|
Optimus Prosthetics
on facebook
| 
|
|
Optimus Prosthetics
on YouTube
|
|
|
Accredited by:
|
The American Board for Certification in Orthotics, Prosthetics & Pedorthics.
ABC is the national certifying and accrediting body for the orthotic and prosthetic professions. The public requires and deserves assurance that the persons providing orthotic, prosthetic, and pedorthic services and care are qualified to provide the appropriate services.
|
|
|
Greetings!
If you've got any suggestions, compliments or feedback - we'd love to hear it! Call us at 937-454-1900 or click here to send us an email! Sincerely, Optimus Prosthetics * 8517 N. Dixie Drive * Suite 300 * Dayton OH 45414
|
|
April is National Limb Loss Awareness Month
Approximately 185,000 amputations occur in the United States ever year. The Amputee Coalition's goal is to raise awareness about living with limb loss and to reduce preventable limb loss through education, resources and support. Read more about their efforts here.
|
Meet Steve and Kara Gasaway
It happened in September, 2011, as Kara and Steve were returning home after a motorcycle ride. Just a mile from home, a young woman reaching for her cell phone went left of center and struck them head-on, throwing both of them from the bike. "I don't remember anything from the accident," Steve says. "We were thrown so far apart; I was told that I was yelling for Kara, but I don't remember anything until more than a week later." Kara adds, "It was so difficult. We've been married for 16 years, and together since I was 16. We've never been apart, and they wouldn't let me see him. He was in bad shape from his injuries and from a reaction to some of the medication they put him on. We were in separate rooms for 1 ½ weeks, and that was hard." Things got better when they progressed to rehab and the caring staff allowed them to be in the same room. "That made such a difference!" Kara says.
When asked how they keep a positive outlook, Kara laughs and admits, "We have our moments!" She goes on to say that their support system, made up of very good friends, has made all the difference. "I don't know where we'd be without them!" Steve adds, "That, and realizing how lucky we are to still be alive." Pictures of the bike after the accident make clear just how fortunate these two riders - who were not wearing helmets - are to have survived.
Kara reminds herself of that fact when things get tough. "Learning to walk again is hard," she explains. "There's so much we take for granted, and I miss a lot - and it's hard to have to rely on others." Again, Steve adds, "But we are still alive."
What advice would they give to other amputees? "It does get better," Steve says. "It may take longer than you think it should, and there will set-backs, so give it time. It does get better." "And stick with your physical therapy!" Kara quickly adds. "We even set up a therapy table in our dining room," she says with a smile. "We no longer have a dining room table, we have a therapy table." Unique decorating tastes? Maybe. A sign of just how determined this couple is to reach their goals? Definitely. We wish you all the best! |
|
Diabetes in America
From: The O & P Almanac, January 2012
Anya Martin
What you need to know about the pandemic, patient education, amputation prevention, and the road to improved mobility
Diabetes has skyrocketed in the past few decades to pandemic proportions. About 25.8 million Americans have diabetes, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and an estimated 79 million Americans age 20 or older have prediabetes, a condition in which blood-glucose, or A1c, levels are higher than normal but not high enough to be classified as diabetes. Even more troubling, most of these prediabetics aren't aware of their condition.
Diabetics inevitably develop foot problems due to neuropathy, poor circulation, and peripheral artery disease, making diabetes the nation's leading cause (60 percent) of nontraumatic lower-limb amputations. The majority of diabetes-related hospital admissions-between 30 and 40 percent-are to have a foot removed.
Do the math and O&P practitioners are increasingly finding themselves at the eye of a hurricane, working to help all those patients retain their mobility and quality of life- or even just survive. The five-year mortality rate for diabetics after a limb amputation is 68 percent, according to a 2011 study by German researchers. But by intervening early, assigning proper risk categories, and educating patients on caring for their feet or socket after amputation, O&P professionals can help ensure that more diabetics retain their limbs or get walking again with the help of a prosthesis.
Read the rest of the article here. |
 'Prosthetics for Therapists' Update
by Scott Schall
Have you had some staff turnover since beginning your series of courses? Most courses have been updated and have received new approval numbers. If you'd prefer, we can start again with the first course, and bring your entire staff up to date. Call to schedule a course today!
Optimus Academy is pleased to welcome Mount Pleasant Rehab Studio to the list of therapy groups participating in our Prosthetics for Therapists courses.
Quarterly Course Listing
- Prosthetic Overview
- Transtibial Prosthetics
- Transfemoral Prosthetics
- Lower Extremity Prosthetic Functional Level Prediction & Outcomes Measurement
- Lower Extremity Gait Training & Deviations
- Upper Extremity Prosthetics
- Revolutionary Prosthetic Advances
- Partial Foot / Symes / Knee Disarticulation / Hip Disarticulation
- Microprocessor Controlled Knees
Call the office at 937-454-1900 |
 At Optimus, we're here for you!
|
|
