WILKES-BARRE, LUZERNE CO. (WOLF) — A new piece of technology is giving patients at Allied Services a new way to work toward greater mobility.
The organization unveiled Rise&Walk, a robotic rehabilitation system designed for both adults and children with neurological conditions, injuries, and mobility challenges.
Patients are secured into a harness, while therapists can adjust the amount of support and choose different modes based on each patient’s needs.
“It targets a lot of the patient population. There are different modes, so right now we have a patient on walking mode. It allows high-intensity heat training, with less physical support from your therapist. It allows him to do things more independently for a longer duration than he probably could on the ground. The machine can assist, so it gives you different modes of how much you want for every patient and how hard you work them,” said Rosa Bartoletti, a physical therapist.
Allied says the system can also allow fewer staff members to assist during therapy, while allowing patients to train for longer periods.
And with only a limited number of the machines currently in use across the country, Allied says the investment reflects the organization’s focus on advancing rehabilitation technology.
“There are some people who are a little hesitant at first, and come off and say, ‘ Wow, that was great. It is a little intimidating at first, getting the harness on, seeing it all strapped up, but a bunch of people, once they are on it, they’re like, ‘Wow, I can see this helping a lot of people; I’ve seen it help me,'” said Bartoletti.
The unveiling comes as Allied Services marks the 50th anniversary of National Rehabilitation Week, which the organization first established in Scranton in 1976.