hi all, best gadgets you couldnt live without?

m4r14j

Hi all,

I'm new to the forum and haven't made that intro post yet (i mean't to but then it just seemed to end up so long winded and miserable i thought i'd leave it for a bit) I've been diagnosed with Psoriatic Arthritis about 6months ago - but i've been suffering it at least 15 years! I have it worst in my knees, wrists & fingers though it also effects my hips, elbows, shoulders neck and back and i also have scoliosis and kyphosis and several other long term conditions. To be honest it's totally miserable i am so stiff and in constant pain, mostly housebound, i've had to give up work, a social life at 30 as i can't keep up and all my hobbies.

I just got awarded my PIP with a nice big backdate and so i'm looking at things i can buy that will really help me and have the biggest impact on my daily living and quality of life so wondered if anyone has any advise on how best i can spend it by telling me what items they could not live without? When i was forced to give up work 2 years ago i was just struggling so much and had no money to buy anything that could help me so now i'm like a kid in a candy store and so excited about these things!

What i'm most interested in is chairs... i find it so difficult to sit in comfort, i spend most of my time in an office chair as they are better than slouching all over the sofa, i just find it really difficult to sit up straight and feel supported etc, i'm always leaning to one side resting on the arm and such, all terrible postures i know.

I've been looking at the humanscale freedom office chair with headrest... which is very adjustable and you can customise it. has anyone tried these?

what other gadgets do you own (specific for disabilities or not) that you find invaluable?

many thanks, maria

[Deleted User]

Hi Maria,

Welcome to the forum, I'm one of the Mods, we are around to help you enjoy the site, you can send a message to us if you need anything

I'm sure you will get lots of replies - and lots of ideas for your list.

Take care

Mod YEH

GraceB

Hello and welcome to the forum. You'll find everyone on here is a great support. I have osteo arthritis in both knees, left ankle and lower spine.

I have an automatic car which is a godsend. I could live without my dishwasher if I had to get rid of an appliance but I'd replace my tumble dryer in a flash.

I have a perching stool for the kitchen, a grab handle by the loo on the wall, and a step for getting into the bath with (we only have an over the bath shower at the moment). I also have grab rails at both front and back doors.

At work I have a spinal support chair, foot rest, wrist and mouse rests and a grabber (I have two of them at home also!). My chair at work has the memory foam - work paid for it under my reasonable adjustments, I think it was about £800. Not sure of the name - sorry.

I'm getting to the point I need a bed rail to help me in and out of bed so gthat's next for me, plus a drop down bar for the other side of the loo - bathroom's too small for a toilet frame.

Think about what you struggle to do/achieve and then call into your local disability aids shop. I'd try before I buy if it were me though.

Good luck.

GraceB

villier

Hi Maria welcome to the forum its a pity you had to find us. It is OA in hands(suspect a few other places) PMR and a Neurological condition I have, I see Grace has given you a good few ideas as I have got Pred head on at the moment I can only think of a gadget for opening jars as you are bothered with your wrists it is metal with two handles fits round the lid and doesn't take much effort to squeeze and turn, if you are opening ring pulls put the flat end of a teaspoon under the ring and prise. As it is the weekend the forum is a little bit quiet hopefully some of the others will be along soon to give there input.

Nice to meet you hope to see you around..................Marie xx

Slosh

You've had lots of good suggestions already, here are mine, an electric carving knife, I use mine for slicing bread, electric jar and tin openers, an over the bath shower board. At work I have a slope for writing/reading that slips over my computer keyboard and a lovely chair, I think it is called an Ergo chair. I'm starting to look for a new easy chair at home as I'm starting to struggle getting up out of my current chair but trying to find something that doesn't look too "care home" like.

dibdab

I depend on my chunky "Good Grip" kitchen tools eg peeler, potato masher etc. Also I treated myself to a decent food processor which means I've been able to go back to baking, the manual way just got too painful and I missed baking for the family.

In terms of a chair, we recently replaced our living room furniture at a small independent sofa workshop who were brilliant, I chose an electric recliner chair which is upholstered like the rest of the 3 piece suite, and they built in a riser for just a little extra to help when things are really tough. I find the recliner great for snoozing when I can't get comfortable anywhere else, it's a bit higher than a standard armchair and is wing backed, great for sitting more upright and snoozing unobtrusively!

Staples make really chunky ball point pens which are good for writing with sore fingers because they take less grip.

Deb x

dreamdaisy

Hello, it's nice to meet you but I am sorry you have had to find us. Don't worry about posting a miserable post, many people do and we're very used to misery on here - living with arthritis is rarely cheerful.

I am eighteen years in now with PsA and, since 2011, OA. I have made many changes to household equipment, such as buying a light-weight iron (it's rubbish as an iron but we can't have everything), lighter-weight pans with pouring lips and lids with drain holes, I too have an extensive range of Good Grips kit, replaced wooden hangers with plastic - all little things but they add up to make some difference to life. Due to a chunk of inheritance we've been able to install a large shower with a seat, grab rails and a non-slip floor and two higher-level toilets (so no more need for a frame or raised seat). I also have a rollator for getting out and about (it's mostly my lower joints which are affected, though my fingers, wrists, elbows and shoulders occasionally join in).

My all time favourites, however, are two fairly recent purchases - my cordless vacuum cleaner and a steam stick for the hard floors. Both are brilliant but I think the vacuum just has the edge: I can do the ground floor in around ten minutes and often do. DD

dreamdaisy

Another kitchen favourite is my JosephJoseph washing up bowl: it has a drain plug in its base which you twist - the water drains, the filter catches any bits and there's no heavy lifting involved. Mine is pink! We have a dishwasher but it's huge, there's only two of us and old habits die hard. DD

Babs

I have been in bed for the last two weeks suffering from chronic pain and stiffness in most of my joints. A hot water water just won't cut it at times like these. So, I have a double electric blanket. I lay on half and fold the other half over the top of me. It works for me.
Also a perching stool for use in the kitchen. I used one when I was first diagnosed and then got rid of it. Fool that I am, I was feeling better and thought I didn't need it anymore. I am currently looking for a replacement.

Slosh

In regards to ironing I use a lightweight dry iron and an aerosol called easy iron, or something similar by d*lon, it contains silicon and really helps

ichabod6

A sock putter oner, a large shoe horn, and chunky handled cutlery
do it for me.

dreamdaisy

I forgot - I've changed all our heavy wooden chopping boards for lighter plastic ones. I don't like them but they are easier to manoeuvre, especially the ones where the sides fold up (JosephJospeh) so I can 'funnel' the chopped food into the pan. DD

bimble

I use B..rol rubber pen/pencil grippers from internet site, really cheap, they slide onto ordinary pens and very comfortable to use.
Also plastic clothes pegs from H..base, again very cheap and they've been better in strong winds than anticipated - I haven't had to retrieve any washing from neighbours' gardens yet!
I also use a lever to turn our Chubb type keys (as suggested by someone on this site,sorry can't remember who, but thank you!).
My e-reader has a cover that adapts to a stand so I don't have to hold it at all and I prop the iPad on a cushion otherwise my wrists ache.

theresak

Hello and welcome, though sorry you`ve met the criteria for joining us!

I have RA, and there are lots of the above suggestions which I use to make life a bit easier, such as the chunky grips, walk-in shower and fat-handled biros. One think I find very good is the gripper thing you can put on an electric plug to pull it out/push it in to a socket. I got ours from the local disability shop, and they weren`t expensive. We also have a thing you can put on your milk container - it`s a pourer and doubles as a lid. I fill pans/kettle with a plastic jug. My long-handled shoe-horn is invaluable for a variety of purposes, as well as some long-handled kitchen tongs.

bubbles

Hello Maria, sorry to hear of your troubles with arthur, a beast in many guises. Glad that your PIP was awarded, rightly so. There are some great suggestions. I would also add, my perching stool, (found it in a charity shop, for £5, years ago) I would not be parted from it.

Gel cushion, my buggy, my crutches, blocks for my armchair from the OT, low chairs are a definite no no. A walk in shower was a great move, had some help from the council with that, can get a wheelchair in if needed. I cannot sit, nor stand, for any length of time, so I am a champion potterer.
Take care xxx Bubbles

bubbadog

Hi, I Have a perching stool in my kitchen and my bathroom, I have a walk in shower with a shower stool in there it means I can take my time and enjoy my shower!

m4r14j

Hi again all, thanks for the suggestions sorry it's taken time to reply, typing isn't always easy for me.

a lot of those gadgets i've accumulated myself over the years too.

i'm of a young enough generation i think i can still proclaim ironing the anti-christ and thus i get out of that one!

electric blankets used to be my saviour too - but i have switched to memory foam mattress toppers and you can't use them both together. I've been through 2 types of topper, the thick ones - very comfortable like sleeping on a cloud you just sink in, and the thinner ones that are egg crate profile - i think i prefer the latter as its less hot and a bit more supportive. i find them invaluable as a side sleeper to reduce pressure on hips. I also use the log roll thing in bed as others have suggested - though i suggest instead of a costly body pillow, buy an uber cheap thin duvet from store 4.5 - 6 tog costs under £10 then get "Man thing" to roll it up and shove it in a bolster pillow case, can even do this for free if your using your spare / summer duvet to do it with. of course there's no solution for battling over space and use of said bed gadgets in my house, between the man thing and our horde of furry children (3 cats).

my dishwasher is a god send as is plastic mat in the sink for things that have to be hand washed (i often used to drop and break things) but if you have problems bending - get a table / counter top mini dishwasher like i have - that way everything stays level with the counters and can be slid rather than carried around.

for lightweight i have my own set of crockery - i use melamine picnic set and plastic mugs mostly except where a food stuff might be so hot it would melt them, others use the usual stuff.

right got to get off again - severe protests from wrists!

Sonia50

My perching stool came today ... I'm guessing from your comments that its a very handy piece of equipment!

Slosh

Just got a perching stool myself and I'm already planning to get another one for upstairs along with a second toilet frame.