Check out our March newsletter!
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SIMPLE AND DIRECT Why We Are Starting a Newsletter
N othing gets me to work that, but we also realize we are part of a larger team whether we share an office or not. Would you agree? This seems to be especially important in the medical field. faster than knowing I could make someone’s day better. How about you? Not only In the medical field, we are all working together, no matter what we are: the referral coordinator, the patient, the physician and their assistants, the therapist, or the orthotic and prosthetic team. Moreover, where would we be without the help that nurses provide? We are perhaps more connected than what the surface shows or we realize each day.
RINELLA REPORT The
matter to everyone. Therapists, nurses, physicians, physician assistants, and many other medical professionals have their hands in helping patients either acquire or apply their prostheses or braces on a routine basis. If you follow us along, we can help you improve patient care with some simple tips and tricks. True, we cannot treat people with this newsletter, but you will have some great stories that you can share, which can potentially help you help your patients!
But first, why should you trust us to inform you on this topic? Great question.
MAR 2020
I’m Daniel Rinella, owner of Rinella Prosthetics and Orthotics, and I’ve seen a lot in my last 17 years of patient care. I will tell you that there is value in the prosthesis or orthotic brace, but a lot of value also comes from applying the prosthesis or brace to the person. Medical professionals help patients put on prostheses or
Hello, you’re reading the very first edition of our newsletter! The reasons why we wrote this newsletter series are manifold. Don’t worry,
try to fix braces in nursing home or hospital settings every day. Therefore, knowing when a patient might be in trouble can go a long way! In this article and future articles, I will illustrate some simple points that
we are not here to shout about our service. Gosh,
no! Rather, we created this newsletter to inform you on certain topics that affect patients and medical professionals who are reading this and future issues.
will change the way you think about prosthetics and orthotics in simple, direct language. No need
You will be shocked at what you learn from this down-to-earth newsletter. We put it all in simple language. For the
WE SPECIALIZE IN: • Below Knee, Above Knee, & Upper Extremity Prosthetics
to get super complicated!
medical professionals reading this, you can take all the credit if you want, when you become your patient’s new hero! (For the third, maybe fourth time.) Little is published and distributed on prosthetics and orthotics. But we know in our gut when we all see people wearing a prosthesis or brace absolutely wrong, like a knee brace that slips down around a patient’s lower leg (which happens all the time!). Many medical professionals reading this have seen one of those “turtle shell braces” that basically choke patients, right? Or, how about a patient with their collar on so poorly that it is engulfing their head instead of supporting their cervical spine! So, we thought we should help shed some light on topics that actually
I hold a master’s degree in prosthetics and orthotics and graduated from Northwestern Medical School and the University of Hartford. This newsletter will be a great asset to you moving forward, even if you are indirectly affiliated with the field.
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Compression Stockings
AFOs
CAM Walkers
KAFOs
Have a wonderful March, friends.
LSOs
LS corsets
TLSOs Collars Helmets
—Daniel Rinella
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‘WAIT, EVERY 6 MONTHS?’
W hen the dolls and baseball cards get pushed to the wayside for cell phones and movie dates, it may be time to gently nudge your child out from under your wing and into the workplace. It doesn’t have to be pushing shopping carts or spinning signs on the corner; working in any capacity during formative years builds character and gives your child real-world experience. Summer jobs teach the value of a dollar and give kids lasting memories, and after-school gigs lead to more pocket change for the weekends and less worrying for Mom and Dad. The hard part isn’t asking yourself if they should work; it’s asking yourself when they should work. In the U.S., most of us have about four decades of working to look forward to. Many start working in late adolescence and continue until retirement age. Now, that’s a lot of work to be had. So why rush it? Well, idle hands often spell disaster. Sitting around all day is a burden on both child and parent, whether they realize it or not. Those few years between hitting puberty and graduating high school are the sweet spot for your child to start their part-time career. WHEN SHOULD YOUR KIDS Start Working? OUT OF THE GAME ROOM AND INTO THE WORKPLACE
Many people don’t think twice about whether or not they need to get an oil change for their car 3–5 times a year. It’s a complex machine that we use all the time and needs maintenance and attention. The light goes off in the car, and we know we don’t want to ruin the inner workings of the automobile so we don’t push our luck. Right? The Little-Known Facts About Prosthetic Follow-Up Care
Yet, many medical professionals and prosthesis users don’t expect a prosthesis — a mechanism used constantly and often attached to the most vulnerable appendage of the body — would need the same kind of attention. Perhaps, if a light went off, it would be an easy indicator of the need for a follow-up, but this does not really happen for this kind of device. It can affect your long-term health if you have a poorly fitted prosthetic limb, believe it or not. Fall rates can increase and
sores on the residual limb can occur. Moreover, even
Spring is in the air, and it’s time to celebrate with another round of spring- cleaning. Banish the clutter and make room in your life for something new! Many charities see a sharp increase in donations as spring-cleaning season starts. Donating your used books, kids’ toys, and gently worn clothing allows your old items to have a second life. However, when filling that donation box, make sure you’re donating each item because it can do good and not just because you feel bad about throwing it away. Charities have a big problem with well-meaning citizens dropping off items that are better left in the trash. There are many items charities simply cannot handle. Most charities will have lists of items they can and cannot accept on their websites. Some items that you should not donate include: Donate With
There’s no shame in flipping burgers, stocking shelves, or mowing lawns. As of 2014, there were 16 million workers in the retail and food service
industries, and the numbers have only gone up from there. But work ethic is changing among American teenagers. Just one-third of individuals aged 16–19 had a job lined up for last summer, compared to 51.2 percent for the same age range in 1997. While surviving on minimum wage as an adult is a topic of great debate, raking in around $10 an hour as a 14-year-old can seem like a king’s ransom. A few working hours here and there will do your grown baby a world of good and prepare them for the next chapter of their lives.
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Carpets
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Expired medications
Tangled cords or phone chargers Any broken, damaged, or dirty items
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Old TVs
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Cribs
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Loose remote controls
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Personal care items, like soap, shampoo, or makeup
• Mattresses
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Take a Break Have a Laugh! &
if it worked great for the first few months you had it, this does not guarantee that everything will be perfect moving forward. Residual limb changes and componentry follow-ups are crucial. Just ask any amputee; they would gladly tell anyone who is curious that upkeep is necessary at least twice a year.
So, why exactly are follow-ups every six months so important? Let’s discuss …
Fluctuations in weight, activity, medication, age, and much more can affect your fit.
If an amputee is gaining or losing weight, or even just experiencing volume changes, then a person’s prosthetic limb is likely no longer as comfortable as it used to be. A gain or loss of 10 pounds can totally change the fit of an artificial leg as well. It sure can affect a shirt size or a pant size, so we have to assume the prosthetic limb might be affected as well. New health conditions, age, functional level, and edema could also affect the fit. It is not uncommon, especially during the first six months to a year, for an amputee to undergo major changes in their residual limb. The muscles are just not being used as they once were, so the body adapts, and therefore the shape of the residual limb will go from a more swollen state to a less swollen state, then ultimately some shrinkage can occur after that. For an amputee, their prosthetic limb is with them day in and day out so they can enjoy life to the fullest. The last thing a prosthesis user wants is for the artificial limb to fail; and with its frequent usage, components will naturally become less useful and can potentially hold an amputee back. Not only can you get dulled components replaced, but you can also get them upgraded. During the course of the first six months to a year, the person may start living healthier in many instances so they can qualify for better componentry. This means less energy expended during walks and activities of daily living. Lifelong follow-up care with a prosthetist will always keep you a step ahead. We at Rinella Prosthetics and Orthotics have an amazing team of experts that cares about their patients. We can help with follow-ups for all amputees. re THE RIGHT WAY TO DONATE AFTER SPRING-CLEANING These items may be unsafe to sell, costly to ship, or impossible to refurbish effectively. When a charity regularly receives items they cannot use, they have to spend hours of manpower sorting through things that end up in the trash anyway. This process can be expensive for organizations with already-strained resources. Some local charities spend over $1,000 a year on dumpster and trash removal fees for unusable donations. While charities will have no choice but to throw unusable donations in the trash, there are services you can use to make your spring-cleaning eco-friendly, even for items you can’t donate. For example, if you have torn or stained blue jeans, reach out to Blue Jeans Go Green. This program keeps denim out of landfills by turning it into insulation. And while Goodwill can’t take your batteries or old flip phone, you can check out Call2Recycle.org to learn how to safely recycle your e-waste. Components wear down, and technology is constantly advancing.
SOLUTION ON PG. 4
“I WAS SEEN BY MR. RINELLA IN THE HOSPITAL AFTER A TERRIBLE ACCIDENT. HIS CARE WAS PROMPT AND COMPASSIONATE. THANK YOU, MR. DAN RINELLA!” -C. K. Hear From Our Clients!
Your donations can be a big help to local charities. Just don’t “donate” your garbage.
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1890 SILVER CROSS BLVD. #255 • NEW LENOX, IL 60451
PRST STD US POSTAGE PAID BOISE, ID PERMIT 411
815.717.8970
WHY WE ARE STARTING A NEWSLETTER 1 IS IT TIME FOR YOUR CHILD’S FIRST PART- TIME JOB? ABOUT BIANNUAL PROSTHETIC FOLLOW-UPS 2 WHY CHARITIES HATE SPRING-CLEANING
TAKE A BREAK & HAVE A LAUGH! 3 LOCAL MARCH EVENTS 4
THIS NEWSLETTER IS FOR HEALTH INFORMATION ONLY. ALWAYS CONSULT YOUR DOCTOR FOR MEDICAL ADVICE.
MAKE YOUR FAMILY LIFE, CAREER, AND EVEN WEDDING EASIER THIS MARCH!
KIDS EXPO FRANKFORT 2020 When: March 28, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; March 29, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Where: Frankfort Admission: $7–$10
A good convention will provide a wide variety of services and experiences that will be fun or informative for the whole range of its attendees. This is true for many of the featured conventions here! Take a breath of fresh air and make your wedding, career, and family activities a bit easier to put together. BRIDAL SHOW 2020 When: March 8, 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. Where: Joliet Admission: Free with pre-registration, $5 at the door
Spend a weekend with your family unlike any other this year. This unique kids expo gives you and your kids entertainment and free activities throughout the day! You’ll have free access to the entire expo after admission, which will include pony rides, face painting, a balloon artist, princess appearances, crafts, and much more. There will also be giveaways that could land you an Xbox One, an American Girl Doll, or an electric scooter. THE POWER OF WOMEN CONFERENCE When: March 13–14, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Where: Matteson Admission: $75–$125 Are you lost in your life and career? Or do you just want to meet some other strong-minded women? The Power of Women Conference is an incredible tool for addressing the inner workings of womanhood — like unlocking forgiveness and inner healing — and the outer workings — like sisterhood, romance, finances, personal branding, life-management, career building, and entrepreneurship. Participate in networking opportunities, empowerment sessions, panels, hands-on makeup activities, fashion tips, and far more!
No matter what stage of wedding planning you’re at, you might still be missing a reliable photographer, an experienced DJ, or some exciting catering. Now, you don’t have to look any further than the Bridal Show 2020! Explore limousine services, photo booths, bakeries, and more! If you register, you can get a chance to win a five-day hotel stay in Cancun. Go to Eventbrite.com to pre-register today!
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