Amsterdam – A 25-year-old one-time management student in the Netherlands is marketing a simple medical device of his own invention to help him pull on support stockings prescribed by doctors after a car accident.

The device, consisting of a lightweight brace which is about the same length as a person’s lower leg, comes with a movable handle and could potentially enhance the independence of some 70,000 Dutch people and save millions in health care expenses.

The wearer rolls the stocking over the top of the brace, flips the brace around, places it on the floor and puts a leg inside the brace.

Then, the handle is used to pull the stocking upwards, requiring only one to five kilogrammes in pulling power.

It all started in 2004 when Steven Westerbos crushed his ankle in a car accident. He developed oedema or fluid retention and his doctors told him to wear support stockings.

As he was young, the 25 kilogrammes in pulling power required to put on such elastic stockings, were not a problem.

But Westerbos realized that the elderly or handicapped were unlikely to be able to put the stockings by themselves.

“Of the 300,000 people who use support stockings in the Netherlands, some 70,000 depend on official caregivers or relatives to help them on a daily basis,” Westerbos told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa.

These people usually wait in their beds each morning before the morning assistance comes. In the evening, they cannot go to bed until a caregiver has come to their homes.

“A recent study by the Dutch health care ministry calculated such home care for support stockings alone costs 7,400 euros (9,366 dollars) per support stocking patient per year,” he says.

Westerbos markets his device through Westcare, a company based in Tilburg in the southern Netherlands. Decades ago, his grandfather developed a similar device to help his mother-in-law – Steven Westerbos’ great-grandmother – pull on her support stockings without the help of another person.

The woman benefited from the device until her death in the mid-1990s.

At the time of car accident, Westerbos was a management student specializing in entrepreneurship, and decided to improve on his grandfather’s support stocking device.

He hired an industrial designer, got his design patented worldwide, founded Westcare, and launched “Steve’ for 199 euros (249 dollars).

“We sold some 2,200 appliances since our launch last year. We are now trying to get ‘Steve’ sold also in Western Europe and the United States,” he says.

Those who have used the Steve a few times need only seconds to put on their stockings.

“Steve helps people remain independent,” says Westerbos.

The young entrepreneur says he has already begun developing other medical devices.

Several Dutch health care providers have meanwhile decided to reimburse patients, who have received prescriptions for support stockings, the costs of purchasing the Steve.

Westerbos’ own ankle has almost healed.

“But sometimes I still wear support stockings, and I too use Steve every now and then,” he says.

For information and a demonstration video check out: http://www.steunkousgemak. (dpa)