November 2018 Independent Eating and Drinking Newsletter
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Partners, Inc.: Providing a Bridge to Greater Independence |
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The Front Mounted Drinking System Benefits
In recent Newsletters, we have discussed drinking through a straw, and positioning hands free drinking systems so that drinking from them requires the least amount of suction possible. This article will discuss the benefits of using the Front Mounted Drinking System. This system is specifically designed to accommodate the needs of individuals who must drink through a standard length straw or an even shorter straw. For people who find drinking through a long drinking tube difficult, or impossible, the Front Mounted Drinking System allows them to drink, hands free, and use a drink container (cup or bottle) and straw that meets their individual needs.
Front Mounted Drinking System with Generic Cup and Straw
The most significant feature of the Front Mounted Drinking System is that it isn’t a bottle, cup or bladder. Instead of providing a specific drink container, it is simply a cup holder that can be mounted close to the user’s mouth. This allows the use of a specific cup or bottle that best meets the needs of each individual, or potentially a variety of different drink containers to suit an individual’s needs. Mealtime Partners recommends that whichever drink container is used, that it has a lid. The lid has two significant functions: preventing the liquid from spilling, and, holding the straw in place so that it is easy for the user to access.
Mealtime Partners Cup Holder
In the illustration of the generic cup and straw, the cup fills the cup holder. However, smaller containers can be installed in the cup holder using a Koozie, as shown below. A Koozie is provided when you buy a Front Mounted Drinking System. This method of mounting allows cups that are appropriate for small children to be used. In the illustration, a Take & Toss cup, available at almost all grocery stores, is inserted into a koozie that is mounted in the cup holder. For children who bite and crush a standard disposable straw, a section of oxygen tubing can replace the straw and can withstand being bitten. Mealtime Partners Part Number 6082 Drink Partner Oxygen Tube is crush proof oxygen tubing that is ideal to replace a disposable straw for those people who have a bite reflex.
Take & Toss Cup out of Cup Holder Take & Toss Cup in the Cup Holder
Many adults, who are unable to lift and hold a cup, enjoy drinking a cup of coffee; however, this can be quite a challenge. To provide a hot drink to someone can be dangerous because the temperature of the liquid is difficult to judge and it might be too hot to be drunk. When a hot drink is tipped into someone’s mouth it might be too hot and could burn the individual’s mouth. A disposable straw may melt when placed in hot liquid and, therefore, does not offer a solution to the problem. A piece of oxygen tubing, described above, can offer an answer. First, the tubing will not melt, and secondly, as the person sucks liquid up the tube, the temperature of the liquid can be felt by their lips as it moves up the tube. If the tube feels hot they can stop sucking before the liquid reaches their mouth.
Coffee Cup in Front Mounted Drinking System
This article has provided information about the various containers that can be accommodated in the Front Mounted Drinking System. Because a wide variety of containers can be used in this drinking system it is almost like having a custom drinking system. Beyond the cup holder allowing such a selection of drinking containers, the rest of the system, which will be described in the following article, also allows a wide range of choices in selectionng a specific Front Mounted Drinking System.
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Whether it is eating or drinking Mealtime Partners has a HANDS FREE solution to independence |
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| The Mealtime Partner Dining System on Legs | The Front Mounted Drinking System |
| To maintain a healthy
body, lots of fruits, vegetables and other nutritious foods
should be consumed without the need to hurry the pace at which they are
eaten. Additionally, plenty of water should be consumed, all day long. For those individuals who are unable to lift or hold a utensil or who are unable to pick up a cup, maintaining healthful consumption can be difficult. Mealtime Partners products provide a solution. For more information about our dining and drinking products, please visit the Mealtime Partners website. |
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| For more information about the most flexible assistive dining system available, please visit: The Mealtime Partner Description, or call us at 800-996-8607. For information about all of our drinking products and for considerations for selecting the appropriate drinking system, click here. | |
The previous article in this month’s Newsletter described the cup hold that is an integral part of the Front Mounted Drinking System. This article will describe the other two components that make up this system: the Flex Arm; and, the mounting clamp.
Mealtime Partners has Flex Arms manufactured for them in five different lengths: 6-inches, 12-inches, 18-inches, 24-inches and 30-inches. The Flex Arms are used in the production of our adaptive switch mounting systems, as well as the Front Mounted Drinking System. Regardless of the length of Flex Arm that is used, the ends of the Flex Arms are solid shafts that are around 0.8-inches in diameter and 1-inch long. The 1-inch end sections provide a very strong segment of the Flex Arm to attach the cup holder and mounting clamp. The long portion of Flex Arm that is between the two solid end sections is flexible, hence the name Flex Arm! However, bending them takes some strength. Sometimes it is easier to achieve the bend that is desired by pushing the Flex Arm against the edge of a table. The stiffness of the Flex Arm is to facilitate the drinking system maintaining the cup holder in the position it is placed. It will not move until it is intentionally repositioned.
The cup holder is attached to one end of the Flex Arm. The circular clamp, which is attached to the cup holder, fits around the solid end of the Flex Arm. The two components should align with one another so that the end of the Flex Arm and the clamp are flush with one another, as shown below. .
Flex Arm and Cup Holder
Because there are a wide variety of manual and powered wheelchairs that have diverse frames, armrests, etc., Mealtime Partners offers two types of mounting systems for attaching the Front Mounted Drinking System to a wheelchair: the wheelchair clamp; and, the Flex Arm Holder for slide-track.
The wheelchair clamp was the first clamping system that Mealtime Partners introduced to attach hands free drinking systems to wheelchairs. A photograph is shown below.
Wheelchair Clamp
The wheelchair clamp has two openings that allow for clamping. The opening that is shown upper most in the illustration has a metal thumbscrew. The rigid end-section of the flex arm is fastened into this opening. It should be noted that the flex arm is covered with black plastic wrap. A small square of the plastic is removed in the plastic at the end of the flex arm. When it is installed, the square should be aligned in the clamp with the end of the thumbscrew. When the thumbscrew is tightened the tip of the screw should fit into the square. This positioning and alignment is necessary because if the end of the thumbscrew is tightened down onto the black plastic, the flex arm will slip in the clamp and the cup holder positioning will be unstable. The edge of the clamp and the end of the flex arm should align with one another when they are fastened together.
The second opening in the wheelchair clamp is used to attach it to the wheelchair. When the clamp is attached to the wheelchair, care should be taken that no part of the clamp sticks out beyond the outer perimeter of the wheelchair. If it were to stick out, it could hit a wall or door jam or even a person and cause harm. The following photographs show how the Front Mounted Drinking System can be mounted in different locations on a manual wheelchair. The same mounting strategy can be applied to attaching the wheelchair clamp to a powered wheelchair that has a tubular or a square metal frame.
Front Mounted Drinking System attached to Manual Wheelchair using the Wheelchair Clamp
Many of the more currently built powered wheelchairs do not have a metal frame that supports their structure. The components of the chair are molded and fitted together. To mount accessories, such as headrests and armrests on this type of wheelchair, the manufacturers use tracks (or slots) that are located at several different locations on the wheelchair (at the side of the seat, under the armrests, on the back of the seat, etc.). These tracks/slots are called slide-tracks. The slide-track mounts attach parts to the wheelchair by inserting T-nuts into the track/slot and attaching the component to the T-nut with a bracket. The Front Mounted Drinking System can be mounted to a slide-track using a Mealtime Partners Flex Arm Holder, shown below.
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Flex Arm Holder for Slide-Track
The above photograph shows that a Flex Arm Holder can be mounted either vertically or horizontally on the slide-track. This flexibility allows the Front Mounted Drinking System to be positioned in a way that allows the cup holder to accommodate the user’s needs most appropriately.
There are two types of slide-tracks, one that has a single track and another that has two tracks (i.e., T-shaped slots) on the same rail. The slide-track that has dual tracks is called UniTrack and is exclusively used by Permobil on their wheelchairs. All other styles of slide-track are single tracks. The tracks on UniTrack are smaller than all other tracks and, therefore, when ordering any item that is to be mounted on slide-track the type of track on a specific wheelchair should be specified: UniTrack, or Standard Track so that the correct sized T-nut can be shipped.
Once the Flex Arm Holder for Slide-Track is mounted to the wheelchair, the flex arm should be inserted into it. To accomplish this, the two knobs should be loosened and the solid 1-inch end of the flex arm at the opposite end of the cup holder, should be inserted into the opening. The end of the flex arm and the edge of the Holder should be aligned and the knobs should be tightened firmly. The Front Mounted Drinking System should be positioned so that when a cup and straw are placed in the cup holder, the straw is easily accessed by the user. The following photograph shows a fully assembled Front Mounted Drinking System mounted on a wheelchair using the slide track that is under the armrest.
18-Inch Front Mounted Drinking System on Slide-Track
The two articles in this month’s Newsletter have attempted to provide enough information about the Front Mounted Drinking System to allow readers to choose the specific model that would best meet their needs. However, if you would like to discuss designing a system or have questions please call 800-996-8607 or email us at info@mealtimepartners.com. We are always happy to help!
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Did You Know? Did you know that four children, who are 14 years old or younger, die in car crashes every day? Car crashes are one of the leading causes of death for children. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has recently updated their guidelines about car seats. For many years infants have been placed in car safety seats that are rear facing while travelling in a car. The standard was that at the age of two-years, the child could be moved to facing forward. However, AAP has changed their recommendations to having all children remain rear facing until they reach the maximum weight or height that the car seat manufacturer recommends. The guidelines have been changed because the infant/child’s head, neck and back are better protected by the car seat when they are rear facing and the longer that protection is available the better it is for the child if they are in an automobile accident. Current guidelines recommend that children remain rear facing until they reach the maximum weight or height recommended for their car seat. At that time they should face forward in a safety seat that has a harness and should remain in that seat until once again they grow beyond the weight or height limits of it. At that time they should move to a booster seat that uses the car’s safety belts (both lap and shoulder). The booster seat should be in the rear seat of the car until the child is at least 13 years old. Safety belts and children’s car seats save lives every day and no one should ever ride in a car without fastening their safety belt! Reference: AAP Updates Recommendations on Car Seats for Children |
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