Arthritis Tips For Daily Living

Arthritis can bring problems for everyday living and there are many commercial products that can be obtained to make life a little easier. However, sometimes, the best ideas cost very little and come about as a result of people finding their own solutions to a problem and then advising other sufferers in the hope that it may be of help.

The following are "homespun" arthritis tips that we have come across:

• If you need to mend a hem that has come down on a dress, trouser leg or skirt, use an iron-on hem product that can be bought from any sewing shop.

• If you like knitting but find the needles hard to hold, buy a packet of cheap foam hair rollers that have a hole in the middle. Use them to thread onto your needles thereby making them much larger and easier to handle. You can also use this idea to make pens and pencils easier to hold and use. Tools such as you use for gardening can have their handles made bigger by taping bubble wrap around them.

• Buy shoes with Velcro fasteners or if you like shoes with laces, buy elastic laces, get someone to tie them for you for the first time and then you will only need to slip them on in the future as they will already be tied. Many items of clothing from underwear to topwear can now be purchased with Velcro fastenings.

• For men who like to wear a necktie but find it difficult to tie one then consider buying an adjustable, pre-knotted one.

• If you have two floors to your home, keep a separate store of cleaning materials upstairs in a bucket to save carrying them up and downstairs.

• Many supermarkets now have vegetable and fruit packs with the contents already cut e.g. lettuce, stir fry vegetables, stew packs, baby vegetables such as carrots, potatoes, etc. All relieve painful hands and fingers from needing to work.

• Similarly readymade soups and sandwiches save painful effort. Keep in the freezer ready chopped onions and peppers, and potatoes come in all styles.e.g. roasted, chipped, mashed, etc. Make sure the packaging is easy to open, either by using scissors or a "quick unpick" sewing aid which are both safer than using a sharp knife.

• Buy a frying basket and fit into a saucepan that you cook your vegetables in. You can then let them drain above the water in the saucepan rather than carrying the saucepan with boiling water to the sink to drain the vegetables.

• For doors that you find difficult to open e.g. cupboard doors and bathroom cabinets, attach a loop through the handle. And for doors where it is not possible to "thread" a loop through, attach a loop of thick tape or rubber with super glue.

• A bath before bed will relax a person and give a better night's sleep. However safety in the bath is of the essence: Don't use bath oils that can make the bath slippery, don't use a bar of soap as you can easily lose this in the water, instead use a soap dispenser on the side of the bath. Have a non slip mat both in the bath and by the side of the bath where you get out and in.

• When family and friends ask what you would like for Christmas or for your birthday, suggest a gift that will help with daily living such as an electric can opener, long handled brushes, tap turners, etc. They will be pleased with your suggestions and delighted to get something to help!

The organisation Arthritis Care can give you details of branches in your area, provide you with a source for help and support and much more. They can be contacted on the internet at: http://www.arthritiscare.org.uk or by telephoning 020 7380 6500.

Able Community Care provides long term, live-in care schemes for people who have high dependency care needs as a result of Arthritis. Our services are available on a nationwide basis. For a brochure please either click here and submit your request online, email to Ablemg@aol.com or telephone our Office Manager on 01603 764567.