Simple, everyday activities like taking a shower can be a challenge for people with arthritis. Here’s how to make your home more livable.
VIDEO TRANSCRIPT
For people with arthritis, everyday activities can be difficult. The simple task of reaching down to pick up the newspaper can cause pain. But there are ways you can make your home more comfortable by letting you put less stress on your joints.
Take for instance a structural change like a no-step entryway. It’s a lot less wear and tear on your knees and it also makes moving items in and out of the house a lot easier.
In the bathroom, you can you can raise the counter top. This accomplishes two things: First, it makes it easier for a wheelchair to get underneath, and it makes everything a little more reachable from above.
Eliminating the trip point in a walk-in shower makes it a lot more convenient to get in and out of.
But there are plenty of things you can do you that don’t require a builder or a ton of money.
Install grab bars. They come in tons of finishes so you can probably find one to match your bathroom.
And in terms of a seat, you can buy a seat at any home improvement store. It has rubber feet on it and it’s designed for the shower. Set it right in your shower and it should make bathing much easier.
The kitchen can pose all sorts of difficulties for a person with arthritis because everything in here requires the use of your hands. But organization can also be key. Keep the things that you use the most in the areas that are the most accessible for you in your cabinets.
And if you can get to your cabinets try one of these reach extenders. They can add 26 – 30 inches to your reach and make life a lot easier. Also think about your lower cabinet areas. I like these pullout shelves. When things get pushed to the back you bring them forward. Very easy to access.
And don’t forget about your drawers especially the ones that have your silverware and your often-used items in them. Try to keep them organized and towards the front. That’ll make life a lot easier.
Also, there’s gadgets. This is a can opener that you literally just hook on the can, push one button, it spins around and opens up.
These things that increase your grip on a jar, a jar gripper can be invaluable. They’re really inexpensive, I suggest have quite a few of them around. Very useful.
Look at this chopper – no more do you have to use your elbows and hold onto the item – you can put it right in here, press that down, you can press it down with your elbow if you wanted to. That makes life a lot easier there, plus … there’s these little rolling choppers so you don’t have to have the impact of a knife constantly on your joints.
But the thing I like the most is this: this is a cutting board that actually has a vice grip built into it. I like it for two reasons. One, because you don’t have to hold onto the item once again when you’re cutting it, but the other is it keeps your hands away from the work. So it’s just a lot safer.
Now these items can be found online and also as some of your larger department stores. And don’t forget your feet. A gel-filled, anti-fatigue floor mat. It makes those jobs where you’re standing in the kitchen for a long time, just a little easier.