Aging and Dis-ability Sensitivity Training

Aging and disability sensitivity training programs are artificial representations of conditions or scenarios that portray real life challenges. Such portrayals are simply meant to offer a window of insight. Offering a window of insight can be an astonishing life changing experience.

I am reminded of a woman who was a participant in one of my workshops. She had literally requested to participate in an activity that simulated macular degeneration. So, of course, she was granted her request,...no questions asked.

When the group shared their experiences, this woman asked to share hers. She said her mother lived alone and had macular degeneration. Until she actually tried doing a common daily life activity using vision simulators, she did not realize the type of or level of challenges her mother might be experiencing. 

This lovely woman said she was often irritated with her mother because of the some of the things she saw her mother do. She mentioned she really hadn't cut her Mom a break. She realized she could be more patient, more helpful and more understanding! It was very emotional.

That was a success. Empathy brought about an openess to change behaviors. This woman experienced a life changing event. Her insight due to the simulated experience was dramatic enough (to her) that she developed new strategies to use with her mother.   As a result, one could surmise Mom would also experience a change in her life.

That is what aging and dis-ability sensitivity training is all about. More later.

Book holder: Better Neck Posture

Book Holder Helper

My little book holder is such a handy gadget. I use it to hold my cook books up so they are easier to see while I am cooking. It keeps my hands free, and my neck doesn't hurt. It also decreases the glare from over head lighting in my kitchen. That is alot of benefit from one gadget.

The book holder elevates the book, at an easy to read angle. This changes the body posture. The head does not have to bend forward as much, staying in a more comfortable (almost neutral )position. A neutral position is where the muscles have to use the least amount of energy.

The adult head can weigh generally between 10# and 15#, (think bowling ball) so anytime the head is held in a forward position, alot more stress is added to the muscles in the neck and shoulders.

A simple $3 or $4.00 book holder can make a huge difference. A book holder is an easy to find assistive device that makes living easier and more comfortable for everyone. I saw a book holder at a flea market for $1.00 the other day.

This little device is a great helper for people who have :

• muscle weakness or total loss of movement


• amputation (complete or partial loss of an arm)


• arthritis (No need to hold book, reeducing joint strain and muscle pain)

That's it for today.

Stay healthy and safe.

Dr. Vanessa

Elevated Dryer: Reduces Back Strain

Hello,

Today, I wanted to talk a bit more than I did on March 6th, about the elevated dryer. Just to let you know, when we were building our first house, we told our plumber we wanted to elevate our dryer. He told us, we were "nuts". We had a few more "interesting" conversations about elevating that dryer. He just did not get the concept. In his defense, he just did not understand the concept. He was used to a standard code. The idea was foreign to him. But, as you can see by the picture on the right side, we did get our elevated dryer.

As it turned out, it wasn't a big deal. I had 10 wonderful years comfortably removing my stuff from our dryer and folding clothes in that small area. As you can see in the picture, the dryer was in a very confined space, but amazingly, it worked.

In the picture on the left, you will see a picture of a washer and dryer in a garage, placed on a platform. We moved to a home that was built by someone else. The house came with a front loading washer and dryer. The only place for the washer and dryer was in the garage. So, ignore the mess, and focus on the platform that is supporting the washer and dryer.

The Mechanical Benefit: The elevated height makes a huge difference in the amount of muscle strength and effort required to do this work. This keeps the body in a nice comfortable posture and really reduces awkward postures that increase muscular strain on the spine, and can cause pain, fatigue, and you know, make the whole task a bummer.

Messy But Functional

You can see this is a garage. There was no space for hanging clothes. If you look closely, you can see, we also created a modified clothes hanging area by using the framing that holds an air conditioning unit. It looks messy, but it works like a dream.

I hope this tip was worth while to someone out there. Please let me know about your ideas, thoughts, or suggestions. Send photos, too.

Be safe and healthy,

Dr. Vanessa

No Cost Adaptation: Stabilizing Bowl

No Cost Bowl Holder: Assistive Device

About the Bowl in the Drawer PHOTO


The large bowl in the drawer is an example of a no cost assistive device.

PURPOSE: Use this idea when it is too difficult or painful to hold a bowl.This could be due to

1. Muscle weakness or fatigue (MS, fraility, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, etc.)
2. Joint restrictions (limit in motion, contractures, etc)
3. Pain (arthritis, fractures, etc)
4. Missing limb
5. Paralysis (stroke, quadriplegia, etc)
6. Tremors
7. Asthma (or other respiratory conditions such as COPD)
8. Cardiac conditions
9. Etc.

Other Benefits

The drawer holds the bowl at a lower level. This reduces the muscle strength (exertion) necessary to do the task. The shoulders have to do less work, because the activity is done in a more comfortable zone of work. One hand does not have to sustain the effort of holding the bowl. So, altogether, there is far greater comfort, less force, better posture. The entire task is easier to do.

This can conserve energy, too.

If you use this idea, let me know about it. If you have other ideas, please share.

Stay healthy and safe.

Dr. Vanessa

All About Assistive Devices

What are Assistive Devices?

Assistive devices are any item, piece of equipment, or product system, that is used to making "doing possible". In a broad sense, this can be applied to all the gadgets we use in life to make our lives easier.

Assistive devices can be purchased, modified, customized, or created specifically to meet the needs of one person.

Purpose of Assistive Devices

Assistive devices are used to enable a person to do a task they need or want to do, but may not be able to do, due to a variety of reasons such as any of the following:

• debilitating disease: such as rheumatoid arthritis, dementia
• a medical condition: heart condition
• a temporary injury: broken hip, or a broken arm
• a permanent injury: at birth, loss of oxygen (cerebral palsy)
• a sensory loss: such as loss of vision or hearing
• limitation in physical endurance: such as due to asthma
• limitation in natural abilities (such as our inability to fly: now man can get in an airplane)

Who Uses Assistive Devices?

Everyone uses assistive devices. Man has been using assistive devices since we figured out how to rub a stick together to make fire. Then the match was invented. It became a more useful assistive device (because it was easier and faster, and required less effort).

The horse was better than just walking. Then trains, automobiles and planes were invented. All are assistive devices. All assist humans to perform important daily life activities, that either they could not do without the device, or they would have had to endure great effort and seriously struggled to get the task done as well without them.


Why are Assistive Devices Useful?

Assistive devices can make a life changing difference to a person who has difficulty doing essential daily life activities. An assistive device can make such a significant difference in a person's life, as to change

• dependence to independence
• dis-ability to empowerment
• dis-satisfaction to satisfaction with living
  

That is pretty powerful!


Common Daily Life Assistive Device Examples

Here are a few examples of how assistive devices can make it possible for a person to do an action that was impossible or difficult to do (without excessive strain.)

• Shopping carts in grocery stores: Carts make it easy for a person to carry alot of groceries
• Garbage cans on wheels: Make it easier to move heavy cans from one place to another
• The car, train, plane: Easily transport self and others great distances
• The computer: Retain huge amount of information we want stored
• The wheelchair: Makes it possible for a person who has been paralyzed to get around independently

The Stigma of Assistive Devices

I think assistive devices have a really bad rap. They have been stigmatized. This stigma was just made worse by Clint Eastwood's latest movie, Gran Torino. I thought the movie was great, but boy, did he set back the assistive device world in a few seconds or less. When Clint's son and daughter-in-law showed up at his house, with a long handled reacher, and a bold faced telephone, Clint's character was completely insulted. As he should have been. He was so mad, he threw his kids out of the house!

His kids basically assumed he was OLD and frail. They assumed he needed to use those assistive assistive devices. They also assumed he needed to move into an assistive living facility. The problem was

1. He didn't need the assistive devices they brought
2. He was completely fit
3. He apparently could see just fine
4. He had perfect joint range of motion
5. There was no physical reason for him to have or use a reacher.
6. There was no apparent reason he needed to use a big print telephone
7. There was no apparent need for him to move into an assistive living facility

When his kids presented the assistive devices to him, he was highly insulted. As he should have been.

As a producer, Clint was wise to use that equipment as a fast way to demonstrate how his children felt about him. But, boy, do I wish that part of the scene wasn't there. Clint quickly used those assistive devices to symbolize "OLDNESS", when in fact, under the right circumstances, they would have indeed been the perfect solution to making life acceptable, wonderful, and even joyous.

Why Focus A Blog On Assistive Devices?

During my whole career, I have seen how assistive devices can make a huge life changing difference in a person's life. So far, I can't find anything on blogs that talks about them.

• People need to know about them
• How devices are used
• Why they are used
• Who might use them
• Who could help a person identify the best assistive devices for a person's specific situation.

As I said on my other blog at http://www.wiseaging.blogspot.com/ people don't know what they don't know. Until you see something and learn about it, you can't even think about it as a solution for yourself.

If you have questions, feel free to ask me. If I don't know the answer, I will work to find someone who does.

Send me your ideas, thoughts, and pictures!

Have a safe and healthy day,

Dr. Vanessa

Elevated clothes dryer

Why are clothes dryers built so low so you have to bend to put heavy wet clothes into the dryer,...and bend again to remove the clothes?

I had my dryer elevated. I loved it. As a result, I could easily pull clothes out of the dryer, without any back strain. It has made my life easier.

I am happy to say there are now manufacturers who are making elevated front loading washers and dryers! This reduces back strain and is a good thing! Dr. Vanessa