As seating therapists and CRT suppliers, we carry a heavy weight on our shoulders to ensure that what we recommend for our clients is the most appropriate piece of equipment to meet a rider's individual needs to ensure the best outcomes. A poorly fitting wheelchair can compromise a rider's functional independence as well as result in discomfort and potential secondary complications.
Sometimes the recommendations that we make may come with second guessing when we are tasked with predicting the rate of growth for a child or adolescent, or potential weight change for someone newly injured. This is a huge responsibility when someone is using their insurance benefit to purchase a custom wheelchair because insurance expects what we recommend meets the rider's needs for at least five years.
So how can we as clinicians and suppliers feel more confident in our recommendations? Well, when it comes to frame size, Sunrise Medical offers the True Fit Growth program on select QUICKIE and ZIPPIE wheelchairs.
What is the True Fit Growth program?
True Fit is a program that offers one free growth kit within a five-year period on select wheelchairs. The growth kit includes all the parts and components needed to adjust the seat width and depth of the chair. Covered items include seat sling or pan, back upholstery, back canes, hangers, extension tubes, footplates, front side frames, and cross tube assembly.
What are the benefits of the True Fit Growth program?
True Fit ensures the rider has a properly fit chair before being eligible for a new chair at no cost to the rider. It increases confidence for the seating therapist knowing that the rider's needs will be met if changes in weight or height occur within the five-year period.
When do you use True Fit?
True Fit can be used for children or adolescents who have outgrown their current chair and are not yet eligible for a new frame through insurance. It can also be used for riders who have gained or lost weight, causing for chair to no longer fit properly. However, it is not designed as a remedy for configuration mistakes.
Which products offer the True Fit Growth program?
The following QUICKIE and ZIPPIE manual wheelchairs offer the True Fit Growth program:
How are parts covered under True Fit?
After the seating therapist and supplier evaluate the rider and make growth recommendations, the supplier will work with Sunrise Medical to obtain the parts at no charge under the True Fit Growth program. The supplier will need the serial number of the wheelchair and will need to verify that no previous growth kit has been provided.
Summary
Ensure every rider's comfort and independence with the True Fit Growth program. With one free growth kit available within five years, you can confidently recommend chairs that adapt to changes in height or weight. Talk to your supplier today to see how True Fit keeps QUICKIE and ZIPPIE wheelchairs fitting perfectly.
Erica Walling graduated with a master's degree in physical therapy from the Medical College of Georgia in 2002. Her background treating in an outpatient multidisciplinary neuro clinic led to her passion for seating and mobility. She has performed seating and mobility evaluations in a variety of settings throughout her career, with the past 10 years dedicated to managing a full-time seating and mobility clinic at an inpatient rehabilitation hospital. She has experience with both adult and pediatric patients in multiple settings and a variety of diagnoses. She is most passionate about custom manual wheelchair configuration for individuals with spinal cord injury, as well as alternative drive controls for both the SCI population as well as individuals with progressive neuromuscular disorders. Erica lives with her husband and son in Florida.