Choosing The Right Prosthetics Clinic
Patients have a choice in their prosthetics provider. When you go through an amputation, the hospital will refer you to a clinic. It's easy for patients to assume that the clinic they're referred to is the best choice, but that isn't always the case.
Hospitals refer to clinics they have contracts or agreements with. Usually, these are the "big names" in town, clinics who have hundreds of clinics all over the country. While there certainly isn't anything wrong with these clinics, it doesn't mean they are the right choice for you or your loved one.
You owe it to yourself and your loved ones to really research your options before making a decision. Get a second opinion (or even a third, if your instincts tell you to), and know what to look for in a prosthetics clinic.
Things To Consider When Researching Prosthetics Clinics:
So how do you choose the right prosthetics clinic? There are a few key factors that you need to consider before making a final decision.
Credentials and Certifications
Always ask about what level of credentials and which certifications a prosthetics clinic's practitioners have.
It's also a good idea to ask how long they've been in operation and how many patients they typically see. While you want to choose a clinic that is trusted with a well-established patient-base, be wary of those with overwhelming numbers of patients coming through the door every day.
At New Hope Prosthetics and Orthotics, we take the time to get to know each patient, their goals, and their treatment needs. We also encourage maintaining a relationship with us past your fitting. Being an amputee is a lifetime of adjustment, and we want to help our patients navigate those adjustments well beyond the initial fitting.
Service Quality
Technology has advanced a great deal in the area of prosthetics. Imaging devices, lasers, and other advancements have made it easier than ever to cut corners for a faster fitting process. While we utilize the newest materials and biomechanics to provide the best device possible for our patients, we still like to do a few things the old-fashioned way.
Each and every device is hand-crafted by a skilled and experienced team member after careful and precise castings are done (also by hand) of the residual limbs. We help you shape the residual limb beforehand and feel where muscle, tendon, and bones are to help create a customized fit that lasts longer and feels better.
While fancy machines and cool lasers may sound great, at the end of the day, you can't beat the customization and technique used for hand-crafted devices.
Mental Health Services
Equally as important as the physical treatment, mental health services play a huge role in overall recovery. Becoming an amputee is a major lifestyle adjustment, and you need a clinic that can help you heal emotionally and mentally, as well as physically.
This is the area that really sets New Hope apart from the other clinics in this region. We offer a full range of mental health services. Our staff can walk you through the process before your surgery, provide therapy services to help with the adjustment after, and connect you with other amputees and support groups with others who know what you're going through.