Ideas to make life easier

FrancescaH

Hi everyone. This thread is so helpful.
My tip is to brush my teeth in the shower. That way you don't have to bend over.
If you brush your teeth at the sink, using a hand placed on the wall to lean forward helps the strain on the back.

roses1

I needed some support for my very painful elbows earlier today and hadnt got any tubigrip!

:idea: came to me

Take an Old pair of sox cut off the toe part , slide on arms elbows fit in the heel part keeps them warm and gives gentle support

tip, make sure sox are clean first

Rose x

lindalegs

If you have a wire coat hangar squash the two 'shoulders' together till they meet (or get someone strong to do it ) and then you'll have a very useful 'hook' on a long handle which is brilliant for pulling tins to the front of cupboards, picking up bits of dropped laundry and other stuff.

Hang it up when not in use.

julie47

While I was getting in my car I remembered I had not shared this.

I can not close the car door (from inside) as it hurts wrist and fingers so I have a belt looped through the handle and slide my arm through it and use body weight to pull door closed.

I use my bum when shutting it from outside .

When in OH car he opens and closes the doors for me

JuliePF x

wooly-monkey

For bad ankles or even knees or simply sitting in a drafty house, cut the arms off an old sweater, (preferably hand-knitted 'cos their warmer) and use as leg-warmers. Saves a lot of knitting too!
Wooly-monkey

LaraSunday

In so much pain today but all your ideas are brilliant and have put a smile on my face...im 27 and I've invested in a descent pair of silk/merino wool underclothes..i look like Santa's little helper but they make a big difference when you go out. Their thin enough you can wear them under all your other clothes...and depending on your tastes very exciting in the bedroom : )

Also got myself a pair of leather gloves out of Tkmaxx not sure if i can say that name but they were cheaper. Their lined and they keep my hands alot warmer so I have alot more movement especially with the weather we've been having.

If anybody has tips for giving you a hand when you have kids as well that would be great! The idea of getting the shoppping delivered is great..I have my veg delivered but never thought to get my supermarket to deliver. Box schemes are great for getting eggs and things and its good to be supporting local businesses.

Cheers everyone x:))

bumache

have come up with a good idea that works for me anyway. All you poorly hips and backs people, who may find laying down with your knees bent comfy for a while may find this useful - don't know about you but my feet kept slipping down the bed. SO..... I got some of that non slip rubber matting (sometimes called dashboard matting) and put it under my feet in bed and hey presto, no more slipping!! It also doesnt get in the way when you move (unlike a pillow), cheap to buy and you can use it for all sorts of other jobs - under chopping board, opening jars etc

lindalegs

keep your cards in a ladies purse instead of a wallet. Some purses have velcro fastenings or zips which you could probably manage. For gripping the cards, if you go to a stationers, like Rymans, Staples or WHSmiths you could buy a rubber finger cone to pop onto the end of you finger (they come in different sizes) to help you grip the card and you could also keep this in the little purse.

Hope this helps.

Colin1

BBQ Kebab Scewers from the £1 shop they have wooden handles and quite long, £1 for six you can make a hook with the end and use them for all sorts of things
Colin

jassie

I’m not very inventive like most people who’ve posted here are, though I did manage to construct a tool out of a wire coathanger bent into prongs and wired to a broom handle to clean out my bungalow gutters (I can’t do steps as I wobble and fall off) which I was quite proud of. I want to share a couple of bought things that have recently made my life so much easier though.

As a keen gardener, I was very frustrated with not being able to get down/get up again so I bought one of those garden kneeler/stools with strong metal supports. This has been an absolute boon, not just in the garden but because I am now able to kneel to do cleaning tasks indoors (also tackled an under-sink plumbing job and finished laying kitchen tiles which had been hanging around for about 3 years), and use the seat side at perfect height to access and clean lower cupboards, fridge, freezer and washing machine. The thing which makes it better than an ordinary chair, stool or kneeler are the very sturdy tubular metal side rails at an ideal height to take my weight, so I can lower and raise myself as my arms are still reasonably strong. It won’t work if you don’t have that leverage though, and you need to be careful to get a good, strong one as there are some shoddy ones around. Mine cost about £15 but well worth it for the extra mobility.

The other thing was. I posted a similar question a couple of years ago, specifically about housework and was surprised at the number of people who recommended wipes, which I’d previously thought an unnecessary expense. Now I use them for everything, tying them around mops on long and short handles to clean things I wouldn’t otherwise be able to reach. Saves carrying buckets and bowls of water around. Cost money (my local shop does a pack of £150 for £1) but worth it to stop my home becoming a health hazard. Probably people already use them nowadays but I thought it worth mentioning as I first heard it here.

I have a steamer which is good for big jobs of the spring clean variety and I’ve also used it for cleaning the oven and fridge: effective but heavy when full and too much trouble to use often

By the way, if anyone has one of those ‘husband’ gadgets they could spare for a a day, there are still lots of things I don’t feel up to tackling and can’t afford to ‘get a man in’ to do. I don’t mind if it’s old and dilapidated, and will return it unsoiled and in good condition.

dreamdaisy

I have been thinking about the light bulbs, and it dawned on me that over the years, as things have deteriorated, I now have table lamps everywhere in our rooms, apart from halls and landings, where I use the long-life, earth-saving gloom bulbs: they need changing about once in a blue moon and then I get a neighbour to do it (depite having a husband gadget, the neighbour gadget is far more obliging and does such things with far better grace.) I prefer pools of lighting anyway - and we have 'em everywhere! I hope you are having a reasonable day today. DD

theresa4

As for the bath I sit on the side and lift my legs over one by one to get in, getting out isnt too bad as I have a really hot bath which soothes my joints then I wrap a towel round my head and one round my body and lay on my bed to relax and drip dry ( extra towel laid on bed prior) much easier than trying to dry myself and quite relaxing.

I did buy a female urinal with a screw lid for days I struggle toget out of bed but I worried I might spill it while trying to get the top on/off :oops: so I still crawl to the loo on really bad days.

Theresa x

dreamdaisy

Ah, those kinda days. A large jug, with a good pouring lip, and a four pint plastic milk bottle. Pee into the first (with giraffe-at-the-water-hole-stance if at all possible) then pour into the second, for later disposal. It works, trust me. DD

lindalegs

When carrying heavy things use your forearm to take the weight. This helps protect your hands, fingers and wrists from becoming too deformed and is less painful also.

IreneF

Hi, I'm new to this so be patient. We moved to a bungalow 3 years ago and needed a new kitchen I had as many drawers as I could afford and they are great for the heavy stuff. In my low cupboards I have boxes to hold things making them more accessible. I've spotted thelaundry bag idea and love it. It will be in use in my house very soon.

jillyb1

my tip is to do with the drinking! I have shaky deformed claws these days instead of shapely hands and for years I have used two handled mugs rather than cups . They can be hard to find , unless you go for plastic , but they are around . I always keep an eye out on e**y for mine . Jillyb

ratface

Openning ring pull cans:

Turn can upside down and use an electric can opener - tried on a can of baked beans and that worked.

Regards,

Ratface

ratface

Hi Stickywicket

The old fashioned way to open a screw top bottle or jar would have been to hold the bottle/jar wedged gently in the door (hinge side) and gently turn the offending item. It has to be done gently so as not to mark the door (and/or) break the lid spilling the contents everywhere! I had a problem opening of all things Lucozade last week - which by pure coinsidence openly boasts 'to give you energy' ....... yeah right, tell me about it!

Was contemplating using the door method when husband arrived in the nick of time.

Ratface xxx

lindalegs

Sticky, I don't care who opens my bottles/cartons for me (jars I use a One Touch Jar Opener) I learnt a long time ago it's best to ask rather than die of frustration :roll:

If no one's at home with me I've been known to ask a neighbour or on one occasion an unsuspecting passerby.

This woman has no pride left to swallow :shock:

devillete

hi all, i dont know if this has been said already, too many posts to go through lol

i have 4 small chi;dren and single mum so tidying up generally is hard. i use a big broom and section rooms off in my head and sweep it all into one bit, sit on the floor and sort it out!! i just throw the toys, clothes etc into the nearest part of the room to the kitchen or toy box and have a bin bag next to me for the rest. to sweep the laminate floors i sit again and shuffle around on my bum with a dustpan and brush doing small bits at a time. i struggle with my back hips and hands..
hope this helps someone else out there
kate x x

puffin

Hi Devillete,

A very helpful device, often given out (at least before the cuts) by an Occupational Therapist, is a grabber.
Do ask if you can get one.

'L*k*land now sell one.

Mine is a H*ndy Reach*r. It is great

---

easy to hold and has a swivel head. I can take jars out of a cupboard, turn the head and pick things off the floor.
I bought some for elderly friends a year or so back and they were delighted with them.
Puffin

Dibbler

Hi All,

brilliant tips, im going to get my plastic bag after i have written this and have a swivell! My tip is simular, I have for the past few months been using a shiny materiel sleeping bag in bed to sleep on top of, it really helps when turning over in bed. I can't sleep well with out it and it is easy to take with you if you go anywhere on holiday.

Also, I find holding and squeezing shampoo out the bottles hard as some can be heavy, so when i have finished using the hand soap (the liquid kind in small dispensers) i clean out the dispenser and transfer some shampoo into it, it is a lot easier. If your hands are really sore you can use your elbow to push the top down.

will keep thinking of more things i do...watch this space!

Dibbler

stickywicket

Take one trouser zip, one short section of shoelace (thin, rolled variety and preferably as near in colour as possible to trousers) and one husband. Get latter to shove shoelace through hole in zip. (Hole nearer zip end is usually bigger than other one) and tie tight knot to leave small loop just big enough to insert finger.

Makes my dressing and undressing a lot quicker.

dreamdaisy

I've done that on my purse zip (well, summat similar, involving a ribbon from a garment label. I keep those for such purposes.) DD

stickywicket

google 'disabled sock aid' you'll find several sites. Amazon do them. They all tend to be variations on the same theme but do work well. I've been using mine for years. Can't manage without it. They cost between £5-£10. (Or, if you have a disability shop near you they're sure to have one.)