It’s hard to keep Robert Falls off his feet, despite injury or amputation.
“I want to live as long as I possibly can,” he said.
After dealing with diabetes for years, Falls recently had his right leg removed below the knee, making him one of the two million Americans who are dealing with life after amputation.
After the operation, Falls was learning to get around well on his own until COVID-19 hit, which made it harder to get to the hospital.
“Like taking a walk,” he said. “I didn’t think I was going to be able to do that anymore.”
Things changed when Falls met Eric Neufeld, medical director for Agile Orthopedics, a mobile care clinic specializing in prosthetic and orthotic services.
“Here’s the future,” Neufeld said of his company. “It’s an exciting thing to be part of.”
This traveling health care provider is the first of its kind in the country, with industry leaders saying Agile Orthopedics has been a game-changer during the COVID-19 crisis.
“We’ve seen a number of challenges with people getting back into clinics, back into health care facilities during the pandemic,” said Dan Ignaszewski with the Amputee Coalition of America.
He says this new way of providing health care, can help the millions of Americans suffering from limb loss at a time when it's needed the most.
“If anything good can come from COVID,” Ignaszewski said, “it is that innovation in how health care is delivered and how people are innovating to make sure that people are getting access to the care that they need at the time that they need it.”
The price for this kind of on-site care can cost people like falls up to $20,000, which experts say is comparable to the industry standard.
With no additional fees for follow ups or adjustments, however, Falls says it’s well worth the cost to get back on his feet again.
