Wayne, NJ - May 2, 2014 - Transfer boards are used by wheelchair users for in creased safety during independent and assisted transfers from one seating surface to the next. Safe transferring is crucial to preventing falls and fall related injuries, yet many wheelchair users are reluctant to take their transfer boards when they leave home because of their cumbersome, rigid design. Maddak Inc., manufacturer of Ableware® Aids for Daily Living , has the solution.
Their new X-Fer Rail Portable Transfer Board is used in the same manner as traditional boards however when not in use it folds to a convenient 16 ¼" (41.3 cm) size for easy transport and storage. The X-Fer Rail™ was co-invented by Jody Dyer, a wheelchair user for 50 years, and his longtime friend Mike Wach.
Dyer told us "I would often use a transf er board at home but did not take it when I left the house because it was too big and bulky". The years of wheelchair use took their toll on Dyer's shoulders until he was no longer able to transfer independently without the use of a board. Being a successful business person who travels often he came up with the idea for the X-Fer Rail™, a lightweight, compact transfer board that would be easy to travel wi th yet still enable safe transfers.
According to Kathleen Hanek, Director of Product Development for Maddak Inc., " The X-Fer Rail ™ is the perfect solution for people who use a transfer board but do not like to travel with them due to their bulkiness and weight. The X-Fer Rail™ weighs less than 1 pound (.45 kg), quickly folds and unfolds, and conveniently fits in a backpack, wheelchair bag, carry- on or briefcase. Its compact size will promote use outside of the home helping to reduce shoulder strain associated with independent transfers. In addition, the X-Fer Rail™ has an open seating design that limi ts the amount of body contact helping to reduce the ri sk of friction based skin tears."
"Wheelchair users are not the only ones who will benefit from the portability of the X-Fer Rail™" added Hanek. "Caregivers who often juggle a variety of equipment and supplies will easily be able to fit the X-Fer Rail™ into any bag they may be carrying." Made of high-strength aluminum, the X-Fer Rail™ measures 30" (76.2 cm) long when unfolded and 16 ¼" (41.3 cm) long when folded, overall width is 5 7/8" (14.9 cm) and weight capacity is 250 lb.
About Maddak
Maddak Inc. manufactures products that simplify the tasks of daily living - eating, drinking, dressing, grooming, bathing, toileting, etc. - for seniors, people with disabilit ies and people undergoing rehabilitation. The company mission is to provide quality products that enable people to maximize their independence and remain active despite any limitations they may face. Marketed under the Ableware® brand name, the Maddak product line incl udes over 500 products sold through medical and hospital supply centers, pharmacies, homecare centers and internet outlets. Established in 1971, Maddak Inc., headquartered in Wayne, NJ is the largest U.S. manufacturer of assistive devices, clinical modalit ies and home healthcare and rehabilitation products.
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