Pre-OP & Post Op Assistive Devices

Bones, joints and muscles
1

I would highly recommend that everybody buy:

1) Grabber

2) Sock Aid

3) Toilet Riser

4) Long handled shoehorn

5) Long handled scooper for litter box cleaning or outside          cleaning

6) Shower chair

I would suggest these items because they have been Godsends to me both pre and post op and have made my life so much easier to get back to normalcy

Good luck to all of you!

2

I would also suggest that you use these items prior to your surgery so you can become familiar with them and the best way to manipulate them to your needs.

 

3

The toilet riser for us blokes is a must dont use the one that they provide as you just wont fit into it, you need the Donut type that are on sale online for about £10.

4

I did not know there is a long handled scooper out there!!! Where did you find that?  I felt so bad having my husband do all the cat box scoops.  I was ready to try to tape a long ruler to one to give it a try.  But I'm over it now as I can bend fine now, but I sure wish I had that earlier.

5

Would also say that in the UK most things can be borrowed. Only had to buy the grabbers and shoehorns, yes I had two, one upstairs and one downstairs

6

Grabbers are so useful - I've got 3 - upstairs and downstairs and 1 for the garden! Today  all my borrowed equipment was collected. Feels much more normal in the house now!

7

Hi Ian, my operation is scheduled for the 15th July, but I don't go to the Occupational Health dept until the 13th July; so I don't know until then what they will supply me with. You mentioned the Donut type toilet riser, what height does my bottom have to be from the floor, so it does not cause problems after the op? How did you get on with the sock aid, would it beneficial for me to by one?

Derek

 

8

I had to go for a training session before ii had op. They asked that I measure my chairs, when someone is sat on them and stated I would need to purchase a booster cushion to raise chair height. They also loaned trolley on wheels to transport meals and drinks, over toilet riser, helping hand, long shoe horn, sock aid, and tipping chair to allow you to 'perch' while cooking or peeling veg.

9

Most of the things listed will probabably be provided by the ocupational therapy Dept. if you are in the UK. I also asked them for a leg raiser also known as a dog lead.  Very handy for lifting your leg on and off the bed if you get stuck,

As for any chair raisers / bed raisers or toilet seats you need to measure your toilet with the inner lid down and then from the ground to the back of your knee to see how high you need your bed / chairs / toilet to be.

10

Nine days post op and have just realised that life on crutches would be much easier if I had an apron with big pockets on the front to carry all sorts of items room to room. Going to order from my armchair this afternoon

11

Good luck to you Christine! 

12

I actually found the scooper on Amazon.

13

Hi Derek they will deliver the stuff to you perhaps after seeing you in hospital as well, but I am sure you wont fit into the toilet raiser unless you are a very small man, I bought a Donut toilet riser on the internet, you could get one for the hospital to take with you, as well , here in the NW, they did not have one, and it is awkward and probably dangerous to go the way I had to go... they are about 4inches thick and squash down when you sit on them, and keep your body the 17.5 inches that it has to be, but, only  just, and did not break the 90 deg rule, I only used it for two weeks, yes the sock aid was useful but tricky to use, the best thing I bought was elastic shoe laces to make my shoes slipons, they work great you just tie them loosely once, and you can slip on a laceup shoe.

Hope that helps and best of luck I will be here for a good few months now as I am waitiong for my second ASAP, terrible pain now just getting used to it....

Cheers for now kind regards  Ian.

14

Hi

If you live in the UK mostof these things will be loaned to you from the OT dept so no need to buy them

Love

Eileen  UK

15

Hi Connie..the answer to the litter scooping problem is to RAISE the boxes. I have 4 boxes (nine cats).  I placed a door on some supports (I used 3 totes)..absolutely the bees knees!  Works perfectly..you bend only slightly. You could use a sheet of plywood instead of a door..and even a pair of sawhorses for the support. 

 

16

The answer is to raise the litter boxes

17

Unfortunately I have older cats who couldn't get up into them so this works out perfectly.

18

Thanks Ian for the information and tips. On the net are they called Donut toilet raisers; as I can only find normal toilet raisers? No I am not a small man, unfortunately through lack of being able to walk very far I am over weight.

Thanks again

Derek

 

19

Awww..sorry Miele...how about some sort of steps up then if you find the scoop doesn'T do the job satisfactorily.

20

Dear Christine, I am 4 weeks post op, and still using 1crutch, as I have been having to do from the start as I live alone. Wish I had thought about the apron beforehand. What a great idea that is. It is amazing how one small tip can make your life so much easier.

Jackie