Our Clinicians provide invaluable insight for Koalaa prosthetics
by Nikki Thompson
Koalaa is an innovative prosthetics company who produce comfortable and affordable prosthetics for children and adults allowing them to complete a range of specific functional and life enhancing activities. The Koalaa sleeves have multiple unique applications that open up a world of possibilities such as holding a tennis racket or strumming guitar strings. Nate Macabuag, Founder of Koalaa is passionate about building a brand where users take the lead, access is paramount, and every creation is tailor-made for maximum comfort and functionality.
The OT Practice partnered with Koalaa through our wonderful brand Ambassador Alex Lewis, himself a quadruple amputee and user of the Koalaa sleeve. Alex is a shared advocate for and of both businesses, allowing him to spot the synergy between the ethos of occupational therapy and Koalaa’s aims of increasing functional independence for all with limb difference.
Koalaa recognise the importance of product feedback from clinicians and were keen to hear the thoughts from our team who work with case managers and clients with limb loss in relation to the prescription and the funding process, their current application portfolio and the aesthetics, feel and fit of the sleeves.
This was an exciting opportunity for ‘on the ground’ clinicians to influence product design and specifications for the limb difference community. Many of our paediatric and adult team work with clients referred by case managers who have limb loss or difference due to a variety of reasons. We invited selected members of our community OT team into the office to join the clinical members of our senior leadership team giving Nate an audience of experienced occupational therapists and physiotherapists for the focus group.
Alex shares his Koalaa story with us: ‘My ALX is lightweight and looks great – usually prosthetics are horrible and not attractive at all! It has a lightweight socket and the material it is made from is breathable, which is far better. When you have limb loss you tend to naturally have a higher body temperature, which again makes big, bulky prosthetics uncomfortable for any period of time….The key difference is that it’s a welcome respite from the daily grind of typical prosthetics. It’s nice to put an ALX on. It doesn’t feel like a prosthetic, it’s more like a device and puts no stress on my back and shoulders.’
Koalaa have provided assessment kits for The OT Practice therapy team to use as appropriate in the assessment and treatment of their limb different clients. We are also building a ‘Koalaa Fitting’ module and training programme for our therapists on our Learning Lounge (our internal facing CPD platform), this will allow rapid fitting and provision of the Koalaa prosthesis once funding is approved. Knowing that our team are using ground breaking and cost-effective rehabilitative solutions for their clients means that case managers know their cases with us are receiving the highest levels of clinical innovation and opportunity to maximise function and independence.
More news will follow on the exciting partnership as we continue to work closely with the Koalaa team and Alex for the benefit of the limb difference community.
For more information about Koalaa visit their website here: https://www.yourkoalaa.com
If you would like to discuss any cases for clients with limb difference please do contact our team who are dedicated to looking after case managers and their clients on 0330 024 9910 or enquires@theotpractice.com
