THESE MOVING TIMESWe are live...... and open for business onlineAfter eight months of development, the

Lynch Healthcare online store is now open

for business! The online store was developed

following many requests from private

customers and the company believe this is a

growing market, already receiving sales above

expectation. The online store is a massive

project and the company stated this is only

the tip of the iceberg.

“Lynch Healthcare offer such a large product

range that it’s impossible to get everything

on there, we spent time discussing which

products should be available from day one

and which ones should be phased in.” Buying

online is completely different to the usual

way of working for Lynch but the company

is adapting well to this change and are

looking to employ a full time telesales advisor

because the very nature of the products does

mean that buyers sometimes need help and

advice before purchasing. Lynch Healthcare is

also offering a unique 30 day full money back

guarantee.

“Some people don’t want any human

interaction, they like to order late at night or

on a weekend, so we thought it was critical

that we helped instil as much confidence in

the customer so they could order without any

worry of getting it wrong.”

Phase two of the website is now well under

way and the company are working on ways

to ensure a good mix of products that can be

shipped out immediately, whilst still having

technical information for some of the more

complex installation products such as height

adjustable baths.

“We are now finding that people are searching

online for larger items, don’t necessarily want

to buy online but want to ask questions about

our products especially with regard to the

installation process, so we plan to look at

1

Brought to you by

Issue No.

www.lynchhc.com Page 1

CONTINUED ON PAGE 3 >>>

WELCOMEA MESSAGE FROM DAVID...

Welcome to the first issue of ‘These Moving

Times’ with so many developments going on

in the business in the form of new products,

training events and management changes.

I thought it would be good to produce

something informative and useful twice a

year. Don’t worry, it will not just be along

the lines of ‘we have moved here, we have

done this, we have done that’. I want to keep

you all updated with what is happening in

the company, but thought it would be useful

to let you, our customers, know about new

products, training events and share our

knowledge in the form of product reviews

etc. These Moving Times is now born, and

welcome again to the first edition for 2012.

I write this article and really still can’t believe

that I am sat here, with the business being

nearly three years old, doesn’t time fly when

you’re having fun!

We have had some massive changes in the

business over the last six months, we have

gone from three to seven staff in six months

and wow has that been challenging! Its

certainly given some growing pains and I bet

some customers have experienced our service

levels dropping over this period. Its been

frustrating for you and believe me it’s been

frustrating for me as I’m such a perfectionist,

however all small businesses have growing

pains and I firmly believe we have come

through this and we are getting back to

providing the superior service levels we have

always been known for.

We have invested heavily in training new

staff and they are starting to come into their

own and are now adding real value to the

company. I have employed my first ever

manager, who has a wealth of experience in

office management which has been invaluable

through this transitional period. We are also

about to launch a brand new IT system which

will allow us to track and trace customer

orders to a far superior level to what we had

been able to previously.

The company has some exciting plans for

growth with the launch of our new online retail

store, geared up for the private market as well

as plans for manufacturing our own products.

We are now getting enquiries from throughout

the UK and have started to provide a service

in other areas of the UK. In doing this we

have won a large service and maintenance

contract in Norfolk. However, covering other

areas always comes with the risk of diluting

your service levels in existing areas which I’m

determined not to let happen!

In the past, we have been complimented on

our successful training days. In 2012, the

training days will return and with a bang as we

are currently designing a day like never before

which will take place around June. However,

we will be holding the first of our product

focused sessions very soon.

Why not send us a quick email to

info@lynchhc.com quoting ‘add me to all

training day mailshots’ to be kept informed.

Finally, I hope you enjoy this edition of These

Moving Times and if there is anything you

think would add value in terms of content for

future publications please do not hesitate to

get in touch.

David Lynch MD

CONTENTSWe are live page 1Our new retail website goes online

Welcome page 2A message from David

Osprey Toilet and Transfer Sling page 3The trouble with toilet slings

Folding mobile hoist review page 4We compare two of the best

Cleaning up the shower chair market page 5We offer one of the most comprehensive ranges

Lynch chosen as gold MOLIFT UK dealer page 6We are proud to offer their full range of products

Hoistmans Blog page 7We look at toilet systems in detail

The latest on Lynch page 8Find out the latest news from Lynch Healthcare

“The company has some exciting plans for growth, with the launch of our new online retail store geared up for the private market as well as plans for manufacturing our own products.”

www.lynchhc.comPage 2

OSPREY TOILET ANDTRANSFER SLING

CHECK OUT THE BACK PAGE

FOR MORE INFO ON OUR

‘MOVING & HANDLING

MASTER CLASS’

EVENTS IN 2012!

this and maybe have a section on our more

complex products with data sheets and

technical manuals.”

Although the online store is mainly aimed

towards the private market, Lynch are

hoping they will be able to provide online

purchasing to the public sector. David

Lynch, MD, commented “I’d love our

Occupational Therapists to be able to order

online and although I fully appreciate that

this would mean a massive change in the

current ordering process, it may actually

save authorities money in holding large

amounts of stock and sticking with stock,

it is the companies vision to have most of

the products online available for next day

delivery.” The company are also looking

at ways of giving Occupational Therapists

discount codes which they can pass onto

their service users. The service users can be

offered discounts and assistance when they

are ordering out of their own budget.

Why not visit the site www.lynchhc.com to

find out more.

WE ARE LIVE....... CONTINUED FROM FRONT PAGE

www.lynchhc.com Page 3

ONE OF THE BIGGEST PROBLEMS YOU

COME ACROSS WHEN ASSESSING

FOR SLINGS IS THE NEED FOR A

COMFORTABLE TOILET SLING.

Generally speaking, toilet slings are

only suitable for around 25% of

users. This is because you have a

large access area between the

bottom of the back and the back

of the knee, needed to gain

access for the removal of

clothing when transferring

onto a toilet. This means,

that the sling is lifting the

user under the armpits, a

mechanical drag lift if you

like, and under the back of the

knees. This is very similar to the

old “kings chair” lift we used to do

in the playground. This, even when

you have strength and are quite supple

is very painful. There are two major

pressure points in these areas, if

someone doesn’t have the capacity to

hold themselves by using their stomach

muscles they can end up being suspended

under the arms which then forces the shoulder

to push up. The result is that the users arms

end up above the head and the bottom then

starts to slip through the access aperture.

The use of a toilet sling should only be

used when someone has the ability to hold

themselves. If the upper body strength isn’t

there, then we need to look at alternatives.

The first alternative is to use a general transfer

sling which has a large aperture and larger leg

pieces, something like the Deluxe sling. This

means extra transfers are required to remove

clothing in preparation of the final transfer to

the toilet. You would need to hoist the user

onto the bed using the Deluxe sling, remove

clothing on the bed then transfer to the toilet.

This alternative is more time consuming,

but in my eyes time consuming is preferred

over what can be a very uncomfortable and

potentially unsafe transfer.

Lynch Healthcare now have a solution, The

Osprey sling. The Toilet and Transfer sling

has a unique “arms in” design where instead

of lifting under the arms, the sling wraps

around the shoulder, stopping the arms from

raising. It uses a deeper back section lined

with fleece to secure the user during transfers.

This greatly improves the comfort of the user

and can help prevent someone from sliding

through the aperture. The Toilet and Transfer

sling is designed to offer good access for the

adjustment of clothing and quick fitting for

toilet transfers.

The new Toilet and Transfer sling is designed

to be used with the clients arms on the inside

of the sling, meaning it does not ride up under

the arms and is suitable for a greater array of

clients. For added safety and comfort the sling

is supplied with a double buckle chest strap

as standard. The sling is available in a range

of sizes.

As a final footnote, this will enable more

people to benefit from the use of a toileting

sling, however it is not suitable for all users.

To arrange a demonstration of the Osprey

Toilet and Transfer sling please contact

Lynch Healthcare.

Having worked with mobile hoists for over 10

years in one capacity or another, it is quite

clear to me that there is an ever increasing

need for a light weight hoist which can be

folded for transport and storage. The general

consensus would be that folding hoists are

only used at home in a domestic setting, this

is now something of the past, and the real

benefits are actually being noticed by a variety

of professionals looking for a hoist that can do

more than a standard mobile hoist.

In a care home or hospital environment,

the function to fold up to allow transport

between different areas of the building is a

consideration. All well and good I hear you

say, all hoists can be transported. But, given

the fact that these new folding hoists are

constructed of lightweight aluminium chassis’,

they are easier for the care giver to

manoeuvre and require less effort to

accomplish the task at hand. Now, add in the

space constraints of the modern building and

the space required to store all of the equipment

which these services must use and we start to

see why folding hoists are coming to the fore.

Finally, we come to the pièce de résistance.

Historically, when selecting equipment that will

enable a safe transfer from the floor, institutes

felt that a professional hoist like a column

lifter would have to be purchased. This went

against both the points made above regarding

size. These column lifters are big and heavy

and take up a great deal of space. Now that

we have established the growing trend of

folding hoists, let’s have a look at what is

on the market. Having looked at quite a few

models of hoists, I have whittled the selection

down to the two main contenders. These

are the two products I would take out to a

demonstration; (I feel it is always beneficial to

compare both models as each case may have

a unique consideration.)

Firstly, we have the long standing champion,

the Swiftlifter from Swifttech. This is the

first lightweight folding hoist I ever came

across whilst working for Hunter’s Mobility.

Extremely lightweight, weighing in at 57lbs

(26kg) it was the perfect hoist for district

nurses and such like, to perform their duties

in the community. Secondly, we have the new

contender, the Molift Smart. Designed using

the Scandinavian ethos of ergonomics, it has

a vast lifting range and is very easy to operate.

The first function I look at is how easy it is

to fold away and assemble. This obviously

needs to be accomplished without the need

for tools or an engineer! The Molift Smart is a

one piece action hoist, where the main task

is to unlock the mast from the base. This is

really easy to achieve as all you need to do is

lift a lever at the back of the base, lift the mast

a couple of inches and then lower the mast

down to the base, mission accomplished. This

should take no longer than a minute to be fully

operational. The Swiftlifter, on the other hand,

has a different method altogether. There isn’t

so much a folding action; you need to remove

the base legs by depressing a button on the

base and sliding each leg out separately. Then

you need to locate the legs onto a peg on the

base for storage. Unfortunately, the champion

takes a battering in the first round, but the

fight is not over yet.

The second feature I will compare is the

weight of each hoist. As we mentioned, one

benefit of these hoists are the transportability

and as such they need to be able to fit into

a car boot or van. To be able to lift the hoist

into a boot, the hoist needs to be as light as

possible without reducing the lifting capacity.

We have already mentioned that the Swftlifter

is a sprightly 26kg, now the Molift Smart has

been in extensive training and now weighs in

at an impressive 52lb (24kg). Not a lot in it I

hear you say, but the slender contender packs

a mighty punch, with its ability to lift 150kg

compared to the champs 135kg! This makes

the Smart the best pound for pound lifter.

The second round ends with the champ on

the ropes, desperately holding on needing a

knockout blow to have any chance of retaining

its crown.

The third feature I am considering, is the lifting

range of the two. As we mentioned earlier,

this is now an important feature of any mobile

hoist. Not only are we looking at the ability to

lift from the floor if someone has had a trip or

for picking up a child who has been engaged

in floor based therapy, but also we sometimes

require a higher lifting range to transfer to a

shower trolley or similar. With the Swiftlifter

we have a maximum spreader bar height of

1630mm. The contender as by now you may

have guessed has a slightly longer reach

of 1650mm. There seems to be little in this

until you attempt the floor transfer. When the

spreader bars are at a height of 400mm from

the floor, we see a different story; the Smarts

spreader bar is 500mm away from the mast

whilst the Swiftlifter is closer at 400mm. This

makes the Smart a much safer transfer for the

user as they have less chance of knocking

against the hoist during transfers. At the end

of the round, the champ has held on despite

a battering. We now need to go to the judges

score card to determine the winner.

THE SCORE CARD

Criteria Smart Swiftlifter

Ease of use 10 8

Weight 10 9

Lifting capacity 10 8

Lifting Range 10 9

Appearance 10 7

Dimensions 10 10

Battery Life 10 10

Durability 9 10

We now go over to our announcer for the

decision. The results are in, the judges

have scored this bout 79-71 in favour of

winner and new lightweight champion of the

woooooooorld... the Molift “lifting” Smart.

FOLDING MOBILE HOIST REVIEW

www.lynchhc.comPage 4

With the addition of the Freeway range of

shower chairs to our already successful

Osprey Healthcare and Kirton H2o range,

Lynch Healthcare are now one of the

few providers to be able to offer such

a comprehensive range, this puts the

company in a unique position to guarantee

you 100% success with any patient

assessment.

But as you well know, its no use having large

ranges of equipment available with a rep too

busy to demonstrate or worse, doesn’t have

the range of models available, so what have

Lynch done to overcome this?

For the first time in our company history we

have employed a dedicated shower chair

specialist. We thought, with so many models

to work with and so many customers wanting

joint home assessments that we would

employ someone purely for shower chairs

and kit out his van full of shower chairs and

shower chair options. We caught up with Dave

Welsh (Shower Chair Man), the first of a new

breed of specialist at Lynch Healthcare. He

said:

“Of course I’m delighted to be the first

person employed by the company with such

a dedicated role and focus. We don’t want

to be a company that brings out one brand

of chair to home assessments and ‘make

it fit’, we deal with so many people with

so many disabilities that we really do need

many options. The addition of the well known

Freeway range has enabled us to offer more

standard options for the chairs and I have

managed to talk our MD into letting us hold

a large range of demo stock, so that my van

really is a shower chair assessment vehicle!”

Hope you are not fed up of

hearing about shower chairs! If

you can bear just a little more, it

is worth hearing about a contract

we currently have in conjunction

with a local NHS Trust.

So, what’s unique? What’s

different about our service? Well,

for starters it’s one of the few

contracts that delivers a vastly

higher level of service to the

healthcare professionals and end

users, whilst actually making cost

savings.

How it works is quite simple. We

hold all recycled shower chair

stock belonging to the trust and

when a healthcare professional

needs a shower chair they either:

1. Complete a request form

with their exact requirements,

we then build the chair and

ship it direct to the end user.

OR

2. If a joint assessment is

required our ‘Shower Chair

Man’ comes out with a van full

of products and 90% of the

time will assess and leave the

product on site. No waiting

lists, no panel meetings, just

a high quality rapid response

service.

Our Managing Director, David

Lynch, reckons “We are one

of the very few, if not only the

provider, that has the skills to

be able to offer such a bespoke

service”

When you are dealing with NHS

reconditioned equipment you

pretty much have to work with

every single brand of shower

chair they have ever bought and

it’s because our team are so

experienced in Freeway, Osprey,

Aid Service, Chiltern and many

other brands, we are able to offer

such a great service.

Lynch Healthcare have recently

invested in IT software to allow

the company to roll out the

contract to other authorities and

have future plans to be fully web

based. With various cost saving

exercises and budgets getting

tighter, more emphasis will be

placed on recycling equipment

already belonging to local

authorities.

WE’RE CLEANING UP ON SHOWER CHAIRS

NHS CHOOSES LYNCH FOR SHOWER CHAIR RECYCLE CONTRACT

www.lynchhc.com Page 5

THE FREEWAY RECLINER ONE OF OUR MANY SHOWER CHAIRS

PARTNER• Linear lifting pattern in combination with

4-point suspension, makes positioning

much easier for carer and gives increased

stability, comfort and safety for the user

• Simple charging routines

• Unique service and security program

• New Molift Partner 255 has a SWL of 255kg

LYNCH HEALTHCARE CHOSEN AS GOLD MOLIFT UK DEALER

www.lynchhc.comPage 6

More than 25 years ago Molift’s founder and inventor, Hans Kasper

Andresen, was hospitalised for a long period of time. From his hospital

bed he saw how much strain the nurses suffered to their backs,

shoulders and arms when lifting or moving patients. An idea started to

grow.

Andresen refined his idea into what was to become the world’s first

battery-powered patient lifter. His wife, a physiotherapist, provided

valuable information about lifting procedures, strains and injuries

associated with improper lifting, and the importance of proper

technique to avoid aggravation of a patient’s condition.

Molift continues to push the boundaries by introducing new and

innovative means of safety transferring people in a comfortable and

dignified manner, whilst avoiding physical strain on the healthcare

worker. This is according to the vision of Hans Kasper Andresen,

Molift’s founder, “to create products designed for life.” So you can

imagine, with such a prestigious history, Molift do not choose their

dealers and distributors lightly!

Lynch Healthcare are one of the few key UK dealers and now have

a full stock of demonstration products (some shown here) ready for

assessments and demonstrations, Don’t hesitate to contact us at

info@lynchhc.com for more information.

QUICK RAISER• Unique slanting column lifts the user up and

forwards to imitate and stimulate the natural

movement of the body

• The user can assist during the lifting and

transfer

• Small, compact and comfortable for

toileting, standing up and stand-up training

SMART 150• Lightweight and foldable in one piece

(without tools)

• Portable, out travelling or on house calls

• Adjustable legs

• Electronic lift logging

MOVING & HANDLING MASTERCLASS

Lynch Healthcare invite you to a Moving & Handling Masterclass in Partnership with Molift Patient HoistsThis FULL DAY event will be focussed on the correct and safe procedures to follow to ensure safe patient handling. We will explore the award winning Molift range of Hoists and Standing Aids and how they meet the manual handling needs of those in the caring profession.

FOR MORE INFORMATION SEE BACK PAGE >>>

HOISTMANS BLOG:

BOG STANDARD

www.lynchhc.com Page 7

Today, many options and variations are

available of what is historically known as

the Closomat.

The single most advantageous aspect of

these toileting systems, is the exceptional

levels of hygiene they offer for the user and

carer. Reducing the need for subsequent hand

washing, whilst removing the need for the loo

roll.

The Clos-O-Mat has been on the market

for over 30 years in some guise or other.

The latest model being the Palma Vita, of

which seems to be the favourite among

Occupational Therapists. The Palma Vita

along with the wash and dry functions offers

a wide range of ancillaries, making it

adaptable to most situations.

The function of these toilets are to wash via

a shower nozzle, sometimes known as the

douche arm. This arm, upon flushing and

providing the sensors on the seat, are enabled

from you sitting on the seat which comes

forward out of the toilet pan to an area below

the bottom. This then sprays warm water,

subsequent to the water, the final function is

to blow warm air into the toilet pan for drying,

and all of these functions are operated from a

single push of the elbow pads.

Please beware that the warm water spray

is limited to approx 0.5ltr, and once this has

emptied and your still keen on cleaning, you’re

going to get a cold surprise!

CLOSOMAT TOILET

Whilst providing exceptional hygiene

benefits the Closomat also lends

itself to a wide range of scenarios,

this largely due to their expansive range

of add-ons. These range from simple fold

down support arms to the more supportive

Columbia body support systems.

GEBERIT TOILET SYSTEM

Another model to consider would be the eye-

catching Geberit, aquaclean 8000 model, it

offers quite a bit of flexibility due to its douche

arm (spray arm) being variably adjusted.

BIOBIDET TOILET SEAT

And for those situations where budget may be

an issue, the BioBidet is an excellent option.

This will retrofit onto almost any conventional

toilet and offers the same wash and dry

functionality of both the Clos-O-Mat and the

Geberit models.

Finally, what I would like to finish on is the

provision of shower chairs for those who are

using any of the above toilet systems. Many

people requiring these toilets often require the

support and mobility of a shower chair to aid

them with their toileting and to facilitate their

independence. The reason I bring this up is

quite simple, a shower chair that physically fits

over isn’t necessarily compatible with these

systems. We have to consider the functionality

of these products and how, when presenting

the shower chair over the loo, this may

change the effectiveness it has on the client.

As you wont be sitting directly on the seat

does the position of the shower chair position

the client so the douche arm (spray arm) has

maximum effect?

Also, the client’s bottom will not

be creating a seal directly on the

seat so a splash skirt may need

to be considered to prevent the

water from spraying into the room.

The shower chair seat will be

elevated above the toilet seat naturally,

how will this effect the drying time of the

clients bottom? It may be that a height

adjustable shower chair is most suitable.

These systems operate from pressure sensors

when the client is sat on the seat. How will the

shower chair integrate with these sensors?

Don’t get too bogged down with my

information and I look forward to the next

episode... sorry cant help myself sometimes.

www.lynchhc.comPage 8

‘WEAR’ SETTLING IN NICELY TO OUR GREAT NEW OFFICES

Nearly a year has gone since we moved

into our new HQ and we are already running

out of space! Nesting right on the banks of

the River Wear... about three meters to be

precise! Lynch HQ offers the company a

great environment to work in whilst giving

great access to A19 and A1 for our sales and

service staff. There was another reason we

moved here, what was it again? Oh yeah...

it’s walking distance to the Stadium of Light

so our MD can do a bit of work on a Saturday

morning and walk to the match!

MOVING & HANDLING MASTERCLASS

Lynch Healthcare invite you to a Moving & Handling Masterclass in Partnership with Molift Patient HoistsThis FULL DAY event will be focused on the correct and safe procedures to follow to ensure safe patient handling and will explore the award winning Molift range of Hoists and Standing Aids and how they meet the manual handling needs of those in the caring profession.

9.30 coffee and arrival

10.00 start - AM session Choosing a specialist patient hoist

Including: • Lightweight folding hoists • Bariatric Options • Column Lifters • Lifting from the floor • Why 4pt suspension

12.30 Lunch and Networking

1.30 Start PM sessionStanding aids and specialist slings

Including • Choosing a Standing Aid • Standing Aid Slings • Ambulating vests • Toileting and Bathing Slings • Bariatric Slings • Patient specific slings (disposable )

4pm Close

Together with an insight into expert manual handling techniques and knowledge direct from European experts in physiotherapy and manual handling.

WHEN We expect this event to have great interest and so will be running the event on 2 separate days 17th and 18th April.

Please note we expect all two dates to be fully subscribed and places will be on a first come basis

HOW MUCHFREE and a fantastic way of updating your CPD files

TO REGISTER Simply email info@lynchhc.com with your full name, contact number, first and second choice of date, alternatively book by calling 0191 516 2080.

The Events will be held at The Stadium of Light, Sunderland, Tyne & Wear SR5 1SU

A delicious Lunch and refreshments will be provided throughout the day.