Founded in Denmark in 1935 by architect Vermund Larsen, VELA Chairs has made a name for itself with its emphasis on ergonomically correct chairs. The company also can be credited with innovating office chairs.
“One of the things back in the day that started them [off] was the pneumatic spring in office chairs that go up and down,” Richard Budd, the director of sales for Enable Me, VELA Chairs’ U.S. distributor, told McKnight’s Home Care Daily Pulse. “They were one of the pioneers of that technology, and then as they continue[d] to grow, they were looking at chairs in the medical space and they saw that for individuals with disabilities, there was limited technology that was available to them.”
Flash forward to the present. VELA Chairs’ newest offering, the VELA Tango 700E, continues the tradition of blending style and accessibility. The Tango 700E can be equipped with motorized power wheels with the ability to lock, making for a smooth navigation of the home environment. Budd says the sleek design provides many advantages compared to a traditional wheelchair.
“I can’t tell you how many people’s homes I’ve been in where door frames or floor boards [got] a bit kind of torn up because the wheelchair couldn’t fit, got caught and bangs the wall,” Budd said. “[The VELA Chair] allows people to easily maneuver around hallways, corners or maybe kitchen island countertops. Things that you don’t really think about until you’ve tried to get a wheelchair in that space. That’s really what I think separates us [from the competition].”
Alongside the mobility benefits, Budd says [the chair] also empowers users to maintain their independence. For some, this is not just independence in the home but independence in the workplace as well.
“We had one gentleman who was a judge with Parkinson’s disease or maybe MS,” Budd said. “He actually wanted this chair so that when he needed to stand up, he could raise the chair up and be able to stand out of it so he could still feel in control of his courtroom. Obviously we didn’t think that that was something people would use it for, but he said the emotional importance to him to feel like [he was] still in control of [his[ courtroom as the judge was huge.”
Depending on the model, VELA Chairs can range from $3,795.00 to $6,995.00. While the chairs are exclusively private pay at the moment, financing and payment plans are also available. Budd says that while it may be a significant investment, the chair can ultimately help users save money down the road and keep them safe in their homes.
“Making that investment now we believe can help people from having to spend as much money as a nursing home or assisted living,” Budd said. “People don’t want to be reliant on somebody else; they like to be self-reliant. Part of it is just the emotional feeling of ‘This is my home, this is what I’ve built. This is the life that I’ve created and I don’t want to leave this life that I’ve created to go somewhere else.’”
Home Sweet Home is a feature appearing Mondays in McKnight’s Home Care Daily Pulse. The story focuses on a heartwarming, entertaining or quirky happening affecting the world of home care. If you have a topic that might be worthy of the spotlight in Home Sweet Home, please email Special Projects Coordinator Foster Stubbs at [email protected].
