GearAbility – Page 8 – Life with limitations and the gear that makes things work

Truck-Spotting, Wheelchair-Style

Post author By gearability
Post date June 7, 2007
2 Comments on Truck-Spotting, Wheelchair-Style

Here’s a hazard you probably never considered. The handles on this unidentified fellow’s power chair stuck in the grille of a semi-truck when the two were stopped at a gas station.

Four miles later — after travelling at speeds up to 50 MPH — the truck stopped and the shocked driver realized he had a hitchhiker. Police caught up to the pair just outside of Paw Paw, Michigan.

Add another notch for seatbelt use — the 21-year-old who was in the chair had his latched. He’s uninjured, but it looks as if his cupholder (lower right) didn’t make it.

Everyday Gear

Extra-Large Easy-to-Hold Pill Organizer

Post author By gearability
Post date June 6, 2007
2 Comments on Extra-Large Easy-to-Hold Pill Organizer

It’s amazing what helpful things turn up in unexpected places. Witness this ~~pill organizer~~ 7-compartment craft organizer sold by Craft Mates. It’s large enough for almost any number of giant pills, has a compartment for every day in the week, and easy-open, easy-close lids for each section.

Its size (about six inches in diameter by about one-and-one-quarter inches high) and the handy hole in the middle make it easy to grasp, too. Although the label doesn’t mention it, it just happens that the first letter for each day of the week is inscribed on the box in Braille.

Don’t go looking for this one at the pharmacy, though — I saw it in the crafts section at a WalMart store for under three dollars. (You can see how it’s packaged at the right.)

If you could find it at a pharmacy — because, guess what, the small print on the label says it’s made by Apothecary Products, Inc. — I’ll bet you’d pay close to three times as much. Or more. Because you know the rule — if it’s medical equipment, it’s gotta be hugely expensive.

Before going that route, check out the bead section of any craft store for this organizer and other, similar, options. You might be pleasantly surprised.

At Home Home Modifications

A Kinder, Gentler (Rubber) Wheelchair Ramp

Post author By gearability
Post date June 3, 2007

We used portable metal wheelchair ramps for my dad‘s visits to the house, and they’ve worked well for us. We needed a rather long ramp, so our options were limited. In other situations, I’d have much preferred a rubber threshold ramp instead — every time we moved our portable ramps I worried that the metal edges would catch and maul a door, the side of the house, or our hardwood floors. Rubber ramps would be kinder to anything they accidentally encountered — and, I suspect, hose off more easily as well.

Games/Recreation Travel Wheelchairs

SF-Area Trails for People Who Use Wheelchairs

Post author By gearability
Post date June 2, 2007

GearAbility is back, and the laptop is feeling much better now, thank you. In honor of the summer weather — which is currently rotten on the east coast, but probably lots better in California — today’s post celebrates the great outdoors.

Berkeley, California resident Ann Sieck has a website called San Francisco Bay Area Wheelchair Accessible Trails, with a rather comprehensive listing of trails she’s either used herself with various wheelchairs, or which have been rated by other “reliable sources”.

Uncategorized

Brief Pause in GearAbility Posts

Post author By gearability
Post date May 27, 2007

We’ve been experiencing some computer problems here at GearAbility, and won’t be posting for the next day or two until computer upgrades are completed. Apologies to all — we’ll be back online as soon as feasible.

Games/Recreation Nursing Home

Non-Trivial Pursuits – Dad at Work and Play

Post author By gearability
Post date May 24, 2007

My dad has a job at the nursing home now. He’s the party responsible for changing the calendar sign on the wing he lives on. Against all odds, he’s enjoying this task thoroughly, and making jokes about how “there’s no more free ride”. It’s been impossible to get him to help out in any other way, but he’s very pleased with this role.

I suspect he likes the routine, and is also happy that it doesn’t interfere with another favorite habit — spending the morning reading the Wall Street Journal. Now that his legs are increasingly bothersome, the trip to the placard is short enough that he can still manage it on his own — and “on his own” is a status he much prefers.

Finding ways to keep my dad mentally stimulated has been difficult. (I wrote about this previously in Therapeutic Recreation for Those Who Will Not Play.) A little while ago, I happened to mention Trivial Pursuit to the husband of a new resident when he had stopped by to say hello to my dad. He remembered the game, and said something positive about it; in the face of what looked a little like peer pressure, Dad did not immediately refuse to consider playing.

Nursing Home

A Party Even a Curmudgeon Couldn’t Resist

Post author By gearability
Post date May 22, 2007

My dad’s “senior living community” held an open house about a month ago. It’s one of several ‘big’ events they hold each year. This particular event showcased a newly remodeled recreation room in the assisted living area, which is at the extreme opposite of the nursing home wing my dad lives in.

Dad is notoriously balky about wanting to do much of anything, so I used an old trick. I showed up an hour before my usual visiting time and checked out the festivities. My nefarious plan, of course, was to pop down to Dad’s room and let him know all he’d missed — at which point I figured he’d want to see for himself.

The staff made it so easy. There was a handout in the main lobby that looked like a sleek version of a pirate’s treasure map. Colorful triangles dotted the page; each one indicated some point where food, music, or entertainment could be found.

Good Stuff Nursing Home

A Personal, Unusual Nursing Home Visit

Post author By gearability
Post date May 20, 2007

This cute little case holds an HP Photosmart printer like the one my dad’s niece brought when she came for an unexpected visit a while ago. Amy brought along a whole passel of relatives, too, and everyone took turn taking. She set the compact printer up in Dad’s room, powered it up, and printed off snapshots while everyone visited.

Dad was enchanted with the gadget, and the whole process. The visit had all of the charm from back in the days when Polaroids were new, when people snapped pictures and stood around oooohing and aaaahing as the camera spit out the magically developing photo. But in this case, the hardware was sleeker and the picture quality terrific.

Dad’s family went home with pictures of him, but, best of all, they left behind several dozen photos which now grace his walls — reminders of a fun and novel visit. Everyone likes getting presents: This portable printer turned out to be the gift that kept on giving — all through the visit and long afterward.

At Home DIY Everyday Gear Medical Practice

Make A Medical Record Book, Part 2 – How to Use It

Post author By gearability
Post date May 19, 2007
2 Comments on Make A Medical Record Book, Part 2 – How to Use It

In a previous post, I described the components of the medical notebooks I use for my dad and family. The notebook comes along on every medical appointment, and this is how I use it.

Before each appointment, I fill out a form I made on my computer and printed up in advance. It’s my Medical Appointment Record form, which goes in Section 2. I’ve typed in cues on the page (date, doctor’s name, current symptoms, any questions or concerns). Before we go, I fill in the blanks. This ensures that we have a clear idea of what we want to know and that we’re organized and able to use the appointment time effectively.

At Home Everyday Gear

A Simple Cell Phone

Post author By gearability
Post date May 18, 2007

After one of my dad’s early back surgeries, part of his rehabilitation program was to walk in the neighborhood. Because he was prone to falling, and under doctor’s orders not to get up on his own if he took a tumble, we got him a cell phone to take on his meanderings. He carried it around for a while after I left the west coast, and then turned it back in. He just didn’t get the concept, and thought the phone was a pain to use. The keys were too small and unreadable; the icons impossible to interpret; it did so many distracting things that he could hardly figure out how to dial 911.