Useful Bits & Pieces

On this page, I will be keeping track of the most useful items I have found for those with mobility problems that one can buy, that your Occupational Therapist or other care professional may not be able to obtain for you (or that they can and you just need to ask!). The main sites I use are NRS Healthcare and Essential Aids; browsing these sites gives a great selection of what's out there.  I also check Ebay and Amazon before I buy.

At the moment I can’t move well and certainly can't bend down with the brace so I've invested in a couple of hand reachers to pick up things I drop or are just out of reach!  I have used them also for household chores when my mobility was better - you may be surprised at how well they work when filling the washing machine! They're fairly inexpensive and will prevent over-stretching or pulling the back and spine, so definitely well worth an investment. Just run a search on ‘reacher’ on any of the above sites for a variety of different ones.

A back scratcher has been brilliant for me when I'm wearing my brace. I bought my bamboo wooden one from Ebay. It also has a built-in massager, basic but useful!

On a completely different note, a maxi skirt has been brilliant and works in all weathers. It hides my puffy legs and the bandaging, is loose and cool if bought in the right materials (cotton is my favourite) and looks good too. They need to be stretchy, so get one with elastane or Lycra and I tend to go for a couple of sizes bigger than my usual.

If you've got mobility problems, I'd love to know if there is anything you feel is useful, important, even essential to help you day-to-day. Do add comments below or contact me.