Electric Mobility Scooters

It’s no fun not being able to get around, and mobility is a problem that affects millions of seniors around the world.  Luckily, through advancements in elderly care there are a number of mobility solutions that allow you to get around even if your legs don’t work too well anymore.  If you’re just looking to get around the house more easily, you might consider a quad cane which provides much more stability than your standard cane.  For those seniors who can’t walk, an electric powerchair or scooter can help you get around the home, the grocery store, or the park.  If you don’t have a car or can’t drive, often in urban and suburban locations there are buses that cater to seniors and will pick you up at your home or residence.

There’s never been so many opportunities for seniors to get around as there is now, so don’t just sit, find your mobility solution today!

Nothing is worse than the thought of sitting down on the toilet and not being able to get back up.  It’s an embarrassing predicament, but none the less it is quite common amongst elderly individuals.  To prevent his from happening to yourself or an elderly friend or family member, it’s wise to install handrails in the bathroom, and also an elevated toilet seat.  It’s a fact that a majority of all household accidents that affect elderly people occur in the bathroom, so it’s important to stay safe.

In addition to handrails and an elevated toilet seat, it’s a good idea to install shower safety features, both for showering and getting in and out of the shower.  These products might include bath mats, shower chairs, and railings for support.  If you can afford it, a walk in bath/shower unit is great for elderly people.

Pressure Sore Risk Factors:

The elderly and people with mobility problems are at a greater risk for pressure sores.
Incontinence is also a contributor, along with malnutrition and dehydration.  Certain medications can also be an attributing factor.

Signs and Symptoms of Pressure Sore Development:

• Discoloration: In lighter-skin, the skin may turn red or dark purple.  Darker-skinned the area may become darker than normal.
• There may be a bad smell from the area
• Redness or warmth around the sore
• Swelling around the sore
• Tenderness, pain around the sore
• Thick yellow or green pus
• Size of pressure sores are variable, they can go down into the muscle, or even to the bone.
• Further reduction in mobility

 Pressure Sore Prevention:

Relieving pressure: Position must be changed on a regular basis, at least every two hours, and in the very frail at least every hour.
Good Diet: A good and balanced diet contributes to healing, as well as avoiding severe nutritional decline and loss of weight
Skin Care: Keep the skin clean. Moisture should be minimized. Skin care products should be used that moisturize the skin but do not make it wet or soggy.
Use continence aids if a person is unable to control their bladder or bowels. Pads, diapers, convenes or catheterizing.
Inspect the skin to see if any redness or breaks in the skin are developing.
Use products to relieve and treat pressure sores; airbeds, foam bed, bed and chair protectors, chair products, continence aids can all contribute to avoiding of bed sores.

Selecting a nursing home is one of the most important decisions you may be asked to make, either for yourself or for a family member. Ideally, this decision would be made far in advance.  Nonetheless, it is often made during a crisis.  Many people don’t have any idea of how to begin their search or what they are really looking for in a nursing facility. Here are some helpful questions you may want to consider on your visit.

Environment

* Do you feel welcome when you enter?
* Do all bedrooms have windows?
* Are there no more than four (4) beds in each room?
* Does each bed have a privacy curtain?
* Does each bed have a nurse call bell?
* Are the hallways and rooms hazard free?
* Are the bathrooms convenient to the bedrooms?
* Are there hand grips near the toilets?
* Do showers and tubs have non-slip surfaces and hand grips?
* Are visiting hours convenient?
* How are roommates selected?

Dining Room

* Is the dining room attractive?
* Are the tables and chairs comfortable?
* Is there adequate access for wheelchairs in the dining room?
* Is the food tasty and attractive?
* Are residents given enough time to eat?
* Do residents receive help eating if they need it?
* Are personal likes and dislikes taken into account when planning the menu?

Activities

* Is there an activities room?
* Are activities tailored to the individual’s needs and interests?
* Have arrangements been made for worship services?
* Are group and individual activities planned?
* Are outside trips available?
* Is there a social services worker available to assist residents and families?

The American Heart Association states the following:

Physical inactivity is a major risk factor for developing coronary artery disease and stroke. It also contributes to other risk factors, including obesity, high blood pressure, a low level of HDL (”good”) cholesterol and diabetes. Even modest levels of physical activity are beneficial.

The AHA says that older adults and those with disabilities can gain significant health benefits with a moderate amount of physical activity, preferably daily. Physical activity doesn’t need to be strenuous to bring health benefits. What’s important is to include physical activity as part of a regular routine.

For older adults, this moderate amount of activity can come from

• longer sessions of moderately intense activities such as walking or swimming
• shorter sessions of more vigorous activities such as fast walking, moon-rocking or stair-climbing

Greater amounts of physical activity can bring more benefits. But it shouldn’t be done excessively, or your risk of injury will increase.

People with disabilities are less likely to engage in regular moderate physical activity. Still, they can benefit from 

• moderately intense activities (such as 30–40 minutes of using a manual wheelchair)
• shorter sessions of more intense activity (such as 20 minutes of wheelchair basketball)

How do you know whether you or a loved one would be better off with a rollator or a walker?  Comparing these two products will help you to make your decision. Perhaps rollators are not as well-known as walkers. Overall, walkers are devices with four legs and two handles that you lift up and place in front of you for stability when walking. Rollators on the other hand have wheels. The most common designs have three or four wheels. Some are also equipped with a breaking and locking system for the wheels. Both a rollator and a walker can fold for easy storage or travel. They are used by individuals who require more support than a walking stick or cane can provide.The true benefit of a rollator are the wheels that offer ease of movement. Some people find the continuous lifting and setting down of a walker awkward and uncomfortable. If that is the case, it is almost more of a hindrance than a help. If you or a loved one is not putting their walker to use think about this. Are you suffering from a feeling of isolation, because your lack of mobility makes simple little trips, like going to the shopping mall, beauty salon/barber, temple or church, close to impossible? If that is the case, perhaps you would be much happier with a rollator than a walker. A rollator provides all the benefits of a traditional walker, but is very easy to use. For some it is a more dignified alternative to the traditional walker. With a rollator the trip to the shopping mall or even the grocery store is a possibility again. Once again you can get out and get exercise, chat with people, and buy the supplies you need to live happily and healthily.

Selecting the right chair, especially for a first-time wheelchair user can be confusing. It’s always a good idea to work with an occupational therapist who has experience with various kinds of wheelchairs, but here are some mobility basics on wheelchairs.

Manual Wheelchairs

People with upper body strength typically use a manual – they propel it with their arms on the rims of the wheels.  Today’s standard comes in every color and designed for much superior performance. Newer chairs ride truer and are much easier to push than the old-fashioned one. The lightweights, whether with either a rigid frame or a folding frame, are also easier to transfer in and out of cars.

Power Wheelchairs

Many people cannot push a wheelchair with their own arm strength and may require a wheelchair powered by batteries. Power chairs come in several basic styles. The traditional style looks like a beefed up standard manual plus the batteries, motor and control systems. There are also platform-model power chairs with a more ordinary seat fixed atop a powered base. Scooters come in three- and four-wheel configurations and are typically used by people who don’t require them full time.

Tilt or Recline Wheelchairs

Some people use special wheelchairs to distribute pressure and thus reduce the risk of skin sores. These chairs also increase comfort and sitting tolerance. One type of chair, called “tilt in space,” changes a person’s orientation while maintaining fixed hip, knee, and ankle angles. The whole seat, in effect, tilts. The other chair option is called a recline system, which basically changes the seat-to-back angle, flattening out the back of the chair and in some cases raising the legs to form a flat surface. 

Even with the best treatment, rheumatoid arthritis can slow you down. That’s why a good treatment plan doesn’t stop with just medicine and exercise. If you start to have trouble with everyday activities, help is available.Assistive devices are products and tools that can make life with rheumatoid arthritis easier. These simple devices let you continue to cook, clean, get dressed, bathe, and move around with relative ease.Assistive Devices to Help You Get Around

• A cane or crutch used on the opposite side of a painful knee or hip makes walking easier and makes the joint last longer.
• Braces and splints provide support to joints and decrease strain.
• Reachers are long rods with a grip handle on one end and pincers (like a claw, used to grab) on the other. They let you pick up small objects without having to bend over or reach uncomfortably.
• Elevated chair legs make it easier to get in and out of your seat. The chairs you have can usually be fitted with extenders.

Assistive Devices for the Bathroom

• A tub bench or shower seat lets you bathe more comfortably and reduces the chance of falls. Nonskid shower mats will make the tub safer, too.
• Grab bars make it easier to get in and out of the bath.
• A raised toilet seat with side rails reduces the strain of getting on and off.
• Long-handled sponges help you to wash your legs and feet without bending. Also, large sponges are easier to grip than washcloths.
• Easy-to-pull shower curtains are better than heavy shower doors.
• An electric toothbrush with a fat handle is easier than a regular toothbrush.
• By putting a seat in front of your sink you can avoid leaning forward; the same with using a freestanding mirror for grooming.