Do you use senior helpers/aids?

I have a bad back, which put me in a wheelchair. I can still transfer. I can walk with a cane in summer, but winter I have to use a walker. And yeah, I've got the chair in the shower and handbars on the walls.
There is one thing a lot of people don't realize- but to save room in bathrooms, a lot of builders will put in a less wide bathroom door. A door that's too small for a wheelchair to go through. You will find this a lot on tract/development homes and high rise apartments. That's how I found out about when my wheelchair wouldn't fit through the smaller door. I never noticed it, and I lived in the house for 20 years before I became disabled.
 
So much good helpful info in this thread, something to help us all...thank you .

I have the handrails for steps, walkers, helper for pulling on socks, long tongs for help reaching things inside and the 3' and 4' reachers that I use outside on the riding mower to pick up trash and small limbs. I struggle lifting 5 gal gas cans for my mower and this Christmas my granddaughter gave me a battery portable pump that pumps the gas into the mower without having to lift...

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DNZ2VTS...s=hi&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9kZXRhaWwy&th=1
 
Reacher grabber and a bunch of grabber bars in the bathroom. The latter are left over from my deceased husband, by the toilet and in the shower. Shower stool leftover also. His power chair is still here, but I don't need it...yet. So far, I have had a serious L-1 back injury with pain and a right hip injury with pain.
 
GoneFishin said:
Do you use senior helpers?

I use the following aids >
Cane (sometimes)
Adult bib (for when I'm in a feeding frenzy 😁 )
Sock aid for putting on sox
Reacher grabber
Bathtub grab bar
Extended nail clipper for cutting my toenails
Click to expand...
Thank you for posting this thread. Lots of things I need to know and some I need to get now. I was gone when your first posted this so I'm late with my thanks.
 
RadishRose said:
I use a cane when I'm out.
I do have a walker in the closet leftover from surgery years ago.
My condo came with a grab bar in the shower.
A grabber given to me is too lightweight, so I use a soup ladle to drag an item closer. I've always been too short to reach.
Click to expand...
I use a soup ladle too to drag things closer from the cupboard. I also have a thingy you pick up fried eggs with that I use to do the same thing.
 
Jackie23 said:
So much good helpful info in this thread, something to help us all...thank you .

I have the handrails for steps, walkers, helper for pulling on socks, long tongs for help reaching things inside and the 3' and 4' reachers that I use outside on the riding mower to pick up trash and small limbs. I struggle lifting 5 gal gas cans for my mower and this Christmas my granddaughter gave me a battery portable pump that pumps the gas into the mower without having to lift...

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DNZ2VTS...s=hi&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9kZXRhaWwy&th=1
Click to expand...
I did not know there was a portable pump like that. Thanks for the info. I just put one in my cart.
 
I have two walking sticks for outdoors. One is an old hoe handle and the other one I purchased. I also have a cane I use on occasion when my back is bad.

There is a towel bar I grab when getting out of the shower but I probably need to have a real grab bar installed. I still have the walker and toilet left over from the hip replacements and am holding onto those. My new handyman has also informed me I need handrails outside. He is right. I found some on Home Depot site that I am ordering.

I still have the general stuff from the hip surgery, the long shoe horn, sock helper, grabber, etc.
 
hollydolly said:
MY stairs haven't quite got to that stage, but because I have OA in my knees, some days they are particualrly painful, and it hurts like Billy-O to go up or down the stairs, which is why I'm currently looking for a home all on one floor, because this OA is not likely to get better..
Click to expand...
That wretched osteoarthritis is, you are quite right Holly, a right pain in the proverbial, and just about everywhere else too. We are off to Bournemouth Mobility in Boscombe later today, the lady needs a neck brace to ease the arthritic pain that is at it's worse in the morning.

CareCo at Braintree, I have looked at online, they have an impressive range of supports and equipment. We shall be visiting family members at Southend come the end of the month, CareCo might be worth looking in on.
Manatee said:
I have shrunk 2 inches. I now have to look up to my full grown grandson.
Click to expand...
Back in my late 20's my distance eye set wasn't 100%. The optician said, that later in life the body shrinks, as she described, microscopically. Certainly no mention of two inches, but the optician then said that the shrinkage would bring my retina back into place, and she was right. In my mid 50's my eyesight was all but perfect. Trouble was, that damnable shrinkage didn't stop, now I need specs for reading.
 
horseless carriage said:
That wretched osteoarthritis is, you are quite right Holly, a right pain in the proverbial, and just about everywhere else too. We are off to Bournemouth Mobility in Boscombe later today, the lady needs a neck brace to ease the arthritic pain that is at it's worse in the morning.

CareCo at Braintree, I have looked at online, they have an impressive range of supports and equipment. We shall be visiting family members at Southend come the end of the month, CareCo might be worth looking in on.

Back in my late 20's my distance eye set wasn't 100%. The optician said, that later in life the body shrinks, as she described, microscopically. Certainly no mention of two inches, but the optician then said that the shrinkage would bring my retina back into place, and she was right. In my mid 50's my eyesight was all but perfect. Trouble was, that damnable shrinkage didn't stop, now I need specs for reading.
Click to expand...
you're very lucky to have got to this age before you needed reading glasses, my optician said most people need RG by the time they get into their 40's...

Commiserations to Mrs HC horrendous for her waking up with such a pain in the neck in the morning...I hope she finds something which will releive it. I'll have a little look at that Careco website later ..
 
hollydolly said:
you're very lucky to have got to this age before you needed reading glasses, my optician said most people need RG by the time they get into their 40's...

Commiserations to Mrs HC horrendous for her waking up with such a pain in the neck in the morning...I hope she finds something which will releive it. I'll have a little look at that Careco website later ..
Click to expand...
You might have been a bit more tactful Holly. I can just see the lady at the doctor's surgery:
Doctor: Can you describe for me the pain you get in the neck in the morning.
Mrs. HC: Yes doctor. Husband!
 
Fortunately I dont need any of those things. Yet. But Im prepared. I have an assortment of canes and walkers and other stuff left over from husband and Mom and others even after getting rid of a bunch. Husband had quite a few vintage canes. I sold a bunch of the smaller fancy ones and the ones with silver tips. I kept the larger carved ones. He was a large man so a lot of his canes are substantial. :D

Heres a little walker trick I came up with for when youre out and about and need to use the loo. Face the loo and position the walker over it with the front bar touching the tank. Now you can use the side bars of the walker to help getting up and down. This also solves the problem of what to with the walker once you get in there and gets it out of the way.

And I dont need help with the tall shelves. Im 5'10. :D
 
wisenior said:
I always park next to the Cart Corral just for that reason.
Click to expand...

The cart corral is usually not near handicap parking. I like it when there are a couple of stray carts left near the handicap spaces. When leaving a cart, check the slope of the lot and make sure the cart can't roll anywhere.
 
I have a cane in my car. I only use it when I go to ball games and I know I'll be walking a long way. Otherwise, if I'm going to the grocery store, I just park near the cart return and use the cart instead.

I have a handicap placard I keep in the door, and I only use it if it's absolutely necessary. I figure there are always people worse off than me.

We also have one of those stair chairs. My wife uses it daily. I rode it once, just to try it. I will say this...it's awesome for getting the laundry up and down the steps. LOL.

We're also planning to a new bathroom, with a step in shower and some safety railings. The missus is talking about a higher toilet, too.
 

You must log in or register to reply here.

Back
Top