Habilitation

News Evidence Update: Finally, a Compelling Case for Coverage for Adaptive Bikes June 28, 2023 by Joe Keiderling
A boy rides on a Rifton Adaptive Tricycle while his caretaker smiles at him.
Health insurance coverage for adaptive bikes has been rare at best, and this needs to change. A recent policy brief effectively dismantles the policy flaws surrounding adaptive cycling and provides regulatory and legislative paths to change.
Evidence Based Practice State of the Evidence: Intervention Effectiveness in Children with Cerebral Palsy March 26, 2020 by Elena Noble, MPT
A therapist helps a young girl into a gait trainer
In 2013, Iona Novak and her team put together one of the most comprehensive evidence-based overviews of pediatric interventions. With over 200 systematic reviews performed since then, this evidence update adds strength and definition to recommended interventions for children with cerebral palsy.
PT/OT Stabilizing the Pelvis with the Rifton Pelvic Harness February 18, 2020 by Lori Potts, PT
the pelvic harness on the Rifton Activity Chair
The Activity Chair pelvic harness is more effective than a seatbelt or abductor for securing the pelvis and enabling functional sitting.
PT/OT Teaching Weight Acceptance with the Rifton Activity Chair January 07, 2020 by Elena Noble, MPT
a girl sitting on a Rifton Activity Chair washing her hands
Beyond the comforts of the sofa or the academics of a classroom, sitting is a learning position – for motor skill building. For those with disabilities that limit standing and walking opportunities, this means engaging in seated postures and activities that challenge core stability, endurance, trunk and head control. And the start of the learning process always begins with transferring out of a...
Stories Great Strides with the Dynamic Rifton Pacer and Treadmill Base May 07, 2018 by Shirley Dzikowski, PT
A client uses the Rifton Pacer to walk on a treadmill.
I have had great success with the dynamic Rifton Pacer gait trainer matched with Rifton’s treadmill base. Because my clients are completely supported, including their hands and arms, they are safe to work over a moving treadmill base. Some of my clients even “run” on the treadmill at 2.0 and 2.5 mph as I have placed them up a bit higher and they learn how to move their feet quicker. This...
PT/OT Workers’ Compensation Providers and the Rifton TRAM October 03, 2017 by Elena Noble, MPT
A therapist smiles at a young man standing in the Rifton TRAM patient lift acquired with a workers compensation grant.
Lifting and repositioning patients is a big part of healthcare, particularly for nurses and therapists. But how we do this is changing, based on the many studies that show how lifting patients manually without assistive equipment is causing staff injuries, lost days from work and decrease in care quality. The safe patient handling and mobility (SPHM) approach advocates for patient lifts and mobility...
Letters of Medical Necessity Rifton TRAM Sample LMN: Adult homecare
A caregiver using the Rifton TRAM to help an elderly homecare client make a seated transfer into bed.
Components of a Letter of Medical Necessity for use in the homecare of an adult. Note: Every reasonable effort has been made to verify the accuracy of the information. However, sample letters of medical necessity are not intended to provide specific guidance on how to apply for funding for any product or service. Health care providers should make the ultimate determination as to when to use a specific...
Stories Kandi An Inspiration to Rifton January 15, 2013 by Clare Stober
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Kandi Elmore likes her independence. And a good challenge. At the age of 43, Kandi has a long history of creating change. Diagnosed as having cerebral palsy with spastic quadriplegia before the age of two, Kandi faced an uncertain future. But with a positive attitude and her mother’s unwavering support, Kandi grew up a determined young girl who challenged boundaries and unwittingly became one of...
PT/OT Function-based Practice: The Rifton Support Station April 10, 2012 by Nancy Papa Doran, OT
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As an Occupational Therapist I view toileting as a functional life skill, not as an interruption to the day. The product that makes this possible is the Rifton Support Station. For each of the more than twenty students on my caseload I incorporate a toileting objective on their IEP.  And for those students using the Support Station, I will work with them once a day for their toileting routine. I never...