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When Bruce Fraser from a company called “ALTER-G” first contacted Lori Mitchell, Physical Therapist and DOR, she was ready to hang up almost immediately, thinking it was just another sales call. But, as soon as Bruce started talking about an “antigravity treadmill, developed by NASA, which will allow patients to exercise and maintain weight bearing restrictions,” Lori started listening. What she discovered was that this newly released, FDA-approved device could have the ability to make a tremendous impact with her patient and resident population at Catalina Healthcare in Tucson, AZ.

Lori invited Bruce to meet with her Therapy Department and share more about this unique piece of equipment. She thoroughly researched the technology of the device and arranged to have a 30-day trial, with the goal of incorporating the Alter-G into the therapy program of patients who could benefit from it. Lori also wanted feedback from patients, caregivers and therapists regarding the perceived benefits and challenges of the Alter-G. This information would allow her to make an informed decision about whether or not this could be something of value for her program. With that goal in mind, Lori developed a survey to use during the trial. The Alter-G was used in treatment at Catalina 54 times over two weeks for walking or static standing exercises at 50%-65% of body weight.

Patients reported the following:

Hip pain went away

Legs felt better in the machine

Able to do exercises and hop on one leg, and the other leg didn’t buckle

“I am walking on the Moon”

Less pain

Entire body feels good on it

No pain in arms (due to reduced Weight Bearing on UEs)

Therapists reported the following:

The majority of the patients did much better with ambulation after using Alter-G

It is good for endurance and functional activity tolerance for ADLS/Gait/Standing

Using the Alter-G really boosted the confidence of a new amputee

There was an overall boost to the patients’ confidence

The Alter-G is much easier to use than a pool and there are similar unloading results

How Does ALTER-G Work?

Originally conceived by Dr. Robert Whalen to design effective exercise regimens for NASA’s astronauts, Differential Air Pressure (DAP) technology has been adapted by Alter-G for use in training and rehabilitation. Cleared by the FDA in 2008, the Alter-G Anti-Gravity Treadmill is a medical device that can be used for:

Rehabilitation of lower extremity injuries

Treatment of neurological conditions

Weight reduction

Aerobic conditioning

General training to combat the diseases of aging

Unweighting is achieved in the Alter-G by using air in a pressure-controlled chamber to gently lift the user. Precise calibration using patented technology allows for very specific unweighting from 100—20% of the user’s body weight in 1% increments—something no other unweighting modality can do.

Clinical studies show that the Alter-G can help decrease ground reaction forces in walking and running. The restoration of normal gait mechanics is paramount to expected recovery.

The team at Alter-G makes the statement that there are numerous benefits of implementing a senior rehabilitation and mobility program that uses this technology. It can inhibit or postpone bone loss, diabetes and heart issues. It can also reduce arthritis pain, anxiety, and depression. It also prevents functional decline which allows for independence in essential activities of daily living, such as walking, bathing, dressing, getting up from a chair, and using the toilet.

For the first time, senior rehabilitation and mobility are easily monitored and progress verified with Alter-G’s Anti-Gravity Treadmill in the most needed exercise areas:

Endurance – walking strengthens muscles and improves the health of the heart and circulatory system

Strengthening – increase muscle tissue mass and decrease age-related muscle atrophy

Range of Motion – keep the body flexible and maintain good joint health

Balance – reduces the likelihood of falls by training in a controlled environment

FUNCTIONAL REHABILITATION

Physically frail elderly persons who received supervised functional rehabilitation therapy that included strength training improved on function, strength, balance, mobility, and quality of life measures, according to studies conducted by Yale researchers reported in the October 3, 2002 issue of The New England Journal of Medicine. Researchers saw a 45 % decrease in impairment after 7 months of balance and strength training. The Alter-G treadmill has been FDA-cleared for strengthening and conditioning in older patients. FDA-cleared rehabilitative uses include any lower body disability, neurological gait training, geriatric strength training, fall prevention and weight loss program.

Lori Mitchell and her therapy team at Catalina Healthcare have taken one giant step for mankind as they have their patients walking on the moon using Alter-G.

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Kelly Schwarz, DOR at North Mountain, and her CEO, Brian Newberry, have been working together for the past few years in one of our organization’s most successful subacute programs. Located in Phoenix, AZ, North Mountain serves the inpatient ventilator patient, as well as inpatient and outpatient renal dialysis patient. The success at North Mountain comes from having the right people—people who are committed and disciplined to care for this highly specialized population. In addition, Brian recognized the high degree of specialization, as well as the time that goes into caring for the subacute patient. He partnered with the payer sources to develop reimbursement programs that were more in line with the level of care required to run a subacute. His success in this market is directly related to his comprehensive understanding of the environmental, clinical and financial demands of this population. Because there are so many details required to run a successful subacute business, less and less skilled nursing facilities have been willing to take the risk. Yet, the needs are continuing to grow.

This fall, Brian, with the support of the Ensign Group, took a giant step and started a new company, Subacute Facility Services. Subacute Facility Services is focused first and foremost on supporting the facilities within our organization, operating in markets where there is an interest and demand with development of subacute service delivery.

Brian is currently working with four facilities in the focused stages of development: Catalina Healthcare Center, Sunview Healthcare and Rehab, Provo Healthcare and Rehab, and Victoria Ventura Health and Rehab. Aside from these four, SFS is currently considering a subacute up in Northern California as well. Brian recognizes the importance of clinical training and has been partnering with Kelly Schwarz to provide support in the initial stages of training with the therapy programs. This allows Kelly and her team to share their hands-on experiences of what approaches are working, what equipment is helpful, as well as some of the varying needs for additional support personnel and scheduling considerations.

Brian describes his vision for Subacute Facility Services as being more than just a consulting company. “My focus is to partner with the facility directly in setting up subacute/respiratory services in their buildings from start to finish. I’m committed to being engaged in the process over the first five years of the new venture in an effort to transfer any knowledge and experience I’ve gained over the years at North Mountain to the EDs so they are successful in their endeavor.” Brian’s ownership in helping to achieve success with our organization’s subacute ventures is the core of the anticipated success.