3-Point Products' Healthcare Blog

Top 10 adaptive products to help with arthritis – Part 2

As I mentioned in my previous blog, there are lots of products available to make living with arthritis easier. Therapists call them adaptive devices, or ADL’s, which stands for Aids to Daily Living. Some you my have heard of, others you may not have or you may not have thought of alternative uses.

The previous blog covered self-opening scissors, alternative uses for wet towels and for pliers, as well as slip-resistant Dycem and quality pens.

Here is the second half of my TOP 10 list of adaptive items to help with arthritis.

6. A long-handled reacher

                             

         (image of Handi-Reacher courtesy of Sammons Preston, a division of Patterson Medical, Inc.)  

Every household should have a long handled reacher. It does not matter if you don’t have arthritis, back pain, or you are tall enough to reach the ceiling, a reacher should be a standard household tool. When selecting a reacher, try to find one that requires all fingers to engage the mechanism. They are easier to use.

There is always a space between cupboards or next to the washer that something is certain to fall into. A narrow long handled reacher makes it easy to grasp the envelope that slipped between the cupboard and the stove, to pick up the sock that would otherwise go into the “disappeared” pile next to the dryer, and to pull that roll of paper towel to the edge of a just too high shelf. My reacher hangs in my pantry/laundry closet and it sees regular use. I have big pine trees in my backyard and my reacher is the ideal tool to pick up the hundreds of pine cones that fall each year without me having to bend down hundreds of times to clean the yard.

7. Bath Mitts

                                       
     (image of Sponge Wash Mitt courtesy of Sammons Preston, a division of Patterson Medical, Inc.)

A wash mitt beats a wash cloth every time. Slip it on one hand, soap it up and you are done trying to keep a grip on the cloth and keep it soaped up. Simply switch hands as needed and bathing becomes just a bit less stressful for your hands especially if you have arthritis. Combined with my number 3 choice, a bath chair, showering or bathing is safer and more comfortable and you have a few extra moments to just let the warm water soak sore joints and bones.

8. A Shower or Bath Chair

                                     

      (image of Shower Chair courtesy of Sammons Preston, a division of Patterson Medical, Inc.)

A simple seat or bath bench is ideal for relaxing and safe bathing. The model shown folds so it is easy to take in and out of the tub or shower and can be stored out of the way if needed. Sitting makes it easier and safer to reach your feet with

the bath mitt and it allows you to get a good relaxing soak.

9. Stocking or Sock Aid

                            

                                              (image courtesy of North Coast Medical)

If you have arthritis, back pain or mobility problems and reaching your feet or holding open a sock is difficult, Sock aids really do work. The one shown here has a flat bottom to allow your foot to slide in and out of it easily. It is effective with all but really tight compression stockings. You can search for this aide under the name Sock-Assist. For true confession’s sake, even though my company does not carry this aide, I did design it for the company who makes it and it was my first patent. And it works, so I can safely recommend it.

10. Work gloves with a gripping surface

                                                             

Gloves that have a silicone or rubber gripping surface make a lot of tasks easier and safer. There are a variety of lightweight gloves that are easy to slip on an off and can be used for many tasks. If you have arthritis or you don’t, the gripping surface makes it easier to hold things so you apply less force and therefore less stress on your hands and arms. If your hand strength is diminished, gripper gloves make tasks such as slicing meat or picking up heavy vases or books, easier and safer.

These are great when vacuuming or sweeping and my mother takes them with her to the grocery store so she can safely take cans off the shelf and lift heavy juice containers into her cart. The gloves pictured above are just two of the many brands available.

So now I have given you my Top 5 picks plus my next Top 5 picks for items that really do make it safer and less stressful to perform daily activities. If you have arthritis, diminished mobility or strength or like me, just don’t want to add more stress on an aging body than I have to, these are good things to have and use.

There are other well designed products that can be very helpful. When deciding what you might want to have in your house, your purse or your car to make it easier to get through your day with less physical stress, ask yourself these questions:

1. Is this something that will help me do something I can’t really do anymore?
2. Will I use it regularly?
3. If my friends see me using this will they want one too?

If you answer yes to any of these questions – buy it.

What are your favorite “tools” to make living with arthritis easier? Share them in the comments below.

Author: Julie Belkin

Top 10 Adaptive Products To Help With Arthritis - Part 1

Q. Can “knick knacks” really make my arthritic hands feel better?

A. Yes and no. Knick knacks or more formally, adaptive devices or equipment, reduce pain if they decrease the amount of force you use when opening jars, hold a pen or comb your hair. Equipment will not cure your arthritis but can help lessen the progression and make doing daily activities less painful and less stressful on an affected joint.

Q. Which equipment works the best for people with arthritis?

A. As a practicing occupational therapist I spent a good deal of time choosing the most appropriate equipment for my patients and showing them how to use it. In general, the equipment I liked the best was usually the simplest and often things you already have in your home.

The more “stuff” you have, the less you will tend to use so I like to keep it simple and to a minimum. There are some great products available that really make a difference when your hands are weak or in pain. I have a top 10 list of products that make living with arthritis easier. The top 5 are shown below. The next 5 will be in a future blog. So here goes my list of the TOP 5 adaptive products for arthritis:

1. Self-opening loop scissors

                                         
         (image of  Loop Scissors courtesy of Sammons Preston, a division of Patterson Medical, Inc.)

With looped scissors you do not need to try fitting sore or enlarged fingers in two small handle holes. The self-opening scissors require about 1/2 the amount of strength to open than do regular scissors. Mine stay in my kitchen utensil organizer so they are readily at hand. They won’t cut a chicken but they are great at cutting coupons, any paper, tape or string.

2. A damp towel

                               

                            (image of terry cloth towels courtesy of North Coast Medical, Inc.)

Everybody has a towel and most every kitchen or bathroom has a damp towel. Placing bowls or cups on a damp towel keeps them from moving when you are using two hands to stir a bowl or pour from a pot. A damp towel helps you grip a jar to open it or to pour from. A damp towel is a good resting spot for a warm cookie sheet when you are trying to remove stuck cookies. A damp towel makes clean up easy so you don’t have to scrunch up a sponge or paper towel. And a damp towel will dry quickly or go into the washing machine and come out ready to use again.

3. Slip resistant Dycem® strips or mats

                   

(image of Dycem Pressure-Sensitive Strips courtesy of Sammons Preston, a division of Patterson Medical, Inc.)

Dycem® is a non-slip material that comes in sheets to be used as non-slip mats and it comes in self-adhesive strips to wrap around utensils or handles. The added friction provided by Dycem material ensures that you use less strength to hold or manipulate something. For instance, you can wrap a strip around a round doorknob to make it easier to open or around your favorite mixing spoon to make it easier to hold. Wrap a strip of Dycem onto a cane or walker handle for better security or around the refrigerator or oven door to make it easier to open. Dycem should be washed or rinsed regularly for it to maintain its non-slip surface.

4. Narrow pliers
          

                                    
(image of Economy Needle-Nose Pliers/Wire Cutters courtesy of Sammons Preston, a division of Patterson Medical, Inc.)

Needle nose pliers are useful in a variety of locations. Use them to pull the cotton out of those small annoying medicine bottles. Use them to hold one end of a bracelet or necklace while you fasten it. Needle nose pliers make holding most small items less stressful on your hands.

5. A quality pen

While some people like to recommend built up pens or pencils, my advice is to buy a good pen with quality ink that flows easily and needs minimal pressure to write clearly. A built up pen that writes poorly is harder to hold and write with than a thinner, better quality pen. If you tend to lose pens, use a sticky label to add your name to make it easier to identify and remember. Always keep the pen in one place and always return it to that place when you are done. You do not need to spend a fortune on a pen but a 15 cent office store pen will never be worth the 15 cents you spent when your thumb is too sore to write with it.

As for the next 5 items on my top-10 list of products that can make living with arthritis easier, look for the next blog.

Do you use products that help make your life with arthritis easier? Share them in the comments below to help others.

Author: Julie Belkin