Mobility Aids are quite expensive to buy new, but there are many companies that sell second hand, nearly new and refurbished items.

Most mobility aids can be bought privately, but if you are of low income and have severe mobility needs or an illness, then your local hospital may be able to provide this equipment free of charge .

There are also charities that will loan out mobility aids long term, like wheel chairs, walking frames, and walking sticks etc.

St John's Ambulance, and the Red Cross are just two of the organisations that can help you.

If you are finding that you are less stable on you feet than you were, then you need to assess your surroundings, and maybe consider mobilty aids to help keep you safe and to maintain your independance.

As in any environment, the surrounding areas that you live in can be hazardous.

Look at your floors, Do you have unsecured rugs or damaged areas of carpet that you could trip over, are there obstcles blocking your path, do your shoes and slippers fit you properly ?

If you feel that any of these things could cause you to trip and fall, or bang your legs , then you need to consider how to change things to minimize your risks.

If you are unable to change your surroundings on your own, don't be afraid to ask a family member or friend to help you.

If you are considering a mobility aid it is best to contact your doctor first,
He or she should be able to arrange for a Physiotherapist from your Local Hospital to make an assessment of your needs, so that you are supplied with the correct equipment.

Listed below with a brief description, are some types of mobility aids that are available.

Walking Sticks

Are helpful and are probally the first mobiliy aid that you will try. You need to make sure that they are the right height for you and that the rubber feet are not worn away, causing the sticks to slide, and you to fall over.


Walking Frames

Again great care should be taken to make sure that the height of the frame is suitable for you. Most frames are adjustable but can be difficult to do, so get someone to help you with this.

Walking frames with wheels are avaliable for the person who finds it difficult to lift the frame as they walk. The problem with frames on wheels is that they can run away with you possibly causing a fall.

Four legged walking fames are more stable than the three legged kind ,but are more difficult to store or put in a car as they do not fold down like the three legged kind.


Crutches

Are more suitable for younger, stronger people as the crutches have to take most of the body weight under the arms, so balance for older people would be more difficult and and possibly dangerous.


Wheel Chairs

Manual Wheel Chairs are reasonably light in weight, can be easily folded down for transportation purposes. But these mobility aids can often be quite difficult for the frail person to manoeuvre on their own so help maybe needed .

Motorised wheel chairs take all the hard work out of getting around, and enable the person to be more independant. But are much heavier than the manual version.

Most of these chairs run on rechargeabe batteries and need to be plugged into the mains electricity supply once a day to recharge.

Care needs to be taken when these motorised wheel chairs go out onto the streets and pavements, as some of these chairs can go up to eight miles an hour or more, and need to be fully under control

Make sure that the operator is capable of controlling and managing a motorised chair.

Some Guidelines to buying a Motorised Wheel Chair

The cost of buying a motorised wheel chair is not cheap. Care needs to be taken in choosing the correct one. If possible it would be advisable to get independant professional advice.

Make sure the company that you are purchasing it from is reputable. They should allow you to try out the exact model that you will be buying. (not one like it).

They should offer you an 'after care service ' and tell you their charges if they are called out (remember that weekend call out charges are usually much more expensive).

Ask how often the chair would be serviced and at what cost.

Would there be a loan of a chair, if for any reason your chair had to be sent away for repairs.


Your Home Environment

If you decide to have a wheel chair, whatever kind you choose, you need to consider your home environment.

Ask yourself these questions.

Will the wheel chair go through every doorway in my home ?

Is there enough room in the property to be able to manoeuvre the wheel chair around each room, without getting into a situation that I cannot move either backwards, forwards or turnaround?

Do I have steps to go up? especially at the front door into the property.

If the answer is yes to this question then a wheel chair ramp would be required to enable you to get in and out of the house.

Overhead Hoists and lifting Poles

An overhead Hoist is to lift a person up the bed, or out of it , for getting in and out of the bath, for getting on and off the toilet, or getting in and out of a chair.


The types of hoists that are available are

Fixed hoists/ overhead hoists

A fixed or overhead hoist is to lift a person up the bed, or out of it , for getting in and out of the bath, for getting on and off the toilet, or getting in and out of a chair.

They are a permanent fixture fitted to the ceiling or wall. The ceiling fixtures usually run on an overhead track, where as the wall fitted ones cannot move the person around the room in quite the same way as the ceiling mounted ones. ( these types of hoists can only be used in the room that they are fitted in).

Both types of hoists can be powered by mains electricity supply, or battery powered.

To operate, all hoists need a sling for the person to sit or lay in,before enabling them to be lifted. This must be the right size and fit for the wearer.

The sling will have several loops attached to it , which are then hooked onto the hoist, making sure the person is comfortabe and secure before moving.

Slings come in several different types of fabric , just two of the choices are :

Padded slings which are the most comfortable, and mesh ones which are more suitable for going into the bath. Another type of sling that can be obtained is designed in such a way, so that the person can more easily go to the toilet and be washed,

Maintainenece of hoists and its equipment needs to be regularly checked and serviced to make sure that all parts are safe in use. This includes the slings that can get worn form constant use.

Mobile Hoists

An elderly person may not be able to move on their own, and may have difficulty in getting in and out of a chair, a bed, or may even fall over and end up on the floor unable to get up,

If someone has to assist lifting this person manualy (without the aid of a hoist ). both patient, and the person doing the lifting, could end up with an injury.

This can be reduced by using a mobile hoist, thus protecting the back of the operator and at the same time, making sure the patient does not suffer as a result of being handled incorrectly.

Using a hoist to lift a person takes longer than manual lifiting, it takes time to fit the lifitng sling around and under the person, and then more time to operate the hoist. But it is well worth the extra time for all concerened

Some people are nervous at being hoisted, as they can feel insecure owing to the fact that they are swingng in mid air. You can help this person avoid these feelings by tryng to calm their fears and by placing a hand on their shoulder, or steading the hoist as it swings them from A to B.

It is very important to get training in the use of these hoists, as injury can be caused to the person being lifted if they are used incorrectly.

Ask the supplier when you purchase the hoist if they can give you hands on training in the use of their product, if they can't , then ask them if they can point you to someone who can.

There are people in the community who are specially trained in 'Manual Handling and Lifting' techniques.

Social Services or the Physiotherapy Department at your local hospital should give help and advice on 'Manual Handling and Lifting Techniques'. if you need it.

Other things to consider when obtaining a hoist are:-

The size of the hoist : is there enough room in the house to accomodate it and its use.

Will it fit under chairs and beds

The weight of the person that will using it (some hoists will not lift heavier weights, so care needs to be taken over choosing the correct one).

If you have other care needs as well as your mobility and moving difficulities, Social Services will come and do an assessment in your home to assess those needs.

If after identifying any needs that you may have , they will put together a care plan, which when put into place, with your agreement , will help to make life eaiser for you and your carer, if you have one.

See our article on Home care and care in the community


Toileting Aids

Is is possible for Social Services or services in the community, to provide certain items that can help a peron with equipment for toileting. These items can also be bought privately, from the many commerical disability companies that exist.

Commodes, raised toilet seats, grab rails, toilet support rails, are some of the items that can be obtained for helping a person to use the bathroom independantly.

Bedpans and urinals are useful for the person who is being nursed in bed and unable to get up to go to the toilet.


Funding Grants

Funding grants given by the local Council for small building adaptation and repair work on your home can be obtained, as well as a grant for larger projects such as, having a disabled shower or toilet fitted.

To receive either of these grants, an assesment will need to be made by the local Social Services department, to ascertain if you needs are sufficient to warrant the expense from the public purse.

The person being assessed may also have to contibute financially towards the cost of any work undertaken. It will all depend on your income at the time.


Beds and their Equipment

Beds can be bought that have adjustable backrests, allowing the user to have the back rest in either an up or down postion, depending their requirments.

Backrests that are free standing, can be placed underneath pillows to raise a person into a comfortable sitting postion.

The benefit of this type of backrest, is that they are not so expensive as the ones that are built into specially designed beds. The back is adjustable to suit the need of the person, and can be easily removed when not in use.

Pillows in the shape of a V, and armchair type supports, are also available, and help to support the person in bed, so making the time sitting up more comfortable.

Beds can also be obtained with adjustabe leg heights, or with a mechanism that lowers the bed up and down at a touch of a button or foot pedal. Enabling the user to get in and out of bed more easily.

Grab handles can be fixed to a bed, so that a person can pull themseves up, or turn themselves over in bed. (make sure that these rails are securly fastened before use, as the weight of the person using them could pull the rail over possibly causing injury.

Overbed cradles are used inside the bed to lift the bed clothes off the persons feet or legs , thus taking the weight off this particular area.

Bedside rails can be fitted to the side of the bed. They can be moved up and down allowing the person to get in and out of bed. These rails should not be used for restraining purposes but to help pevent a person from falling out of bed.

The rails must have a protective covering over them so that the person cannot injure themselves if they fall against them, A bed bound person could trap a limb, or even their head, inbetween the bars as a result of not having the protectors in place.

There are many more types of beds and accessories available on the market which are geared more to the Care Home setting.

Earlier in this article the subject of hoists and lifting poles over a bed was discussed. These are used to help a person pull themselves up the bed or to get out of bed.

Pressure relieving aids are another area to consider if a person is sitting or laying contantly in one postion. This is an-indepth topic and will be looked into later within another article.


Bath and Shower Equipment

Grab rails for the bath can be fitted to the wall next to the bath, some baths come with grab rails already attatched.

A bath seat looks a little like a stool, the user, instead of having to sit right on the bottom of the bath, is sitting in a higher position on the stool, making it eaiser for the person to get in and out of the bath. As this type of seat is portable, it can be removed to allow other people to use the bath.

Bath hoists which are fixed to the floor need to bolted to a solid surface,

There are several different types of hoists, and powered in different ways, but the basic way of using most of them is as follows:

The user sits on a chair type seat before getting into the bath, The seat rises up and down making it eaiser for the user to get on and off, a lap belt is placed around the waist for safety puposes. The chair is then raised up by whichever means is applicable to that particular model, to a height that clears the side of the bath, the chair then swivels over the bath before being lowering into the water.

Battery rechargable bath lifts are portable,( although rather heavy) the feet have rubber sucton pads on them that stick to the bottom of the bath, making the chair safe and stable, there is a hand held unit, which when pressed lowers the seat up and down allowing the user to be independant while bathing.

Batteries have to be recharged regularly by mains electricity.

Stair Lifts

Stair lifts are ideal for the person who finds it difficult to go up and down the stairs,

They usually run off the mains electricity .

There are llfts available that can go around corners. This is useful if the stairs are sparated by a landing before continuing on with a further flight of stairs.

Three types of lifts are described below:

A Sitting Stairlift. Is where the user sits on a chair, feet on a footplate, and a seat belt in place around the waist , the lift is operated by a button on the arm rest.

Standing lifts. Operate in the same way as the sitting lift, with the exception that the person stands instead of sitting.

Wheel Chair Stairlifts. The user while sitting in the chair, manoeuvres onto the platform of the lift, Before moving off, the brakes on the chair need to be on, and the safety rail of the lift in position. Only when all this is in place is it safe to begin the journey up or down the stairs.

Great care needsto be taken when getting on and off these lifts as accidents can easily happen.

Eating and Drinking Aids

Sometimes it maybe difficult for a person to pick up and use a cup. The person may have joint pains or some other problem which causes the difficulty, It may be that the weight, size or shape of the cup is just not right for the user.

To help overcome this problem and to give the user independance there are many drinking aids on the market that can help.

Cups and mugs with large handles usually have a wide stable base and often come with two large contoured handles, which enable it to be held in the correct position for drinking. These cups and mugs often come with a lid and a spout. and are useful for those with tremor or who cannot sit upright.

A new design of feeding cup without handles have grooves on the outside of the cup, that make for a better grip, it also has a valve inside which controls the flow of liqiud without spills.

Plastic insulated mugs have a double wall for insulation, keeping the contents hot or cold at the same time protecting the hands or table top from burning. These mugs usually come with large handles making them easy to pick up and use.

Spill proof cups come with screw on lids, often with a hole in the top so a drinking straw can be inserted.

Cups that are weighted in the bottom are ideal for the user who has uncontrolled hand movements, as in Parkinson's Disease. The weight in the cup helps to control the hand movement.

Plate Surrounds are flexible with removable guards which can be fitted to ordinary plates to assist with one-handed eating.

Moulded plates that are low in the front and high at the back, again are useful for those eating with just one hand. and usually have a non-slip, rubber padded bottom providing control when in use .

Shaped and angled forks and spoons for right or left handed users are made so that, the person who has limited hand and wrist movement can feed themselves more easily.

Kettle tippers are made so that the person using it does not have to lift the kettle which makes for safe and steady pouring of boiling water.

It works by the kettle being attached to a tilting stand. A raised, tilting platform assists with pouring from any standard teapot or kettle with little effort from the user. The platform pivots with gentle pressure and cannot drop forward or tilt backwards beyond the horizontal position. These kettles along with all the eating drinking aids mentioned here can be purchased at most 'Disabled Living Shops'

We do hope that this article on Mobility Aids has been of some help to the reader. But it really only scratches the surface of the subject.

There are many more aspects to explore for the interested person.

So for further help and information on this matter see the Further Information and Support Groups Page for Mobility Aids-Disabled Living Foundation UK