3D Printing Brings Low-Cost Personalised Aids into Aged Care

A small-scale Australian initiative shows how accessible additive manufacturing can turn individual care needs into practical, affordable assistive products.

An aged-care provider in Queensland, Australia, is using 3D printing to produce simple, personalised aids for residents with limited mobility.
According to additive manufacturing publication VoxelMatters, Orana Aged Care, operated by Lutheran Services, has introduced an on-site 3D printer to create items such as adapted pen and paintbrush grips, water-bottle holders and accessories for wheelchairs.

The products are made using plant-based PLA filament and reportedly cost between 30 cents and one Australian dollar each to manufacture.
The value of the initiative lies less in the sophistication of the equipment than in its ability to respond quickly to individual needs. A resident who had struggled to hold bingo markers was able to take part again using a printed holder, while a wheelchair-mounted accessory provided a more convenient way to carry a phone and water bottle.

For healthcare innovators and SMEs, this is a useful example of application-led manufacturing. The process begins with a clearly observed user problem, followed by rapid design, testing and adjustment. Additive manufacturing makes it possible to produce low-volume or one-off items
without the tooling costs associated with conventional production. The example also highlights important questions for organisations considering similar approaches. The intended use of each product, material suitability, hygiene, durability, repeatability, user safety and responsibility for design changes all need to be understood. As applications become more clinically significant, quality and regulatory requirements will become increasingly important. For lower-risk assistive products, however, local 3D printing may offer care providers and product developers a practical way to explore personalised design, improve accessibility and test new ideas close to the people who will use them.

Original article:
https://www.voxelmatters.com/lutheran-services-turns-to-3d-printing-for-low-cost-aged-care-aids/