Lifeway Mobility Prepares to "Run Marathon"
Posted on by Eric Rubel
After reading the title of this blog post, you may be thinking "what marathon is Lifeway preparing for? Aren't all large gatherings 
cancelled?". While we're not preparing to run an actual 26.2 mile marathon, we do believe we're prepared to navigate through this COVID-19 crisis period, which we as a team are relating to a marathon.
Lifeway's mission as a company is to help people stay safe in their home by providing accessible solutions. Feeling safe and comfortable at home is now more important than ever for those who want to reduce their risk of being exposed to the virus. We believe this need is going to be even more important over the next few months that it was perceived to be last month. We also feel that we're prepared to do an even better job with helping people stay safe in their home.
At this point in time, just about everyone throughout the world has been affected by the coronavirus pandemic. Some have been more affected than others. but we've all felt its impact one way or another. Unfortunately for all of us, there won't be a specific date that a switch is turned on where everything goes back to normal. This crisis is going to be a long process that can be related to running a marathon, as stated by Tim Burfield (chairman of Lifeway and leader in the accessibility industry) in the video above.
For those that have ran a marathon, or know someone who ran a marathon, they'll likely understand how this crisis can be treated like a marathon when seeing the similarities that we've identified below
Relating COVID to Running a Marathon
This COVID-19 crisis is not something that is going to be fixed quickly. While some of the stay at home orders are being lifted across the country, there are still many businesses that cannot safely open. It continues to be highly recommended that we still social distance from each other and wear a mask when out in public. The crisis is likely going to have some lasting effects, and getting through it is going to be more like a marathon rather than a sprint.
Getting to the other side of this crisis is going to require patience, persistence, and preparation all of three of which are required to successfully reach the finish line of a 26.2 mile marathon.
Lots of Preparation
These stay at home orders and business closures are things that we've never experienced in our lifetime. As a result we've all been forced to adapt to survive and prepare for many "new normal" time periods.
Preparing for a Crisis Period
Getting to the other side of this successfully is going to be a difficult task for everyone. But like a runner training for a marathon, it's the preparation for the race, or in this case a crisis that will provide a path to reach the other side. Tim Burfield, Chairman of Lifeway Mobility and leader in accessibility industry, is confident that Lifeway is well prepared to get through crisis periods like this pandemic, and be stronger than ever before. While this pandemic is different than any other crisis we've faced, the strategic decisions that have been made over the past several years will enable Lifeway to emerge from this crisis as a stronger and more efficient company.
Lifeway's mission since day one has been to help people stay safe, and that will continue to be the highest priority moving forward. We adapted quickly when the pandemic first hit the U.S. by implementing procedures to safeguard the health of our customers and team members. It prepared us for the "new normal" and allowed us to continue to safely provide accessible solutions so that people could stay safe at home.
Now, as some of the states begin to re-open, we are continuing to prepare for what will be another "new normal" period. We're closely monitoring guidelines from local health departments so that we can continue to keep our customers and team members safe and mitigate any potential exposure to the virus. Our team members will continue to wear protective equipment and showrooms will be open by appointment only or can be visited virtually with one of our accessibility experts.
Preparing for a Marathon
Similar to navigating through a crisis period as a business, running a marathon is difficult task that requires months of preparation. From the daily training sessions, to the change in diet, it's all extremely important in being prepared for the day of the actual race. Runners also know that weather can become a factor and will purposely run in many different elements months ahead of time. Doing this allows for them to easily adapt should it rain or storm on the day of the marathon.
The mental strength needed for the training and the actual race also requires lots of preparation. This is built up before the race in each mile that they run to prepare. There are times where they feel exhausted and don't want to finish, but they push through because they've trained themselves to never give up. Although this type of preparation is much different than what is needed to be able to successfully navigate through a crisis, both "events" require a long period of hard work and dedication.
Patience & Persistence
Any long journey, or project is going to require both patience and persistence to successfully get through it. A marathon and a crisis are no different. When officially deciding to run a marathon, the training and preparation for it is going to require patience because it is going to become difficult and exhausting at times. It's not only the race that is a long journey, but also the many months of preparation before hand. A runner has to take it one week at a time and slowly progress to a level where they strong enough mentally and physically in-shape to run the 26.2 miles the day of the race. While this may be especially difficult for someone that is not an avid runner, being persistent can help them make it through the preparation and actual race.
The past two months have been difficult for people in this county both professionally and personally. It's been a long process thus far and it's likely to have many lasting effects on many industries. However, Lifeway is confident that with persistence and some patience, we'll emerge as a better, stronger, and more effective company. Marathon runners know what it takes to get through and we hope to follow their mindset as work together so that we can succeed and reach the finish line, or in this case, the other side of the crisis.
Below are some great examples of how we've been able to adapt thus far to continue to provide safe home access solutions.
See How Lifeway is Continuing to Help Customers by Providing Accessibility Solutions
As mentioned in the video from above, Lifeway Mobility is continuing to make homes and businesses safe and accessible by conducting remote evaluations and no-contact installations. A rental stair lift installed by Lifeway in early April provided a safe way for a senior woman move in to her daughter's home temporarily. Another example is a no-contact wheelchair ramp install that was completed in early May to enable a man to return home from the hospital.
For more information on the accessibility solutions we offer, or to schedule a free remote or in-home evaluation, please contact us!
Thank You to the Essential Workers
All of us at Lifeway are thankful for all of the essential workers that have made it possible for those who are at highest risk for complications form the virus, to remain safe at home. They may not wear a cape, but there are considered our real-life heroes during this challenging time.