Introduction
In the course of looking on the web for physical equipment and techniques to help care for our son who died from ALS in October 29, 2021, I came across many videos and photos on both vendors’ websites and on YouTube that had fake “patients” and probably even fake physical therapists. I got sick and tired of watching fully-abled, healthy, non-handicapped actors demonstrating equipment for the disabled.
It was obvious these fake “patients” were fully-abled because they didn’t just lie there immobile while one or more “aides” tried to demonstrate some medical equipment or a technique. If truly disabled people demonstrated the equipment, it would have been authentic. I have seen a few videos of truly disabled people demonstrating pieces of equipment, but for the most part, vendors don’t want to show truly handicapped people using their equipment while the vendors are trying to sell you their products.
I’d like to have seen one of those fake physical therapists in one of those videos demonstrating their equipment or their techniques on our son. Show me a PT who can manage the following actions, like we had to do in real life with our son:
Get our completely-immobile son into a body sling,
AND/OR
keep his upper torso steeply inclined so he wouldn’t choke to death,
AND/OR
handle him while he was sometimes stiff as a board from spasticity,
AND/OR
deal with his head drop,
AND/OR
work with a dead weight
AND/OR
handle him while he was sometimes completely limp.
Go ahead, make my day.
Fake patient #1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pU2FviZKOHU, (Prism Medical). In this video, the fake “patient” (see photo below) rolls over by himself after a nudge from the “aide” so the “aide” can get a sling under him.
Fake patient #2
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tST7afrsFdk (Able Healthcare). This video has a couple of young fake “patients” (see photo below) who show complete ability to move unassisted.
Fake patient #3
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QnwlTElYHJE (Binson’s Medical Equipment). In this video, the fake “patient” (see photo below) rolls over almost by himself so the aide can get a sling under him.
Fake patient #4
The ad below (https://www.amazon.com/Stand-Alone-Toilet-Rail-Vive/dp/B015789VQI) shows a fully-clothed fake “patient” sitting on the toilet lid (but not the toilet seat!!). Is that fake “patient” going to poop through the lid? Oh yeah, and is the magazine used for substitute toilet paper?
Fake patient #5
The fake “patient” on the left in the photo below is faking a slouch. The same “patient” on the right shows him with a perfect posture because he’s wearing a brace. Our son actually bought this exact brace. I tried to put it on him, but because he was in a power chair and had a terrible slouch (the reason he bought it), I could not get it on him. He had a terrible posture because ALS had already destroyed all his muscles necessary to allow him to sit up by himself.
I myself tried on this brace because I also have a bad posture, so I wanted to see if it straightened me up. Not only did I still slouch with it on, but both upper straps began cutting off the circulation to my arms, so my arms began tingling. I had to get out of it quickly. Just imagine the slouching “patient” on the left wearing the brace and still slouching. That was me. Fortunately son was able to return the brace.
A word of caution
A word of caution: the brace in the picture below is called an “ADJUSTABLE MAGNETIC POSTURE CORRECTOR” and is on the same website as the previous brace at the link https://thenaturalposture.com/collections/braces-and-supports/products/adjustable-magnet-posture-corrector.
On my ALS website, I wrote an article (https://www.guidetoals.com/breathing-equipment/) that told about the danger to wearers of Philips Respironics breathing masks because there were magnetic clasps on the straps that held the masks in place. The magnets could severely interfere with pacemakers and numerous other metallic implants. Those masks were recalled and are no longer being made. I mention that danger here because the back brace in the picture above has the word “magnetic” in its name, but I could not find any information on that brace’s website link about the magnets. If you do decide to buy this brace, make sure you do NOT have any metallic implants.
Caveat emptor.
