Impact
People + S³ = MAGIC.
I have been attending the S³ Balance classes once a week for two months now. I have noticed that I am having less knee pain in my left leg and my balance is much stronger. The classes are quick and easy to follow and do not take up a lot of time in my day. I also enjoy the variety of classes they have to offer whether it be yoga, tai chi or just your standard step class
My father in September of 2020 fell fracturing his lower leg close to the ankle while working in his kitchen at home. This began a drastic decline in strength and mobility causing my father to lose hope in his ability to ever regain his independence. A loss of mobility is devastating to say the least for anyone at any age.
As an Intel employee of over 20 years, my company has a wonderful benefit package that allowed me to travel back to my hometown of Carlsbad New Mexico to act as a care taker for my father. This benefit allowed up to eight weeks paid family medical leave to assist my father in his recovery. At the time of my father’s first fall injury, he had just turned 82 years old. His strength at this age was already reduced, but now with a broken leg, muscle atrophy set in very quickly. As his care taker, I was there to lift most of his body weight each time he needed to transfer from his wheelchair. Transferring from his wheelchair became more problematic as his body was going through the healing process. I even remember his orthopedist showing me x-rays of his lower leg at follow up visits. X-rays revealed that his bone was healing, but at the same time you could visually see a reduction in bone density. After a period of 8 weeks, my dad went through months of physical therapy never to fully regain the same level of mobility. When he did walk, it was necessary for him to use a walker. His balance was just not the same and dad would often fall even after months of physical therapy. My sister and brother-in-law lived about 10 minutes from my parent’s home. Many occasions my brother-in-law would go over in the middle of the night to lift dad from the floor. Everyone in the family knew that eventually he may suffer a far worse injury if he didn’t get some type of assisted living. My father was not going to have anyone help him though, he was still determined to be independent. He worked for over 40 years in the Potash mines within their laboratory as a chemist working his way up to Chief Chemist. His home that he had built was everything and he was determined not to leave. Can’t say I blame him, earning a living and paying off a home takes years and is quite the accomplishment.
Almost exactly one year later September 9th of 2021 our fear came true. Dad awoke in the middle of the night and needed to use the bathroom. He tapped mom on her shoulder until she awoke. Mom looked over and asked if everything was alright. Dad replied and said that he needed the restroom. So, mom got up to help him sit up and turn his body to seat himself at edge of the bed. This was a regular routine as she always did so many times night after night. Dad reached out and got ahold of his walker, stood up and his knees buckled underneath him folding one leg on top of the other in a crossed position. When he fell in this position my mother heard bones break in his legs. Dad yelled out in pain and mom rushed to the phone calling for help. This began an even longer recovery process compared to the prior year. His injury this time was very severe. He was taken into surgery where doctors reconstructed his left leg using a plate that ran from his knee all the down to his ankle. His fall had broken his left leg again in many places including detaching his artificial knee at its base. This was during the time of COVID so receiving care was in no way easy. Dad laid in a hospital bed for weeks and then was eventually transferred to a rehabilitation facility in Albuquerque NM. He received physical therapy in Albuquerque for about six weeks at this facility.
When the facility in Albuquerque released him, I brought him and my mother to live with my wife and I in Oregon. In my home I scrambled to schedule his medical appointments locating doctors to take over his medical care. My parents had planned to one day return to their New Mexico home, but I knew that unless dad’s mobility improved, this would not be possible. For weeks my dad and I traveled from one appointment to the next getting him lined up with a doctor to manage his heart, a primary to monitor his diabetes. Of course, an Orthopedist to handle his leg injury recovery with physical therapy. It was when we met the Orthopedist that opened a new door for dad’s health. I had searched for some time online hoping to find the best Orthopedist I possibly could. I came across the most unfamiliar name I had ever heard. Dr. Paul Puziss in Beaverton, Oregon. I said to my dad, this guy has great reviews but don’t ask me how to say his last name properly. Dad chuckled and gave me the go ahead to make an appointment to see Dr. Puziss. Dad was impressed with Dr. Puziss from the first visit. He assigned dad to physical therapy and followed up on him for a few weeks. Dad gained a little strength, but still fought to gain a sense of balance. Without a wheelchair to move about the house, there was a real risk. One follow up visit with Dr. Puziss, dad mentioned that his overall balance was lacking. He explained that he could stand up, but then fall immediately after if there was no handrail to hold.
That day Dr. Puziss mentioned that he had a friend who designed a device to help people regain balance. I was given a phone number and instructed to call Colin and inquire about this device. Colin answered my call and set up a time to come out and demonstrate his device called S³ balance. Dad kept the S³ on a trial basis to see how it worked for him. Over the next few days, I noticed dad gained hope of standing again on his own without a walker. The S³ balance device was amazing, this device was far better than even physical training outside the home in my opinion. It brought my dad a sense of security that he wouldn’t fall. The ability to stop training when his body began to feel fatigued as well. He used the device sometimes several times a day, but his preferred time was at night when everyone else was off to bed. I remember looking over the handrail at night from our upstairs loft and watching my dad stand while hovering his hands over the rails of his S³ device. It had been so long since I had seen him stand and actually balance on his own. Unassisted he would train at his own pace. Dad began transferring from his wheelchair to his easy chair with more confidence than I had seen in months. He loved the S³ and kept the device as his own.
As a heart patient of 20 years, my dad had significant health problems including diabetes. Each time he fell with injury his health declined another notch. Our family believes that he would have benefited from an S³ balance device years ago to help with strength and mobility to prevent injury. Dad lived longer than average and survived 20 years after a triple bypass open heart surgery in 2002. The injuries from falls took the biggest toll on him in his later years. Dad passed away and went to his eternal home on May 25th 2022 at St Vincent hospital in Portland Oregon at 83, nearly 84 years old. I’m writing this testimony on what would have been his 84th birthday. I wholeheartedly believe that dad would have lived even longer without those fall injuries over the past two years. Each injury turned his world upside down and put tremendous physical strain on his body.
Our entire family is very grateful to Colin for working with dad and providing him with the S³ balance. Thank you for honoring dad Colin by donating his S³ balance device to veterans like my dad. Our hope is that others might prevent fall injuries by using the S³ balance device.
“I have had a gradual improvement in my balance using the S³, but it’s been quicker than I thought. I feel more comfortable walking short distances without my (front wheel walker) and look forward to doing more. The S³ is a stable piece of equipment that makes me feel safe. The exercises are very simple to do which surprised me, that something this easy would bring such results.”
“I was rather skeptical of this program at first, but since I’ve been doing it I’ve actually seen a difference in my balance and strength, so I really want to continue on with it because it really hasn’t been that long since we’ve been doing it and so I want to see how far I can go. But it’s been great and I can see the difference in my husband, as he was really having some difficulty maintaining his balance and he actually started using his walker. But I can see him improving already because of this program. It’s great and I’m loving it!”
“I’ve had Parkinson’s for 10 years. My left leg is weak, I can walk with a cane but not very far so I come in and do the S³ balancing exercises because I have fallen, so the stronger I can get, and anything that I can do seems to be helping because it challenges me to not hang on. Sometimes I go through it a couple times a day and it seems to be making me stronger because when my kids see me, they say ‘You’re walking better dad!’ so that’s the good news.”
“At first I didn’t think I’d get any use out of the machine but once I started using it I realized that I needed it more than ever. My legs got stronger and I’m walking better and more upright.”
“In my opinion, Benn has gone the extra step and extra mile to help us as individuals. The S³ Balance class takes time to make a difference. You can’t expect it overnight. I haven’t noticed too much of a change yet, but my balance also hasn’t diminished which is a plus. I still have balance problems, but not to the extent it was but I’m extra careful because I’m afraid of falling.”
“S³ Balance is helpful for balance, that’s for sure. It also helps the core get stronger. When I’m doing the class, I can feel it strengthening my legs. I also am forced to concentrate more, which helps my balance. I feel safe doing the classes. Benn does a good job teaching the classes. I feel the classes are necessary because so many residents have falls.”
“S³ Balance helps me to stand up easier and smoother, which can be very difficult being a bariatric patient.”
“I have really been helped with my balance! I feel much more confident in walking. I still use my walker but moving around my apt without using it.”
“I like being challenged”
“I am 98 right now, very close 99. I’ve liked the class all around”
WHAT STAFF AND MANAGEMENT SAY
Morgan, our Director of Activities, says that she truly feels like S³ Balance is making a positive impact on our residents. She sees that S³ has helped them to regain their balance and is helping them get stronger.
Randy Patton (our Activities Director) and Kristy (with Select Rehabilitation) perform many different classes using the S³ balance program. I have spoken to several residents regarding the program. Our residents love the S³ balance program. Many have stated that it has helped tremendously with their balance and strengthening their core.
Here at The Bay Port, I refer to the S³ Balance device as a “Balance Buddy”! My program here consists of standing Tai Chi and Qi Gong Movements which are performed while utilizing the “Balance Buddy” (S³ Balance) equipment. Both exercises are personalized and are used to strengthen the resident’s core, upper and lower body. The extent of each movement is completely determined by the residents. They may stand the entire time; they may choose to sit for some or all the exercises; it is completely up to the participants. I remind them that my program is not a competition; they are to stretch and move in a range of motion that is appropriate for them. Some days they may stand for the whole session at other times they may prefer to sit until their joints and limbs feel more limber.
I also use the S³ Balance when playing standing coordination games like Corn Hole. I move the equipment near the board so that the resident can stabilize themselves while tossing bean bags to the other Corn Hole board. This allows residents to compete and still feel safe and balanced (kind of like the handrails used in a shower!).
I am so pleased that SRI has been able to provide my/our facility with S³ Balance. Having utilized S³, I can see how it has helped our residents feel and become more balanced and stable while interacting with their peers. I feel it would be remiss of a facility to not have S³ Balance available (again, like handrails in the shower!).
We are doing well here at The Glen with S³ Balance! It is a very popular class and in January, we will have up to four different classes a week. Our residents are really liking it and every time I add a new class it immediately fills up and leads me to adding more and more every month (which is never a bad problem to have!).
S³ Balance classes have given our residents a unique style of exercise that allows them to focus on something we all need, better balance! The S³ class is talked about by the residents so much that every month I have to add another session due to the amount of requests to join. S³ even has piqued the interest of residents that do not participate in regularly scheduled activities, so it is nice to see even more residents than usual get out and being active. We also love the classes offered and the different difficulty levels. We can work with everyone no matter what physical or cognitive level they are.
Thank you for this program! We are grateful we get to be in this process with you and work alongside you. If there is anything I can do for you, please don’t hesitate to ask.
S³ Balance has been a great addition to our fitness program here at Summer Vista. The program is offered 3 times a week for our community. Participating residents have commented on how their balance, strength and confidence have increased since starting the program. S³ has allowed residents to engage in physical exercise in a safe, creative way as it assists with addressing standing balance, endurance and upper/lower body strengthening.
Summer Vista is one of the few communities to offer this unique program, which allows us to stand out from other Assisted Living facilities. Balance, strength and confidence is the ability to give our residents a “Can-do” attitude.
“I just wanted to share an update and some positive feedback of the S³ balance class at New Haven. We had a wonderful full class this morning. After class I had a gentleman come up to me saying that since he started coming to this class he feels like he is able to walk further and better. He went on to tell me about how he was able to go out with his family over the weekend. He felt confident in his balance to go out shopping and to dinner with his family. We have another resident who started therapy last October after having multiple falls. We have since discharged her from therapy to the S³ balance class that she attends regularly. And she has not had a fall since October! Yet another reminder of why we do what we do!”
“I worked with our Assisted Living residents yesterday with great success!! I got Martha, a 97-year old that sits in wheel chair, to stand up and stay standing 3 times! She is normally a 2-patient transfer with a gait belt! It was just me and the S³ Balance. The other Assisted Living residents all tried it and they all liked it! Hoping to be able to get more sooner!
“For the past month, The Cove was chosen to trial a few new rehab products that are geared toward helping us rehabilitate our diverse patient population in the small gym space that we have at our facility. The Cove is unique in that we are a smaller building with 54 beds, but a highly skilled census of usually close to 40 patients. However, due to the “petite” size of our actual facility, our gym size, in relation, is also very small and limited at times. In the 2 small 20×10 gyms that we are given, we have to squeeze in a Barimat, Nustep, multiple computers, parallel bars and a stair case while filtering 40 patients in and out in a timely manner by the 10 therapists that work at The Cove on a daily basis. Thus, finding new innovative, yet space-saving, tools to assist our amazing therapists in providing the best and most optimal therapy for our patients is of great priority to us.
One of these products that we got to trial was Colin Hoobler’s S³ Balance. It was very easy to put together and the idea behind this multi-faceted product is simple yet very far-reaching in the ways that it can help patients of all ages, diagnoses and levels of assistance.
We have been able to use this product on a variety of patients aged 64 to 96 years old, from hip replacements to stroke patients, from max assist to fully independent patients. No matter where our patients were in their rehab journey, the S³ Balance was able to assist patients in regaining their leg and trunk strength in a safe and progressive manner, instilling confidence in many of them with its protective U-shaped structure and a wheelchair behind them, which made patients feel secure at all times. There are many different ways you can utilize your grip by the unique shape of the device, and you could either push or pull to stand, and progress the patient toward maintaining a more upright posture once they felt more confident in standing.
With the limited space we have in our gym, the S³ is something we can bring outside in our patio, into our hallways, or even into patient’s rooms, to assist in transfers, pre-gait activities, and general lower extremity therapeutic exercise and stretching. Our higher-level patients use S³ to challenge their dynamic standing balance and single stance activities, while our lower level patients use S³ as a mechanism to improve their transfers and standing tolerance. Although the Cove’s gym space could really only afford to have one S³ Balance device, I can see how S³ would also be beneficial in a group setting to provide an entire group therapy session for certain patients at other facilities.
There was a learning curve from both our patients and therapists in utilizing and incorporating the S³ into our treatment programs. However, Colin was very helpful and consistent in reaching out to provide assistance and support for our team, and eventually, we found patients that truly enjoyed and benefited from his product. I would say the next step is to collect some tangible data on how the S³ has improved outcomes at our building. Colin has proactively provided us with a data sheet we can use. But for now, we are enjoying the subjective feedback that both therapists and patients have given us about utilizing this device.”
“S³ Balance has made a big difference to improving better balance & strength for our residents, evidenced by how often they were falling before & after using S³. It’s also made it easier for staff & residents during transfers, as S³ has made it so that only 1 person guides a person to stand instead of 2 people lifting. I highly recommend S³ as a “wow”! Excellent tool that’s a pathway to overcoming the struggle of imbalance to maintaining balance and strength in motion and stability.
I’m so happy to see the progress in our residents and the same at other communities! It is life changing for not only them but for me as well. It makes me feel good to know that I have potentially saved lives and will continue to help to do so. S³ is amazing and we love everything about the program!!
“I incorporate S³ into every client program to improve balance, mobility, range of motion, proprioception, strength and function. For example, I had a client in a wheelchair be able to stand for 10 minutes and play catch; another with vision loss has gone from sitting to standing to dancing with confidence, and a man with Parkinson’s who was not able to stand up straight can now stand with S³ and said, ‘I feel like a man again’. Thank you to Colin and the S³ Balance team!”
“We can all agree the S³ Balance is a tool to build and support one’s strength and balance. This is critical for mobility and thus one’s independence. We value the S³ Balance because when residents in communal living are more mobile and independent, they are able to more easily see friends, attend classes and programs they love, or go out into the larger, local community with confidence. That is truly living independently and on one’s own terms. For this reason we highly recommend the S³ Balance.”
“Love having the S³ to use during assessments. Families light up when they are told about the S³ Balance and it being available to the residents. It has helped residents reach milestones in gaining their balance.”
“We have been using S³ Balance for our residents and their different mobility stages. Our residents enjoy using S³ Balance during their daily morning routine fitness class. It has given our residents a sense of comfort and a safety in knowing that they have something to hold onto while standing for security. Our residents are more open and eager to participate, as they find the S³ Balance device interesting and helpful. It has also helped our residents gain and relearn balance. We are extremely grateful to have S³ Balance available to us, as it has helped us help residents maintain mobility, which in turn keeps our residents healthy.”
“The S³ allows our fitness/wellness team to provide person-centered balance/strengthening programs to any resident across our campus, regardless of their physical ability. It enables us to enrich their experience at Touchmark and improve their quality of life, because they are able to participate in so many more events. We are so glad to have added such value and depth to our wellness programs by incorporating the S³ into our daily offerings.”
“S³ Balance has given us a tremendous opportunity to enhance the lifestyle of our residents by helping them to build strength and gain more independence; along with improving balance and self-confidence. We are literally changing lives through the S³ Balance experience!”
“Upon receiving the S³ balance machine I was slightly surprised with my lack of excitement for this basic looking device. However, I was quick to change my perspective once I started exploring the possibilities. Adding the S3s to the Parkinson’s class brought an instant improvement through amplified physical capabilities and social inclusion. The S³ machines also provided increased exercise application in physical therapy where a second set of parallel bars was not appropriate for the space. Next came skilled nursing with implementation in ADLs and in-room exercise programs. Onsite personal trainers quickly found ways to advance the S3s by incorporating balance pads, step boxes, resistance bands and other tools. The S³ has a wide range of possibilities only limited by creativity and willingness. The S³ machines have two areas for improvement. I would like to see a collapsible device for improved storage and device transfer. The second would be adjustability with device height and width ranges to better fit different body types. All and all I am very pleased with the device and thrilled to see the patient benefit first hand.”
“We have been utilizing S³ Balance for 4 months and have seen significant improvement in our resident’s stability. They are such a great asset to both people that can ambulate independently as well as those who use wheelchairs/walkers. We have seen a improvement in strength in the residents who depend on wheelchairs to ambulate as well as those who are independent. They also look forward to the exercises everyday.”
“Residents seem grateful to us for implementing S³ Balance. They seem happy to come over and happy to enjoy it. Some residents were fairly stable coming to the class but many were unstable, as they needed to have their eyes open with hands lightly touching and now all except for the most recent, all are exercising with eyes closed even with the (Tightrope exercise) which is one of the harder ones, they’re wobbling but what I would call a slight wobble as opposed to a moderate or extreme wobble (i.e., where they would tip sideways 6 inches or more and hold onto the railing to bring themselves up and then do that rapidly 2 or 3 times) and many were doing that. We have more residents doing the program now than at the beginning and we only have 4 devices, so when more people come at a time we stagger it so it all works out.”
“I am an RN, the Health Services Director at the Hearthstone at Murrayhill Retirement Community. I have been a nurse for 35 years, 22 of which working in retirement communities. The biggest struggle has been to prevent falls related to balance issues, whether caused by disease or just general weakness.
S³ Balance was introduced to us by Colin, a physical therapist passionate about balance and fall prevention. At first I was skeptical, but after a four-week trial the results proved me wrong. Our residents’ balance improved tremendously, in one case by over 400%. We were so impressed with the results that we decided to invest in our residents’ well-being and bought four devices.”
“I have been using S³ Balance with my residents daily for a little over a month. The amount of confidence and improvement in balance has been amazing. I highly recommend S³ balance as part of any retirement communities exercise program.”
“S³ Balance is the best thing to happen to Village at Keizer Ridge for our residents who’ve been having falls and/or are unsteady on their feet. We’ve seen measurable results and we’re seeing residents’ enthusiasm for participating every day with the equipment. The problem I have is push back from staff who’s supposed to supposed to be leading the program, and we have discussed at stand-up every morning, stating that this is a win-win: the residents get stronger, can do more things for themselves safely, which cuts down on staff time, which enables them to get on to the next resident… it’s a win-win. There’s an investment in the beginning, there has to be passionate involvement by the staff, but when you get through the initial investment period, it’s winning for everybody… not only the residents, but also the staff. The overall impression of residents has been overwhelmingly enthusiastic.”
“The biggest benefit that I’ve found of the S³ Balance program is the reduction in fall risk and the strengthening of the leg muscles. People coming in have problems falling at their house and they come in here and do this exercise program and they feel more comfortable and more confident. We’ve had a resident go from a walker to a cane and she’s really excited about that. It’s just a great program that offers a lot of great things.”
“We are all aware of how important exercise and strengthening is for our residents. That being said, it is very difficult to take memory care residents to gyms, pools or outdoor exercise areas. It is also difficult to have large, bulky exercise equipment in our community that can be unsafe for residents to utilize and a huge hazard to store.
I was excited to try something new that the residents feel safe doing and has had noticeable benefits in their strength, balance and endurance. It takes up very little space and has been easy for our staff to move into place when we are using it. The residents have a stable frame to perform their exercises and feel successful when performing the exercise program. They look forward to participating in the exercise group and are learning the routines, they are even able to coach one another. It’s a pretty amazing thing to see residents with Alzheimer’s and dementia learning and improving!”
“Our residents have been doing the S³ Balance Class for 3 months now. I have seen great improvement both during the class as well as in their daily living.
During the class the residents really like working together as well as encouraging one another. Residents in both neighborhoods have become good friends based on their interactions during this class. It is very apparent which residents have been participating from the beginning. Their stance is stronger, and their muscle has memory kicked in. We are at the point where I, as the instructor, do not even have to tell them what exercise is next! This is a prime example of the fact that residents with dementia are still able to learn. We are stimulating their procedural memory. We have now added new exercises because the ones we have been doing are too easy for them. We even have the more experienced residents assist in leading the class to direct the beginners. This allows them to see their own peers doing the exercise and they become more confident and believe that they can do it themselves.”
“The S³ Balance program has been so beneficial to the residents in our community. Not only have I seen improvements with the exercises in class, but also just in their day to day activities. This class has become something that our residents look forward to every morning. They enjoy that the class has simple instruction and the apparatus makes them feel safe while attempting some of the exercises. The residents that participate in the class enjoy the strength they feel afterwards and are excited when we introduce new exercises. While instructing the joy and confidence from our residents is apparent in their smiling faces!”
“Residents enjoy having a new balance tool. It makes people feel safe while improving their balance skills. It has been a great addition in our fitness center.”
“The S³ is an unparalleled apparatus to safely work with clients who need balance training. I use it with a 90-year old cognitively impaired woman who has had dual hip replacements and we both feel completely safe and secure, as opposed to having to rely on multiple chairs. There is no comparison. The S³ also provides an opportunity to safely stretch various muscle groups. I highly recommend it.”
“The S³ is a versatile and stable device for transfer training and dynamic standing balance training that is portable and easy to use. The therapists feel more confident stepping away from patients in the standing position due to the stability and wrap-around shape of the device which allows for greater treatment options. The patients also gain a sense of confidence with the device and report a reduction in their fear of falling.”
“I’ve found the S³ Balance useful, and have used it in the following ways:
I have used it for sit to stand transfer training in the room, which is particularly useful when the room is a preferable treatment location, such as when the patient needs low stimulation or may need quick access to bed or bathroom. The variety of hand techniques that can be used, such as pulling from the horizontal bar, has allowed for quicker progress with transfer and standing tasks.
I’ve used it for balance training in either the gym or the patient’s room. The device provides an easy way to give patients the support they need in order to progress balance challenges.”
“The S³ frame has been most helpful with allowing improved ability to stand and work on pre-gait/weight shifting exercises designed to assist with progression to dynamic functional activities and gait. I have found that patients who have difficulty standing and taking steps due to center of balance and weakness issues benefit the most. The frame is safe to use and people feel comfortable in it.”
“I really love the S³ for bedside sit to stand and stand for grooming tasks and transfer training and for stand level bilateral upper extremity exercise as it provides a stability they may not have otherwise. I wish it were either smaller or foldable to reduce space and to move easier ( difficult to get to some areas of the building and takes precious time to move affecting productivity) ”
“I’ve been using the S³ for balance challenges, such as those provided on the packet attached to it. Several patients who have difficulty with sit-to-stand I’ve also been using it so they can use more of a “pulling” method to stand. I haven’t been moving them into rooms so transport hasn’t been a real issue for me. Moving them around the gym is easy for the most part. My main difficulty with using them is with heavier transfers or with patients who need a knee block, as the front bar gets in my way.”
“Patients feel more comfortable trying challenging balance activities as do I as a therapist. I challenge patients more often and to a greater degree with S³.”
“Prior to having you come in and my boss recommending we try the S³ device I was hesitant because I didn’t want it to be a device that we were only able to use on a specific type of client or that we would get it, use it a few times, and then put it off to the side. However, I think it speaks volumes about your product that during the 30-day trial we used it daily and my therapists were insistent that they didn’t want to give it up.
I would say that I was impressed with the exercises and handouts you provided with the S³ balance tool. Observing my therapists, I think the most excitement and a really effective use of the device came with helping patients stand at the edge of the bed. Many times progression has been limited with bariatric residents and getting them to stand from their bed. This tool was easy to move so we could take it into a patient’s room to help with the progression of sit to stand transfers.
When working with patients in the therapy gym, the therapists and patients were willing to try harder more complex balance tasks with patients because both the patient and the therapist felt safe with the support of the S³ Balance device around.
I like to think of the machine as more ergonomic portable parallel bars. If treating a patient, I would use the S³ device over parallel bars for almost every activity. It really has so many uses and honestly when it comes to many long-term care settings, therapy departments have limited room and limited budgets, it is well worth the cost because of how versatile it is.”
“S³ Balance is a portable facilitative, gradable safety environment that allows for a greater range of gradable functionality improvement. I use it and a chair to simulate the bathroom environment, as it allows me to provide all the safety I want while allowing the patient to practice the coordinated movements needed to transfer to and from the toilet. I also use S³ Balance to improve balance aspects for improving lower body dressing functions and bathroom hygiene. Finally, I am also working on vestibular system improvement approaches using S³ Balance.”
“S³ Balance is helpful to use with patients when working on standing or sitting balance because it is very sturdy, making patients feel more secure. However, I believe patients should lean on the device to push themselves up as opposed to pull themselves up.”
“Able to complete higher-level activities with patients who have fear of falling while assisting others with transfer difficulties, i.e., less assistance from therapist. Patients told me they enjoyed using S³ Balance, feeling they could to more things than they thought they could. Patients who are a 2-person transfer can use this device with 1 therapist.”
“Best application for this facility is the unit’s portability for use in rooms and use for bariatric patients/wheelchairs!”
“S³ Balance increased patients’ confidence during balance activities”
“I love that I can take it to patient rooms!!”
“Great for providing extra support for bariatric patients. Easy transport to rooms.”