Interview with Glenn Hobbins

Gary Barg:    What do you hear from family caregivers about Helping Handles?

Glenn Hobbins:    I'm hearing good things. There's been nothing out there until now that really did help people. What we had is the gait belt and it serves a function but it doesn't make you lift correctly. And you get almost too close to the person you're helping, to the point where they can't help you. Helping Handles allows them to have their own space and you have your own space, as well as keeping your back straight, so that you are ergonomically correct when you're assisting them.

One of the things that's most important about when you're helping somebody is the communication between you two. You have to know what you each are doing at the same time. Verbal communication is key in every instance.

Gary Barg:    What you're doing is saving lives and saving caregiving families because it seems like back injury is unfortunately, one of the most common ways that we lose our ability to care for our loved ones.

Glenn Hobbins:    Yes, and in the health care field itself, 25% of all workman's comp claims are from back injuries. If we saved even 15% of those, the cost for the corporations from not having those workers on staff when they should be, instead of off collecting workman's comp, which they don’t want to be on is tremendous. One of the best things Helping Handles does is lifting somebody off the ground that has fallen down. After you check them out and their cognitive functions are okay, and they didn’t break any bones, you can just slide the seat under their bottom, and you and another person get on each side of them, then following my instructions on helpinghandles.net, you just stand up. They come right up on their feet.

Gary Barg:    It seems like every facility, every nursing home, every organization, every homecare company needs to have this.

Glenn Hobbins:    Yes, I think so. In hospitals, the x-ray technicians are getting people on and off tables all day long. Healthcare workers are transferring people in and out of chairs and on and off gurneys. The patient has nothing to hold on to and the only way that you're going to maintain stability is to have something that you can get your hands on. It's the reason stairways have hand railings.

Gary Barg:    Right.

Glenn Hobbins:    It's because if you need it, you've got to grab a hold of it. If you slip, you're going down.

Gary Barg:    What kind of success are you seeing?

Glenn Hobbins:    I'm seeing a ton of success. My biggest hurdle is trying to get to the people at the top, the CEOs who want to save money for their companies and at the same time, save their peoples' backs. It's a win-win. They're going to save on their bottom line and the people are going to save on their health. I'm trying to find those avenues where I can get to the right person and they can say “Yes, this is what everybody needs to wear.” Quality of care comes from the top. The boss has to say “Yes, this is how we're going to do this from now on because it's going to be safer and it's going to save us money,” and that's two of the biggest things in being in business.

Gary Barg:     I think every caregiver needs to have this at home too.

Glenn Hobbins:    Oh for sure. If you have a loved one that comes out of physical therapy, they're not 100%. If they had a knee replacement, they may be doing really well at rehab, but they still need help getting out of the chair and you're the one that can help them without hurting yourself. Because you're going to be helping them one way or another. They're your loved one. It's just the way it works. We are the front line.

Gary Barg:    It seems like an extremely cost-effective solution to a very emotionally, physically and financially costly challenge which is, back injury.

Glenn Hobbins:    Yes, it is. I think right now this is the number one thing that's ever been out there for this. I have so many people tell me that they can't believe nobody's thought of this before. I think if the people at the top implement this into their business, it's going to save them dollars, and it's going to save their employees' backs, and I think it's going to be a win-win for everyone.