Last week, I unexpectedly spent the night in the hospital with
a family member who had surgery.
Generally, I keep an extra pair of contacts in my purse or work bag, but
on this surprise slumber party, I found I was without both contacts and
glasses. I had just recently mentioned
how much I rely on my contacts as an assistive item for my changing
vision. As I prepared for bed, I decided
to throw away my daily disposable contacts, thereby giving me a chance to see
(or in this case, not see) what is was like to function with my uncorrected
vision. Guess what? When I cannot see, I
cannot hear, either! The poor nurses and
doctors who came in, had to stand within a few feet of me, so I could see and
hear them. I bet they were wishing I’d
had both my glasses and my mouthwash with me.
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| Book with many ideas for adaptations. |
While we spent some time in the hospital, I was reminded of
one of my favorite assistive products from my youth – the bendable straw. My Grandma Inez struggled with mobility due
to very debilitating arthritis. When I
was a young girl, I’d help out by dispensing her medication. The bendable straw was so important for
Grandma. It certainly helped keep her
from taking an accidental shower every time she needed to swallow a pill.
There are so many adaptive devices out there, as simple as a
bendable straw or as complicated as motion detectors for remote caregivers, monitoring
daily activities such as eating and movement.
Many adaptive devices can be fashioned with common items – good old duct
tape and baling twine – to make life easier.
I read the book, Double Take,
by Kevin Connolly from Helena who was born without legs. His dad MacGyvered all kinds of adaptive
devices for him, including a skateboard, which the author used to get
around. At our office, we have a bookfull of assistive devices that can be made from common objects and used for a
wide range of adaptations.
A few key chapters in the book review switch making and
modifications and building spring loaded switches, fasteners and custom
grips. The modifications given have
great instructions and colorful pictures.
Some range from simple – adding a self-adhesive rubber bumper to on/off
switches on items like electronic toothbrushes for those with dexterity
challenges to adaptations for farmers with spinal cord injuries. The ideas and adaptations that can mostly be
created at home are fascinating.
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| Sock Puller |
I think many of the devices we have today were a result of
somebody figuring out how to mass market a good idea. For instance, a sock puller is a tool that
can be used for people with limited flexibility, range or motion. To use the device, socks are slide onto a
cylindrical device and then, using rope handles, the foot is slid into the
cylinder and subsequently the sock.
Another device available is a weighted spoon. For people with tremors in their hands
(perhaps from Parkinson’s or other diseases), the weighted spoon can change a
person’s ability to feed themselves. The
weight somehow changes messages in the body and brain to reduce tremors. Imagine if you had lost your ability to feed yourself
and suddenly got it back because of something so simple.
To see the many other assistive devices available, stop by
the Extension Office. Just remember to
call first, to make sure I have my contacts in, otherwise I might not be able
to hear you.
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