Assistive Devices

Assistive devices not only make life easier for the person suffering from autoimmune arthritis but they can also protect the joints from further damage.

Here are some of the devices that I either use or think would be helpful.

I have a bottle opener that I use on a daily basis. On one end it is flat so that it will slide under the pull tab on a drink can and the other end has a sharpish bag opener. (Well mind did have that until I dropped it and broke it.)

The Good Grips peeler is another device I have. Before I got this, my hubby had to do all of the veggie peeling. Now I can do some of it but I still have trouble chopping up a lot of the veggies.

The gas cap turner will probably be the next device I buy. At the gas station the other day, I came very close to asking a man in the bay next to me for help because I had trouble removing the gas cap.

 I also use a medication cap opener similar to the one above. Mine has a magnifier in one end so you can see the name of the medication without too much trouble.

I used to have wax bath for hands but it wouldn't work for feet. The large wax bath system is on my RA wish list since they are large enough for feet, hands and even elbows.

I have used the bird pen in the past when I had many hours of nursing documentation to do by hand. It did help relieve the stress on my fingers.

For those who have trouble getting in and out of bed, a bed cane can be a great benefit.

Carry handles for grocery bags can make bringing the groceries in a little less painful. The bags have such thin handles that they cut into the poor painful hands and this alleviates that problem.

Arthritis gloves keep the joints warm and provide light compression for those inflamed joints. In the winter, I wear mine under my regular gloves to help keep my hands even warmer.

Gripping playing cards can cause pain in arthritic fingers and these will help alleviate that pain.

Door knob turners help prevent undue stress on fingers and hand joints. They also make it a little easier to open doors.

Canes can be beneficial for those times when the feet, ankles, knees or hips are flaring and mobility is limited. I keep a cane in my car even though I don't use it much. I have learned to use it more when we travel to help prevent falls.

I do recommend getting a cane with a gel grip. I have two. One with a wooden handle and one with the gel grip. The gel grip cane was purchased after using the wooden handled cane in Disneyland. The hard wooden handle made my hands ache.

 
There are many more devices that can make the life of the RA sufferer a little easier. These can be found on the internet and many local drug stores carry quite a few of these devices.

Try out some of them and I think you'll find that they make life much easier.

1.)   Living Better With Arthritis