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Gadgets Can Make Life Easier
By Jeff Durbin
Putting on socks in the morning can be a hassle for the lazy, and sometimes a near impossibility for people with arthritis.
But a device called the Sock Aid can help people with arthritis slip on their favorite foot-warmers - without having to bend over and pull them on.
For some people with arthritis, avoiding bending can mean the difference between a relatively normal day and a morning fraught with relentless pain.
The Sock Aid is just one example of the assistive devices available. Such tools are designed to help people with arthritis accomplish their everyday tasks while taking the stress off their joints. And many of these items are available locally at discount and department stores.
Assistive devices may allow people with arthritis and disabilities to retain their independence longer, said Dovie Weston, an occupational therapist. Weston, M.Ed., is a clinical instructor at the University of Missouri Health Care. She’s also a member of the team working on a research project devoted to vocational issues and arthritis at the Missouri Arthritis Rehabilitation and Training Center.
Fortunately, there is an almost inexhaustible list of these contraptions.
Big buttoned telephones, designed for people with shaky hands; bottle grippers, which make opening medicine bottles possible for people with trouble gripping; and garden trowels with comfortable grips are all out there to make life easier for people with disabilities.
There are also devices to help in the workplace, including computer keyboards that curve, joint-friendly computer mice that need no rolling, and pens with large grips.
For the breadwinners out there, these devices make office work much more tolerable (though there aren’t any devices that can stop the phone from ringing off the hook yet).
As an occupational therapist, Weston works to help people retain their independence through exercise and adaptive devices.
That's why Weston is an expert on gadgets such as the Sock Aid. These items help occupational therapists work with people with all forms of arthritis, whether it affects their hands or their spine.
Some people with arthritis may need assistive devices for everyday activities, while others may find they only need such items during a "flare," a period of time when disease is increased, or when they experience unpredictable jolts of arthritis pain.
In some cases, these adaptive devices may even function as a type of prevention medicine, said Weston. Some items can help keep joints aligned.
"If you use adaptive devices, then the extent of deformity should be lessened," said Weston. However, the devices cannot provide a cure for the pain.
Give Them a Try
Gadgets galore are within reach for people with disabilities through Centers for Independent Living (CILs), though many people might not realize it.
These nonprofit organizations are funded by the Rehabilitation Services Administration under the U.S. Department of Education.The centers are designed to help people with arthritis and other diseases live more independently. The centers sometimes offer demonstrations of such devices, allowing people to decide for themselves what works best for them.
To find such a center, check local telephone books under disability services, medical devices or medical technology services.
Such centers generally have someone on staff who can assess a person's disability and then recommend what types of devices would be helpful.
The centers often can show visitors firsthand how the devices work, said Mary Secora, a technology specialist at the Services for Independent Living Center in Columbia, Mo.
Secora, who has arthritis herself, said some centers have a plethora of gizmos and gadgets to show off. These items can include reachers that grasp onto objects, big-grip utensils, alternate keyboards and oversized remote controls.
When You're Ready to Buy
Some of the devices, such as a doorknob attachment that makes it easier to open doors, can be purchased at local pharmacies, supermarkets or hardware stores, said Secora.
"We try to look for things you can buy at Wal-Mart or at the Dollar store," she said.
Assistive devices can be found and purchased through catalogs and the Internet.
Centers for Independent Living, including the one in Columbia, Mo., keep such brochures on hand for people to peruse in order to get a better idea of what types of devices are available.
"The brochures act as a point of reference, so that people have an idea of what to look for," Secora said. Acknowledging that the cost of such devices may not be covered by most health insurance coverage, she said the centers also help people find the best price available for such products.
In many cases, the brochures offer a broad selection of utensils and devices ranging from the essential to the recreational.
Rubber spoons, touch-light lamps, and prism glasses, specs that allow people to stare at the ceiling and still watch TV, are among the more common devices in brochures.
"No two people's disabilities are alike," said Secora. The task, she added, is to find an adequate device.
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