A dip into our enquiry postbag will give you a flavour. Information on wheelchair powerpacks is a perennial favourite. If you haven't come across these, they convert a manual chair into a powered one, with an electric motor fitted to the rear of the chair, or one in each propelling wheel hub. Whether the user is self propelling, or a carer pushing someone else in the chair, the principle is the same: you get help from the motor when the going gets tough. Given that a quarter of the population is reckoned to be obese, it is perhaps not surprising that enquiries for bariatric powerpacks are on the increase.
Sensory impairment is very prevalent, particularly with an ageing population. Most people find their vision and hearing becoming less acute as they get older, and a significant number of younger people are also affected, whether through disease, birth complications or accident. We are often asked for aids to help manage daily living, and encouragingly, there are now many ingenious devices, from talking tins, watches and weighing machines to telephone diallers and electronic magnifiers. The recent explosion of smart phone use and development of apps has also benefited people with sensory impairments, who can now download a free app to scan documents and read the text aloud, while users with poor hearing have bluetooth neck loops for much improved volume and clarity from mobile phones.
Many of the people visiting Independent Living are care professionals, such as occupational therapists (OTs), nurses and physiotherapists. The people they care for often have very limited or no mobility, so products to help with moving them from one place to another safely and with dignity, are frequently requested. Again, technology is making a great contribution here, with latest generation hoists and transfer aids providing greater comfort and safety for both user and client, than ever before. Prevention of pressure sores is another essential consideration for care professionals, so mattresses and cushions that have been designed to distribute weight more widely, stop overheating and stretching of fragile skin, are much in demand. Systems to move the patient regularly ensure that no one area is damaged by constant pressure, and save carer time, as well. Some 20% of hospital patients have pressure damage, and it is estimated that the NHS spends £2 billion a year on caring for these injuries, so prevention is well worthwhile, never mind the human cost and suffering.
Just occasionally, we get an enquiry that stumps us: we weren't able to track down bariatric parallel bars for a physiotherapy gym, for example. But with more than two decades' experience of assistive technology and adapted products, we usually know exactly where to look for whatever it is that our visitors need!
It is very fortunate that today's technology can make things that much easier for people with disabilities in more ways than one. By allowing these people to better perform tasks technically without the help of someone else, these machines also improve self-esteem and pride. The more confidence one has, the more easily he or she can cope with everyday life.
ReplyDeleteScaffolding - that's what I would have suggested for bariatric parallel bars.
ReplyDeleteI think a lot of knowledge is out there where people have solved problems for themselves and that by sharing those ingenius ideas it helps others immensley.
There is a lot of emphasis on the physical side of disability and not so much on the mental side within ILCs. Technologies that assist with memory, orientation, guidance and carer relief that are simple, cheap and really easy to use are often overlooked or not given as much 'shelf time' as their big and burly physical counterparts.
What a great idea, Mike - thanks!
DeleteGood point about the weight given to physical aids, rather than cognitive, too. Hopefully, that is beginning to change, but it's a slow process...
We've just launched a product here in Australia and available online that enables individuals to self administer the application and removal of compression stockings. We designed this product for my grandmother as nurses were required otherwise to do this task, and they would rip her leg wounds open each time. Providing independence using this device allows people to use compression stockings without having to reach their feet nor suffer any pain. On the mental side it provides the user with confidence and a better quality of life. www.StockEZEon.com if you are interested.
ReplyDeleteThis is a very interesting and informative post about independent living. There are also carers which can help people with living in their own homes, this is a suitable alternative from people living in care homes. http://www.helpinghandshomecare.co.uk/
ReplyDeleteGreat blog post about independent living. My client LoneAlert provide products to help asssist those living alone, including panic buttons http://www.lonealert.co.uk/
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