“Upon receiving the S³ balance machine I was slightly surprised with my lack of excitement for this basic looking device. However, I was quick to change my perspective once I started exploring the possibilities. Adding the S3s to the Parkinson’s class brought an instant improvement through amplified physical capabilities and social inclusion. The S³ machines also provided increased exercise application in physical therapy where a second set of parallel bars was not appropriate for the space. Next came skilled nursing with implementation in ADLs and in-room exercise programs. Onsite personal trainers quickly found ways to advance the S3s by incorporating balance pads, step boxes, resistance bands and other tools. The S³ has a wide range of possibilities only limited by creativity and willingness. The S³ machines have two areas for improvement. I would like to see a collapsible device for improved storage and device transfer. The second would be adjustability with device height and width ranges to better fit different body types. All and all I am very pleased with the device and thrilled to see the patient benefit first hand.”

“We have been utilizing S³ Balance for 4 months and have seen significant improvement in our resident’s stability. They are such a great asset to both people that can ambulate independently as well as those who use wheelchairs/walkers. We have seen a improvement in strength in the residents who depend on wheelchairs to ambulate as well as those who are independent. They also look forward to the exercises everyday.”

“Residents seem grateful to us for implementing S³ Balance. They seem happy to come over and happy to enjoy it. Some residents were fairly stable coming to the class but many were unstable, as they needed to have their eyes open with hands lightly touching and now all except for the most recent, all are exercising with eyes closed even with the (Tightrope exercise) which is one of the harder ones, they’re wobbling but what I would call a slight wobble as opposed to a moderate or extreme wobble (i.e., where they would tip sideways 6 inches or more and hold onto the railing to bring themselves up and then do that rapidly 2 or 3 times) and many were doing that. We have more residents doing the program now than at the beginning and we only have 4 devices, so when more people come at a time we stagger it so it all works out.”

“I am an RN, the Health Services Director at the Hearthstone at Murrayhill Retirement Community. I have been a nurse for 35 years, 22 of which working in retirement communities. The biggest struggle has been to prevent falls related to balance issues, whether caused by disease or just general weakness.

S³ Balance was introduced to us by Colin, a physical therapist passionate about balance and fall prevention. At first I was skeptical, but after a four-week trial the results proved me wrong. Our residents’ balance improved tremendously, in one case by over 400%. We were so impressed with the results that we decided to invest in our residents’ well-being and bought four devices.”

“I have been using S³ Balance with my residents daily for a little over a month. The amount of confidence and improvement in balance has been amazing. I highly recommend S³ balance as part of any retirement communities exercise program.”

“S³ Balance is the best thing to happen to Village at Keizer Ridge for our residents who’ve been having falls and/or are unsteady on their feet. We’ve seen measurable results and we’re seeing residents’ enthusiasm for participating every day with the equipment. The problem I have is push back from staff who’s supposed to supposed to be leading the program, and we have discussed at stand-up every morning, stating that this is a win-win: the residents get stronger, can do more things for themselves safely, which cuts down on staff time, which enables them to get on to the next resident… it’s a win-win. There’s an investment in the beginning, there has to be passionate involvement by the staff, but when you get through the initial investment period, it’s winning for everybody… not only the residents, but also the staff. The overall impression of residents has been overwhelmingly enthusiastic.”

“The biggest benefit that I’ve found of the S³ Balance program is the reduction in fall risk and the strengthening of the leg muscles. People coming in have problems falling at their house and they come in here and do this exercise program and they feel more comfortable and more confident. We’ve had a resident go from a walker to a cane and she’s really excited about that. It’s just a great program that offers a lot of great things.”

“We are all aware of how important exercise and strengthening is for our residents. That being said, it is very difficult to take memory care residents to gyms, pools or outdoor exercise areas. It is also difficult to have large, bulky exercise equipment in our community that can be unsafe for residents to utilize and a huge hazard to store.

I was excited to try something new that the residents feel safe doing and has had noticeable benefits in their strength, balance and endurance. It takes up very little space and has been easy for our staff to move into place when we are using it. The residents have a stable frame to perform their exercises and feel successful when performing the exercise program. They look forward to participating in the exercise group and are learning the routines, they are even able to coach one another. It’s a pretty amazing thing to see residents with Alzheimer’s and dementia learning and improving!”

“Our residents have been doing the S³ Balance Class for 3 months now. I have seen great improvement both during the class as well as in their daily living.

During the class the residents really like working together as well as encouraging one another. Residents in both neighborhoods have become good friends based on their interactions during this class. It is very apparent which residents have been participating from the beginning. Their stance is stronger, and their muscle has memory kicked in. We are at the point where I, as the instructor, do not even have to tell them what exercise is next! This is a prime example of the fact that residents with dementia are still able to learn. We are stimulating their procedural memory. We have now added new exercises because the ones we have been doing are too easy for them. We even have the more experienced residents assist in leading the class to direct the beginners. This allows them to see their own peers doing the exercise and they become more confident and believe that they can do it themselves.”

“Residents enjoy having a new balance tool. It makes people feel safe while improving their balance skills. It has been a great addition in our fitness center.”

“The S³ is an unparalleled apparatus to safely work with clients who need balance training. I use it with a 90-year old cognitively impaired woman who has had dual hip replacements and we both feel completely safe and secure, as opposed to having to rely on multiple chairs. There is no comparison. The S³ also provides an opportunity to safely stretch various muscle groups. I highly recommend it.”