both the manual and the powered wheelchair the 8-mm bevel interlocking concrete surface produced significantly higher RMS vertical vibration than the other surfaces. At 2 m/s in the powered wheelchair, the poured concrete surface (control) produced the significantly highest RMS vertical vibration. Based on the manual and power wheelchair results of this study, use of selected ICPI pavers would be acceptable for any route traveled by individuals using wheelchair. Furthermore, a 90 degrees herringbone pattern is preferred over the 45 degrees pattern, and it is recommended that for safety reasons regarding vibration exposure a bevel of less than 6 mm should be used.
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December 8th, 2009 Admin
Epidemiology of Medicare abuse: the example of power wheelchairs.
OBJECTIVES: To determine the effect of neighborhood ethnic composition on medical scooters prescriptions. DESIGN: The 5% noncancer sample of Medicare recipients in the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER)-Medicare linked database, from 1994 to 2001. SETTING: SEER regions. PARTICIPANTS: Individuals covered by Medicare living in SEER regions without a cancer diagnosis. MEASUREMENTS: Individual characteristics (age, sex, ethnicity, justifying diagnosis, and comorbidity), primary diagnoses, neighborhood characteristics (percentage black, percentage Hispanic, percentage with <12 years education, and median income), and SEER region. RESULTS: The rate of power wheelchair prescriptions was 33 times greater in 2001 than in 1994, with a shift over time from justifying diagnoses more closely tied to mobility impairment, such as strokes, to less-specific medical diagnoses, such as osteoarthritis. In multilevel, multivariate analyses, individuals living in neighborhoods with higher percentages of blacks or Hispanics were more likely to receive power wheelchairs (odds ratios=1.09 for each 10% increase in black residents and 1.23 for each 10% increase in Hispanic residents) after controlling for ethnicity and other characteristics at the individual level. CONCLUSION: These results support allegations that marketers promoting power wheelchairs and handicap scooters have specifically targeted minority neighborhoods
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December 6th, 2009 Admin
Consolidate YourCredit Card Debt and Ease a Headache
building business credit card bills are really tough to pay off; once you have more than one card with a balance it can be very difficult to keep up with the payments. Add to that the penalties that you will have to pay for late payments and the problem is never-ending. The headache of having to pay so many bills at one time is one that can easily be eliminated if you consider the option of trying to consolidate your business line of credit card debt. This way you pay off your bills as one bill instead of many and it will actually save you money.
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December 5th, 2009 Admin
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Desert Oasis Recovery, an Albuquerque, New Mexico Based Drug and Alcohol Addiction Treatment Center Announces a New Prescription Drug Addiction Treatment Program
The New Year Gives Rise to Opiate Addiction
Logo Design Information
The Governor signed legislation officially changing the county’s name to Martin Luther King Junior County earlier this year. Shortly after, the Metropolitan King County Council voted to change the logo design from a gold crown to an image of Dr. King. In order to minimize costs of the change, the County will transition to the new business logo design when reordering supplies or replacing equipment or signage.
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December 5th, 2009 Admin
Distribution and cost of wheelchairs and scooters provided by Veterans Health Administration
During fiscal years 2000 and 2001, the Veterans Health Administration provided veterans with more than 131,000 medicare power wheelchairs and handicap scooters at a cost of $109 million. This national study is the first to investigate Veterans Health Administration costs in providing wheelchairs and scooters and to compare regional prescription patterns. With a retrospective design, we used descriptive methods to analyze fiscal years 2000 and 2001 National Prosthetics Patient Database data (cleaned data set of 113,724 records). Wheelchairs were categorized by function, weight, and adjustability options for meeting individual needs (e.g., axle position, camber, position of wheels, tilt, and recline options). Results displayed a cost distribution that was negatively skewed by low-cost accessories coded as wheelchairs. Of the standard manual wheelchairs, 3.5% could be considered beyond the customary cost. Regionally, 71% to 86% of all wheelchairs provided were manual wheelchairs, 5% to 11% were power wheelchairs, and 5% to 20% were scooters. The considerable variation found in the types of wheelchairs and scooters provided across Veterans Integrated Service Networks may indicate a need for evidence-based prescription guidelines and clinician training in wheeled-mobility technologies
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December 4th, 2009 Admin
How Do You Make a Cover Letter That Leads to a Job?
Here’s how. Decide which position you want and then target the companies that have openings in that field. Make a write a cover letter that will grab the hiring managers’ attention. Be sure to include your experience, specific duties, and background. And add a sentence or two as you make cover letters, that shows the employer why you’re the ideal candidate to fill the opening. Make a cover letter that is clear and specific and focused on what you’re looking for. Then ask for an interview. Hiring managers are sure to respond to anyone who is energized and qualified.
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December 3rd, 2009 Admin
Marinating
A <a href=’http://www.1topsecret-bbq-sauce-recipe.com’>barbeque sauce recipe</a> marinade is a savory, acidic sauce in which a food is soaked to enrich its flavor or to tenderize it. Marinate <a href=’http://www.1topsecret-bbq-sauce-recipe.com’>barbecue sauce recipes</a> food in the refrigerator, not on the counter. Poultry and cubed meat or stew meat can be marinated up to 2 days.
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