Newsroom

Adjustable staircase allows physiotherapy patients to successfully climb stairs


May 27, 2014

Louis Goudreau and the team from Rehabilitation Engineering have developed an adjustable staircase to help patients successfully climb stairs. Climbing stairs is one of the most difficult tasks for elderly people, and those who suffer from ailments ranging from stroke and muscular diseases to partial paralysis. The steps are adjustable from three inches to 10 inches and can hold the weight of several people at once – allowing physiotherapists to help rehabilitating patients while they are on the staircase. Patients can use the adjustable staircase to gradually build their stamina and mobility until they are able to climb whatever height step they need to return home. The adjustable staircase is currently in use at The Ottawa Hospital Rehabilitation Centre and patents on the device are pending in both the U.S. and Canada. View video to see the stairs in action.



About the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute
The Ottawa Hospital Research Institute (OHRI) is the research arm of The Ottawa Hospital and is an affiliated institute of the University of Ottawa, closely associated with the university’s Faculties of Medicine and Health Sciences. OHRI includes more than 1,700 scientists, clinical investigators, graduate students, postdoctoral fellows and staff conducting research to improve the understanding, prevention, diagnosis and treatment of human disease.

Media contact
Paddy Moore
Communications and Public Relations
Ottawa Hospital Research Institute
613-737-8899 x73687
613-323-5680 (cell)
padmoore@ohri.ca