ATLANTA – Winners of this year’s Innovative HME Retail Product Awards, sponsored by HomeCare Magazine, showed off their wares last week in a special educational session at Medtrade. In what has become a Medtrade tradition, representatives from winning companies wowed attendees with several retail possibilities, including:

• TENA Skincare System by SCA Personal Care
For more information, contact Crystal Page at (270) 936-5156 and [email protected] and/or go to www.sca.com
Jessica Lan (pictured),
senior product manager, SCA Personal Care, told attendees that TENA®
Skincare products were specifically developed to be easy to use and
understand for individuals and caregivers. “The new color-coded
graphics, clear functional labeling, and modern packaging are designed
to be consumer-friendly, while still carrying the legacy of TENA’s
expertise in incontinence,” said Lan. “We believe that this unique blend
of consumer appeal and clinical background makes TENA Skincare an
attractive proposition that few other competitors offer.

“We hope
to tell Medtrade attendees about the TENA® Difference, and how SCA
Personal Care products can create value for them by growing their
incontinence sales,” added Lan. “We can help providers’ customers by
providing them with the right individualized products and solutions…We
have been extremely happy exhibiting at Medtrade year after year. No
other home health care show allows us to connect with so many
prospects.”

• The WiTouch Wireless TENS Unit by Core Products International
For more information, contact Rob Cooper at (715) 294-2050 and [email protected] and/or go to www.coreproducts.com

According to Phil Mattision, president of Core Products International, the WiTouch Wireless TENS Unit is the first wireless TENS unit cleared by the FDA for over the counter sale. “The unit is specifically for treating low back pain,” said Mattision on day two of Medtrade. “We are very proud that it’s designed and made in the USA. Low volt current therapy. You put it on, turn it on, and bring it up to the amplitude. It is easy to use, easy to apply, and very comfortable.”

• TheraPeaz Hot/Cold Therapy by FrozenPeaz
For more information, contact MaryCarol Dolivier at (312) 286-1562 and [email protected] and/or go to www.frozenpeaz.com

MaryCarol Dolivier, co-founder/president of FrozenPeaz, told attendees: “While DME retailers are embracing consumer-friendly cash products, many manufacturers of these products lack shelf-ready packaging. We believe our packaging is some of the best available for retail. There is a lot of opportunity in the pain management category. If you are not selling hot and cold therapy, you are leaving that money on the doorstep of Walgreens and CVS.”

• The Shiatsu Lift Chair by Golden Technologies
For more information, contact Pat O’Brien at (800) 624-6374 and [email protected] and/or go to www.goldentech.com   
“The judges selected our product because it is something unique in our industry,” said Pat O’Brien, director of Marketing and Merchandising, Golden Technologies, Old Forge, Pa. “There are a lot of ‘me-too’ products out there, but we are the first to introduce this Shiatsu massage system into a lift chair. It is something that will resonate with consumers and be an easy retail sale for our dealers.”

An in-person visit to the huge Golden Technologies booth allowed attendees to experience what O’Brien called the incredible comfort of the chair. “Even without using the Shiatsu massage, it is an amazingly comfortable chair to use as a power recliner,” she said. “It has the pocketed coil spring seat which offers reflective seat support. As you shift your weight from one side to the other, you have constant support in the seat. When you add the rolling Shiatsu massage, it makes a difference in how your back feels.”

• The Motivo Tour (Walker) by Motivo
For more information, contact Nicole Rauch at (414) 235-9409 and [email protected] and/or go to www.motivolife.com.

For Jeremy Knopow, co-founder of Motivo with Jennifer Harris (www.motivolife.com), Medtrade represents a chance to show the world a new take on the familiar walker.

“With the industry looking for new and innovative retail products, Medtrade gave us a great opportunity to launch our all new Motivo Tour walker by connecting directly with the dealers and allowing them to touch and feel the innovation in person,” said Knopow. “This was our first Medtrade as an exhibitor.”

Knopow and his business partner founded the company when their own parents needed walking aids, but everything on the market appeared “rudimentary” and medical looking. “We thought our parents deserved better,” said Knopow. “Looking at the ever-growing population needing these kinds of products, it seemed that we couldn’t be the only ones who thought this way. So we decided to put our collective 40 years of product design experience together to see if we could come up with something better—independence enabling products designed for people, not patients.”

Entries that did not make the top five:
Bio Medical Systems Rebound non prescription TENS
Drive Medical PainAway Rechargeable Wireless TENS Unit
Golden Technologies Golden Cloud Lift Chair
Golden Technologies LiteRider Personal Transport Chair
Invacare Pronto 31 Powerchair
IReliev Pain Management System Conductive Back Wrap
MHI Safe-er-Grip Suction Cup Balance Assist Bars with Denture Bath, Footrest
Biofreeze Sales Starter Kit Topical Pain Reliever
Pharma Supply Inc NeedleBay Colours 2 Diabetes Medication System
Pride Mobility Go-Go LX 4-Wheel Mobility Scooter
RYU Medical USA Fusion Splint
Stander Inc Handle for Support (attached to couch)
SCA Personal Care TENA Bariatric Brief
Tidy Top Adult Bibs
Top and Derby Chatfield Cane