Tech & services news for healthcare professionals

Health and social care professionals will have the opportunity to view a range of helpful assistive kitchen and bathing equipment at the upcoming Naidex show next month.

Ropox, an accessible independent living solutions manufacturer, will be exhibiting examples from its bathroom, kitchen, and table ranges at the exhibition. These include the SwingLine and QuickWash washbasins, Bathtub, rise-and-fall kitchen worktops, and height-adjustable Vision Tables.

Naidex is a large independent living and mobility exhibition in the UK that welcomes a large number of users, health and social care professionals, and the trade each year. It is a place for visitors to source the latest in independent living and mobility equipment from suppliers.

For healthcare and social care professionals, it is an easy way to discover new assistive technologies in one location that can support their clients to live independently, such as powerchairs, specialist seating solutions, accessible toilets, and adaptive footwear.

Naidex 2023 takes place from 22-23 March at the NEC in Birmingham. Ropox will be exhibiting on stand F42.

Ropox’s Mark Sadler commented: “We are delighted to once again be attending Naidex.  Last year’s event was a great success for us, and we are looking forward to this year’s show as it will be another fantastic opportunity for us to engage with end users, occupational and physio therapists, HCPs and member of the trade and showcase our products in a friendly and relaxed atmosphere.”

The ergonomic design of the height-adjustable SwingLine Wash Basin from Ropox, which will be showcased at Naidex 2023, is designed to fit in the smallest of rooms. Its 180-degree swing allows people with reduced mobility to position the washbasin in front of the toilet, so they can wash their hands while seated as opposed to having to move across the room to reach a basin. There is also room under the basin for a wheelchair.

The SwingLine Wash Basin is available with or without manual height adjustment. Depending on the model, the range of adjustment is 150mm for models without a dock-in and 20cm for models with the dock-in, which allows the user or their carer to set the height at the optimum level. The rotation and swing of the basin is not affected by which model is installed.

Also on display at Naidex 2023 will be Ropox’s height-adjustable QuickWash basin. The basin comes forward from the wall, meaning the user does not have to bend or reach from their wheelchair, which can negatively affect their posture.

Requiring no electrics, the QuickWash is easy to install, and, when in the initial up position, the 500mm-wide basin’s projection off the wall is 530mm and 630mm when lowered. For wheelchair users, the basin can be lowered from its fixed point by 140mm and out from the wall by 100mm. According to Ropox, this makes the QuickWash “the ideal solution” for wheelchair users, as they often have difficulty reaching a standard basin.

Ropox will also be displaying its “budget-friendly” Bathtub to attending users and health and social care professionals. The height can be adjusted from 61cm to 91cm using an electrical control, which enables the user to be comfortably transferred from the bath to a changing bench.  This also reduces the need for manual handling.

Available in three sizes – 1600mm, 1700mm, and 1800mm – the Bathtub is suitable for children and adults. All models have a depth of 400mm.

Naidex attendees will further have the chance to view Ropox’s mobile shower/changing bed, which is height adjustable. It has been designed to make changing safe and comfortable for the user and their carer.

The smooth electric height adjustment enables the carer to obtain the best possible working condition, while the flexible slats ensure the user is comfortable at all times.

There are two versions available: a folding nursing bench, which has a 700mm height adjustment, or a moveable bench, which has a 400mm height adjustment.

Cleaning the mobile shower/changing bed is “very easy”, Ropox says, as the unit is fully molded and has a minimum number of dirt traps. To save space, the wall-mounted version can be folded up against the wall when not in use.

Also on show will be the stylish Vision Tables, which are adjustable and versatile tables for wheelchair users. Vision Tables incorporate a comprehensive choice of worktop sizes and models, all of which are adjustable, to ensure they meet the needs of the user, regardless of their age, height, or level of mobility.

With a table tilt of up to 74˚, items such as books and papers are easily accessible to the user. An integrated MagRule magnet, which can be placed anywhere on the table, ensures that whatever the user is working on remains in place, even when the table has been fully tilted.

To ensure they can be used by children or adults with different seating heights, the Vision Tables feature a manual or electric height adjustment. For increased comfort, the Vision Tables also have removeable arm supports.

Completing the accessible range on show at Naidex 2023 will be the Ropox height-adjustable rise-and-fall kitchen worktops. They have been designed to make the kitchen environment as accessible as possible for people with reduced mobility and wheelchair users.

The electric version enables the user to change the height of the worktop to meet their specific needs at the touch of a button, allowing wheelchair users to use the kitchen independently. The adjustable worktops from Ropox are also available with a manual mechanism and can be designed as a straight or corners unit, depending on the design of the kitchen.

For more information on the full range of Ropox equipment, email ms@ropox.com or sra@ropox.com or visit the website.

Learn more about how Tracey Doolan from Cardiff is enjoying independence at home with her accessible kitchen, which features four cabinets that are fitted with the Diagonal Lift System from Ropox in this case study.