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Job Offers & Needs

Free postings for Members. Contact director@post-polio.org if you wish to post but are not a Member.

ITEM J101, Posted 12-1-05
I have post-polio syndrome and need employment that I can complete seated. I want to work on the computer from my home. I am looking for a long-term position that would use the processing, writing and creative skills that I have developed. I am a self starter and am comfortable working on my own. My work goal is quality work done as quickly as possible.

I have over 20 years experience in: desktop publishing, creating forms, flyers, brochures, newsletters and other printed material; feature writer for a local daily publication as the Assistant Lifestyle Editor; and data entry of contact information in an international database for a restaurant equipment concern.

I use Microsoft Word, Excel, Access, Outlook, Power Point, Publisher, PageMaker and Photo Shop. I have a BA degree in English Literature from Florida State University and have taken several classes to enhance my software knowledge.

I am willing to work for either a per hour or per project fee. I have a resume and references and if an employer wishes to contact me, email me at bekwat@aol.com. Please put "PPS employment" in the subject line. Thank you. Becky Watson, Ocala, Florida.

ITEM J100, Posted 2-04
Volunteer Physical Therapist Trainer Needed ... The Chiang Mai Disabled Center, located in the heart of Chiang Mai City (Thailand's second largest city, known as "The Rose of the North") is in need of a volunteer foreign physical therapist with experience working with wheelchair users. Duties will include teaching therapy skills to the Center's staff and accompanying our wheelchair team as it conducts home visits in rural areas around north Thailand. The Center operates a wheelchair workshop and produces made-to-order wheelchairs which are donated to needy Thai children under a wheelchair sponsorship program (www.infothai.com/disabled). This position requires a minimum 3-month stay in return for free accommodations in a convenient, nearby guest house. Candidates should contact assist@loxinfo.co.th. The Center and wheelchair workshop are both projects of the Foundation To Encourage The Potential Of Disabled Persons, a legally registered Thai foundation.

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ITEM #VU107, posted June 2004
Please send info on current vent options for patients now in iron lungs, with need to change secondary to obsolete/worn out iron lungs.

Response from Post-Polio Health International:

There are a number of options, depending on whether the individual uses the iron lung fulltime. Some iron lung users have successfully made the transition to the Porta-Lung (www.porta-lung.com), a smaller, more mobile version of the iron lung, powered by the NEV-100. This is available through Respironics.

Others who may only use the iron lung during sleep and day-time naps are switching to noninvasive positive pressure ventilation with a volume ventilator, such as the PLV-100 (www.respironics.com), LP10 or Achieva (www.puritanbennett.com), or the LTV800, in the smaller laptop ventilator series from Pulmonetic Systems Inc. (www.pulmonetic.com), connected to a nasal or facial mask of which there are many commercially available (Respironics, Puritan Bennett, ResMed (www.resmed.com). However, getting the right mask with a good seal and comfortable fit is a process of trial and error, and of course getting used to the mask itself is another matter. You need a good home health agency that is experienced in neuromuscular patients and that can offer a range of interfaces for the person to try. Our Resource Directory for Ventilator-Assisted Living lists a Lincare agency and Randy Rudolph, RRT, as someone who might fit that description. The address: 1053 Sunset Blvd., W. Columbia, SC 29169; 803-926-1302.

Our online Resource Directory for Ventilator-Assisted Living under the section "Ventilator Equipment and Aids" lists the many masks that are available and the manufacturers.

Dr. Nick Hill's book Long-term Mechanical Ventilation (2001, Marcel Dekker, New York) contains a wealth of information. You might also want to contact Dr. Hill directly: nhill@tufts-nemc.org. He knows neuromuscular disease and has treated many polio survivors.

There is also Dr. John Bach, the leading noninvasive ventilation proponent. His website: www.doctorbach.com. You can also contact him directly: bachjr@umdnj.edu.

For people who absolutely cannot convert, Respironics has offered to obtain unused iron lungs and keep them or use their parts. Please read their May 10 statement: http://www.ventusers.org/edu/valnews/val_18-1f.html

And our organization, International Ventilator Users Network, has an equipment exchange where people can advertise unwanted/unused equipment and others can post what they are looking for: www.ventusers.org/net/help5.html#job

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