We had yet another call from a new customer yesterday who didn’t realize she was a new customer. Confused? So was she. In an attempt to adhere to the recommendation of her mother’s therapist, she had gone to her local home health care store asking for HipSavers. She even handed them the prescription that clearly stated HipSaver Nursing Home size large. With the sale made, she dutifully took the hip protectors back home and her mother started wearing them. When it came time to launder the garment, she visited our website to check on the laundry instructions and was delighted to find that they could be washed in hot water and dried in the dryer. Fast forward a couple of months – the garment was falling apart. Long story short, this poor lady had been sold a pretender. She had not been sold a HipSaver and in revisiting the store that sold her the now useless hip protector she was told that all hip protectors are the same. The store refused her request for a refund as she had not followed the proper laundry instructions which call for the use of either cold or warm water and no dryers. On the one hand this is a case of buyer beware. On the other hand, I question the ethics of a store that would sell something other than what was asked for and not take the time to explain to their customer (who is no longer a customer) what the differences are between brands. The facts are as close as the nearest Internet connection for both parties.

I say this often but it bears repeating …

• when shopping for hip protectors ask to see the biomechanical and clinical study data. If the material does not name the brand of hip protector you are considering purchasing ask to see something that does name the brand. If it can’t be produced, move on. HipSaver is more than proud to offer both biomechanical testing and clinical study data, both of which contain our name, to support the efficacy of our product.
• make sure the package says “HipSaver” on it. Check and double check that you’re reading it properly. Not surprisingly, many brands of hip protectors contain the word ‘hip’ in their brand name.
• therapists know what works and what doesn’t … and they know that all things are not created equal. Trust their advice and make sure you purchase what is prescribed. Do not accept substitutes.