spinLife Freedom Foundation® - "2021 DAV National Convention Revisited..."

2021 DAV National Convention Revisted
by: Rev. James G.W. Fisher

Start with a magnificent opening ceremony, followed by informative seminars and product features.

This was but a mere glimpse of the entire experience and social interaction!

INTRODUCTION

This multi-part article is designed to provide a focus on the 2021 DAV National Convention. The information contained has been created to acquaint you with Event Imagery, details on Convention Highlights, and Chaplains Seminar & Media Relations seminars from the convention. You will also discover invaluable information to acquaint you on Products & Services on the convention floor that I evaluated and can highly recommend.

EVENT IMAGERY | FEATURE PRODUCTS / SERVICES
CONVENTION HIGHLIGHTS | CHAPLAINS SEMINAR | MEDIA RELATIONS SEMINAR

EVENT IMAGERY

There were plenty of candid moments captured during the convention and from entire collection we have selected two unique groups for our readers to enjoy. If perhaps you were unable to make it to 2021 DAV National Convention, this article combined with the image galleries will give you a glimpse of the excitement and discoveries for attendees at the event.

	An exclusive candid image collage video with feature highlights from the 2021 DAV National Convention in Tampa, Fl.
	...Just click on the image

	A Jefferson Starship image collage performing at the 2021 DAV National Convention with Cathy Richardson as the lead singer.
	...Just click on the image

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FEATURE PRODUCT / SERVICE LINKS

There were a number of companies showing their products and services, yet only the very best in my personal evaluation were selected to be featured. Learn about some these incredible products and services featured that I highly recommend!

*NOTE: Most, if not all of the products and services below are available through your VA and DoD centers nationwide, Check with the facility where you are treated about requesting any of these products if not already available.

Alpha-Stim	Molift Mover 300

Advocate Health Advisors	NeuroLumen

Captel From T-Mobile	TriWest Health Care Alliance

Columbia Southern University

ALPHA-STIM https://www.alpha-stim.com/military/ The Alpha-Stim electrotherapy device is proven effective and safe for pain management and treatment of anxiety, insomnia, and depression. It has no lasting side effects, no risk of addiction, and no danger of interaction with medications. Alpha-Stim helps you fight both the sleepless nights and the overwhelming sadness that can make it hard to get out of bed in the morning. It relieves both your nagging lower back pain and the constant burden of stress. Results are long lasting and often immediate.
	TIME FOR A CHANGE Tired of dealing with the stress of your painful challenge? Whether anxiety, insomnia, depression, or pain, the Alpha-Stim electrotherapy device delivers the solution you need in just 20 minutes simple treatments each day!
The Alpha-Stim electrotherapy device relieves post-traumatic, acute and chronic pain through painless electrical stimulation delivered via two handheld Smart Probes. Simple and effective, it can be used on its own or in conjunction with physical therapy, medication and other forms of pain management. NATURAL STIMULATION The Alpha-Stim cranial electrotherapy stimulation (CES) device delivers a natural level of microcurrent, via small clips worn on your earlobes, to stimulate the brain and modulate specific groups of nerve cells. The microcurrent is tiny, just millionths of an ampere, and so gentle that most people don’t even feel it. The patented Alpha-Stim waveform, application, and protocols result in significant anxiety relief, mood normalization, and better sleep (both in quality and duration).

ADVOCATE HEALTH ADVISORS https://www.advocateforveterans.com/ One of the most enjoyable companies I had the honor to interview was Advocate Health Advisors. This company is one that truly defines the phrase, "Nothing but the best!". They validate that fact with the services they provide. No polished sales pitches, just plain down home dedication to ensuring Veterans are aware of the most effective use of their benefits and helping them take full advantage of these benefits.
	REMOVING CONFUSION You’ve earned your benefits. The problem is that it can be a complicated and confusing process to access the care you need. Advocate Health Advisor’s Veteran's Initiative Program, A-VIP, dispels that confusion and helps create a clearer pathway to obtaining the proper care you need and deserve.
You will be simply amazed at how your hearing loss can actually become an advantage rather than disadvantage. With the Captel - from T-Mobile phones, just dial the phone like you always have. Enjoy the real-time captions that appear on the screen as the other party speaks. Hear what you can, and read what you miss. You can't make it much more simple and advantageous than that! The experts at Advocate Health Advisors are fellow Veterans like you. Together with their assistance, you will discover all the VA and Medicare benefits you’re eligible for and coordinate them to maximize your level of care and minimize your costs. Across the country, Advocate Health Advisors help Veterans enjoy the peace of mind that comes from receiving the care they need at rates they can afford. TURNING 65 MADE EASIER While Advocate Health Advisors helps give a Veteran greater insight in regard to VA benefits, they take is yet another step with making turning 65 easier. From understanding Medicare benefits and helping you plan your life a bit easier after turning 65, a Veteran can enjoy retirement to a far greater degree.

CAPTEL FROM T-MOBILE http://www.captel.com Captel from T-Mobile gives back to Veterans for their service for our country! Just think of how many Veterans are suffering hearing loss from their service. There is no issue for period served, the focus is on a Veteran's loss of hearing. If you are a Veteran and have hearing loss ( nearly 1/3 of all veterans do ), regardless of age or service branch you can take charge of your phone conversations...and see what you’ve been missing.
	VARIETY MATTERS Different people have different needs, just as likes an dislikes. Captel from T-Mobile enables you to choose from four easy-to-use models - each with no-cost installation + 24/7 U.S.-based support. It’s all available at NO COST under the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA).
You will be simply amazed at how your hearing loss can actually become an advantage rather than disadvantage. With the Captel - from T-Mobile phones, just dial the phone like you always have. Enjoy the real-time captions that appear on the screen as the other party speaks. Hear what you can, and read what you miss. You can't make it much more simple and advantageous than that! THIS IS THE BEST PART You can choose one of four phones, including two traditional-style models, one for people who have low-vision, and a modern phone with features like Bluetooth hearing aid connections and a touch screen! CapTel service is included with every phone AT NO CHARGE! No installation fees or hidden fees we are all too familiar with. Learn more about eligibility and sign up for your own phone.

COLUMBIA SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY https://www.columbiasouthern.edu/ When it comes to wheelchair air cushions, our staff are well educated in regard to the various brands, types, and functionality of wheelchair cushions. Including weaknesses. here were a variety of cushions to view at the Expo, the AMYLIOR air cushion stepped away from the normal trend and introduced to an entirely superior class of air cushions and comfort.
	NO RESIDUAL ODORS What proved to be a shining star in our evaluation was the 3D Mesh cover and overall build of the air cells with the base. The 3D Mesh can be machine washed and the cushion itself is so easy to clean and sterilize. The combination of the 3D mesh and sealed CG Air avoids any discomforting odors to develop or reside on either piece.
The composition of the medical-grade PVC combined with the welding process used ensures no risk of foreign debris or germs collecting on the surface which inevitably leads to discomforting odors. In our testing, we used a variety of cleaning solutions including bleach to see if there were any residual odors from the cleaning materials. The results were 100% no odors of any kind coming from the CG Air cushion after multiple washings and disinfecting efforts. SETTING A PATH TO FOLLOW AMYLIOR delivers a level of comfort and therapeutic safety like no other air cushion we have studied to date! This cushion is designed with medical grade PVC that enables the air cells to retain their shape, ensuring stability. Most important of all is the Amylior CG 4" air cushion can potentially lessen the risk of pressure ulcerations in the upper thigh / buttock area of the user more significantly than rival products, depending upon variable details with each individual that can cause a variance in the actual results.

MOLIFT MOVER 300 https://www.etac.com When it comes to high safe working space is needed without loss of function and more importantly safety, the Molift Mover 300 is the perfect solution. Whether in a hospital, nursing home or personal use at home, frequent moving of a patient is a challenging task. In my review of the etac products, the Molift Mover 300 stood out from everything else.
	QUALITY ENGINEERING Height, weight and capacity are essential elements for having the ideal solution in equipment for moving patients. The engineering design is such that where similar products sold by competitors will last maybe 3-5 years at best, the Molift Mover 300 will potentially last as much as 10-15 years!
WEIGHT AND RANGE MATTER Hight capacity in a low total weight in equipment like this is vital. With its high hoisting capacity of roughly 650 pds, Molift Mover 300 is the ideal solution for hospitals and care facilities with bariatric clients who have frequent and everyday moving and handling needs. With a total weight of only 86.6 pds, the Molift Mover 300 is the lightest in its category. The unique construction and wheel positioning provides excellent maneuverability. Excellent hositing range is vital with a hoist. Molift Mover 300 hoists easily from the floor, reaching down to 14.5" at the lowest. Excellent maximum hoisting height at 70" provides good free hoisting space and possibility for gait training. The hoist is also equipped with an environmentally friendly NiMh-battery.

NEUROLUMEN https://www.neurolumen.com When it comes to high safe working space is needed without loss of function and more importantly safety, the Molift Mover 300 is the perfect solution. Whether in a hospital, nursing home or personal use at home, frequent moving of a patient is a challenging task. In my review of the etac products, the Molift Mover 300 stood out from everything else.
	QUALITY ENGINEERING Height, weight and capacity are essential elements for having the ideal solution in equipment for moving patients. The engineering design is such that where similar products sold by competitors will last maybe 3-5 years at best, the Molift Mover 300 will potentially last as much as 10-15 years!
WEIGHT AND RANGE MATTER Hight capacity in a low total weight in equipment like this is vital. With its high hoisting capacity of roughly 650 pds, Molift Mover 300 is the ideal solution for hospitals and care facilities with bariatric clients who have frequent and everyday moving and handling needs. With a total weight of only 86.6 pds, the Molift Mover 300 is the lightest in its category. The unique construction and wheel positioning provides excellent maneuverability. Excellent hositing range is vital with a hoist. Molift Mover 300 hoists easily from the floor, reaching down to 14.5" at the lowest. Excellent maximum hoisting height at 70" provides good free hoisting space and possibility for gait training. The hoist is also equipped with an environmentally friendly NiMh-battery.

TRIWEST HEALTH CARE ALLIANCE http://www.triwest.com Leveraging the provider network that TriWest has built, the VA can call on TriWest to help coordinate Veteran care from a health care provider in the community. This guarantees the timely service needed to serve Veterans being met. The demand is high yet TriWest always delivers!
	VA AND COMMUNITY SERVICE Tens-of-thousands of VA employees deliver care to millions of Veterans through VA’s network of medical facilities. In addition, there are times when VA turns to medical professionals in the community and asks them to serve, too, and help access to Veteran care. This is where TriWest comes in.
MORE THAN JUST A MEDICAL NETWORK Did you know that every one of the 700,000 health care professionals in the TriWest network has to meet VA-required quality standards to ensure that Veterans always receive the highest quality care? Additionally, our health care providers make certain that Veterans’ VA medical records remain updated by returning information about Veteran care and treatment to VA. Veteran eligibility is determined by VA. Veterans will be informed of their eligibility by their local VA medical facility and/or if they’ve received a call or a letter from TriWest.

ABSOLUTE NECESSITIES

Although the two companies to follow below were not exhibiting at the 2021 DAV National Convention, their products I personally use them and feel they are an absolute must have for Veterans using manual wheelchairs.

FROG LEGS INC. www.froglegsinc.com When anyone in the industry or who uses a wheelchair hears the words "Frog Legs", they have a mental reflex of object association with quality, dependability and branding recognition. While there may be plenty of companies who produce wheelchair suspension forks and casters, yet Frog Legs, inc. sets the bar for the rest to follow.
	QUALITY & DEPENDABILITY You can depend upon Frog Legs to deliver the quality and dependability needed as far as wheelchairs are concerned without exception. With casters the more common thought in regard to wheelchairs, carbon fiber or aluminum standard suspension forks produced at Frog Legs carry the same level of workmanship as all Frog Legs products.
CASTERS UNLEASHED! When it comes to casters, while quality and dependability are important, visual appeal tends to draw attention first. Rest assured, Frog Legs casters come in plenty of colors and designs forms. Whether simple or mag style wide wheel casters, you can rest assured you will find what suits your personal fancy. Frog Legs described the definition of their products so perfectly. "We manufacture the original and best wheelchair shock absorbing caster forks available. Attention to even the smallest detail has resulted in the lightest, strongest, most functional high-resilient urethane caster wheels developed specifically for wheelchairs." Frog Legs unquestionably earned their place in this in article as one of the elite products well deserving of the fullest level of recognition.

RIBGRIPS www.ribgrips.com RibGrips were not with their own booth on the convention floor, but we felt this is an absolute necessity for any Veteran in a wheelchair. RibGrips are the ultimate hand rim covers that not only give you torque to battle a variety of normally challenging surfaces, but give you traction where more often than not your capabilities are seriously impeded.
	GET A GRIP With the plain aluminum or plastic coated hand rims, you are contending with limited grasp capability on hills, as well as insufficient grasp to have effective maneuverability overall. With RibGrips, the combination of elements that the RibGrips are composed of enables a person to not just have added torque but far less strain on their joints and muscles. More distance, less stress!
SAFETY AND MANEUVERABILITY Safety and solid maneuverability skills are an absolute need for anyone in a manual wheelchair. RibGrips provide the ultimate overall benefits not found in competing products. Capability to move and control your chair is taken to a whole new dimension in your wheeling experience.

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Small image of Rev. James G.W. Fisher for article footer

Rev. Fisher is the spinLife Freedom Foundation director with a wide background of skills from post graduate study, employment and hands-on experience. He also serves as Chaplain for the DAV Black Mountain Chapter #12 in Henderson, NV.

Learn more about Rev. Fisher