If you or a loved one was recently hospitalized, you almost certainly used voice assistant technology in your hospital room. You may have spoken to one named Livi, Alexa, Siri, or Cortana. And it answered you! This is known as ambient listening voice assistant technology. Years ago, you pulled a cord or pressed a button…
I’ve got a walking cane that used to belong to my grandfather. He got it while vacationing in Mexico. It’s wooden with carved multicolored animals’ faces on it. I don’t know how I ended up with it. I just kept it around as a “keepsake,” something to help me remember my Paw-Paw. But as I…
As a caregiver, you know that washing sheets are a big part of your job. Complicating that job of doing the laundry are the stains that may be found on a patient’s bedding: blood, urine, feces, yellow stains, sweat stains, and even wine stains. So how do you remove the stains easily without damaging the…
Renting a Wheelchair Accessible Van Caregivers who care for a patient in a wheelchair need a lift-equipped van when it is time to go places. Suppose the patient has a doctor’s appointment. In that case, if there’s a family gathering to attend or there’s an opportunity for a long trip, the first consideration is how…
Do your arms and shoulders ache after rolling around in a manual chair? Are there bumps, scrapes, and bruises on your hands and fingers from rolling that wheelchair? If you answered yes to either of these questions, you may be experiencing “wheelchair fatigue.” This term refers to the physical strain and discomfort caused by prolonged…
Hearing a squeak from your wheelchair lately? Listen closely. Wheelchair maintenance can eliminate that squeak. It may be easy to miss because you have become accustomed to it. Feeling a rattle occasionally from your wheelchair? Pay attention. Your wheelchair needs your attention to keep it maintained in functional condition. It is essential that the wheelchair…
Which wheelchair ramp will work best for you? Our home was evaluated by a physical therapist when my mother-in-law was returning from rehab. She had fallen and broken her hip, and required surgery. Now she was ready to go back home, and we all knew it would take a lot of effort to regain her…
Several years ago, my mother-in-law fell while trying to sit down on her bed. At first, there seemed to be no apparent injury. But after a few days, it was determined she had a fractured hip and would require surgery. She was 80+ years old and needed a wheelchair more than 50% of the time.…
No sagging seats, please! No sagging seat in your wheelchair, please. You probably thought I was talking about sagging pants. No, I think a sagging wheelchair seat is worse than sagging pants because it is more uncomfortable and looks terrible. When the upholstery of a manual wheelchair seat is worn out, it does not support…
The amount of wheelchair use in America is not negligible. As seen in the list below, 2.2 million people in the U.S. use a wheelchair daily. In fact, you probably know someone who uses a wheelchair. I have one in my garage, left-over from my caregiver days. You never know when it may be put…