Jun 6

DoAbility UK offers walking frames for children that are made of steel tubes, lacquered with a blue and red strong powder coating. It is furnished with four wheels and a removable sling seat. The sling seat is furnished with Velcro closings on both sides, which makes it easier to adjust the size. The sling seat is pinned on the waist ring by strong push buttons.

Suitable for both mobility and physical therapy purposes, the walker is extremely flexible and adapts to the individual needs of most children, with its multiple adjustments and posture support.

With its standard features alone, it will easily support a child with mild to moderate physical disabilities.

It is designed to make walking less energy consuming, while improving rhythm and timing.

Nevertheless, it is very important to have the frame at the correct height. If it is too high, your child will find it difficult to straighten out their elbows sufficiently and will not take enough body weight through their arms. If the frame is too low, it will encourage your child to bend over, resulting to poor posture.

The most effective way of ensuring the frame is at the correct height is for your child to wear their regular, supportive footwear and be measured by their physiotherapist.

Regular maintenance of walking frames is essential to ensure safety. Checks should be made for signs of wear and tear, particularly at the site of screws and height adjustment mechanisms.

For the best information on the latest walking frames for children, visit DoAbility UK today.

May 23

We get our supply of vitamin D in two ways: from the food we eat and from a hormone our bodies make when we stay under the sun. There are only a few food options that are naturally rich in vitamin D, that is why the biggest dietary sources of it are fortified food and vitamin supplements.

Good sources of this vitamin include breakfast cereals and dairy products, both of which are fortified with vitamin D, as well as fatty fish like salmon and tuna.

For most people, the best way to get enough vitamin D is by taking a supplement, although the level in most multivitamins, which is usually 400 IU, is too low.

Fortunately, some manufacturers have begun adding 800 or 1,000 IU of vitamin D to their standard multivitamin preparations. If the multivitamin you take does not have 1,000 IU of vitamin D, you may want to consider adding a separate vitamin D supplement, especially if you do not spend much time in the sun.

The body also manufactures vitamin D from cholesterol, through a process triggered by the action of sunlight on the skin. This is actually the reason why vitamin D is also referred to as the ’sunshine vitamin’.

Yet, some people do not make enough vitamin D from the sun. These people are those who have a darker skin tone, who are overweight, who are older, and who cover up when they are under the sun.

Correctly applied sunscreen reduces our ability to absorb vitamin D by more than 90 percent. And not all sunlight is created equal: The sun’s ultraviolet B (UVB) rays, the so-called ‘tanning rays’, and the rays that trigger the skin to produce vitamin D are stronger near the equator and weaker at higher latitudes. Hence, in the fall and winter seasons, people who live at higher latitudes, such as in the northern part of the U.S. and Europe, cannot make enough vitamin D from the sun.

Many of the body’s organs and tissues have receptors for vitamin D, which helps ensure that the body absorbs and retains calcium and phosphorus that are critical for building bones. Vitamin D also reduces cancer cell growth and plays a critical role in controlling infections. Several promising areas of vitamin D research look far beyond its role in building bones.

Several studies link low vitamin D levels with an increased risk of fractures in older adults, and they suggest that vitamin D supplementation may prevent such fractures, as long as it is taken in higher doses.

The latest evidence comes from a combined analysis of several fracture prevention trials that included thousands of elderly people, most of which are women. It was found out that taking at least 800 IU of vitamin D supplements per day reduces hip and non-spine fractures by 20 percent.

Vitamin D may also help increase muscle strength, which in turn helps in preventing falls, a common problem that leads to substantial disability and death in older people. Taking 700 to 1,000 IU of vitamin D per day lowers the risk of falls by 19 percent, but taking only 200 to 600 IU per day did not offer any such protection.

Nonetheless, if you have been neglecting your vitamin D requirements and had a bit of a fall, you may visit DoAbility UK for all your mobility equipment needs.

May 10

Risk assessment provides a useful framework when tackling accidents caused by falls, slips, and trips. Here is a five-step approach for this:

1. Look out for anything that may cause an accident. It could be objects lying around the floor like toys or rubbish; a wet floor; or basically, the proverbial banana peel that can cause people to slip.

2. Identify and decide who is at risk. It could be young children, the handicapped, or the elderly.

3. Take preventive measures, like doing repairs or renovations, making sure the area is regularly cleaned and cleared of any obstruction.

4. Keep a record of what you have changed. Now this one is a bit of a stretch to expect at home, but for commercial establishments and public places, it is certainly necessary.

5. Continually monitor your living space or work area. This is more of a continuation of the first 4 steps. It would not be effective if you just stop at recording and do not follow through, so there has to be constant monitoring.

Now here are more practical tips to prevent the incidence of falls:

- Keep pathways clear. Arrange your furniture in a way that it allows easy movement, and not serve as an obstruction. Clean pathways and remove any unnecessary clutter, like boxes, loose wires, and telephone cords, from high-traffic areas. Make pathways that are wide enough for plenty of people to use to avoid possible collision.

- Provide ample light. Make sure areas like hallways and stairways are well lit. Have flashlights and rechargeable emergency lights handy in case of power outages.

- Safeguard stairways. Keep stairways in good repair. Make sure all stairways have sturdy railings and that steps have a non-skid surface.

- Secure rugs and flooring. Secure loose rugs and carpets with tacks or a slip-resistant backing. Repair frayed carpet and loose floorboards. Avoid small throw rugs as much as possible.

- Keep your bathroom safe. Install grab bars in your shower or bath and near your toilet. Use non-skid mats in the shower or bath.

- Keep necessities handy. Store supplies, clothing, dishes, food, and other everyday items within easy reach.

You can improve your general well-being, and help reduce the risk of trips and falls by keeping yourself active and healthy. A good way to make your muscles stronger and to improve your balance is to have a regular exercise and a proper diet. You do not have to go to the gym to remain active. Simple tasks, like gardening, regular house work, and walking can boost energy levels and improve coordination and balance.

Exercise is very important for older people since they are more prone to falling.

For all your mobility equipment needs, check out DoAbility UK today.

Mar 13

When we grow older, we lose some of our strength that is why in time, our own home can also be a dangerous place for us. To prevent this, we should then enhance the interior safety of our houses.

See to it that your flooring is free from any types of mess to prevent falls. The easier it is to move around, the less likely one is to fall. Always keep things within easy reach.

Well-lighted areas make it easy to see whether the floor is clear of hurdles. Make sure to have flashlights available, in case of brownouts.

Set up grab bars, as well as rails, throughout the house to ensure safety. Locations that must have rails would include the bathtub and near the toilet bowl. Install bed rails to stop your loved ones from falling off the bed.

Put non-slip strips under rugs, on stairs, doorsteps, as well as in bathtubs.

It is also important to secure the outdoor surroundings of your house, even though it is less simple to make changes there. Sprinkle fine sand or salt on icy pathways to avoid falls. A walking stick can help with navigation on uneven flooring. If you are walking with your senior loved one outside your home, holding his/her hand will help make sure that he/she will be safe.

However, in spite of all precautions, accidents sometimes still happen since it is not possible to prevent all falls. In the event that something does happen, maintain your composure.

Do not panic since staying calm will keep the one you love calm. When they cannot get up, keep them comfortable by placing a blanket over them until the ambulance arrives.

To ensure your senior loved ones’ safety inside and outside your home, visit DoAbility UK to check out their wide range of products that can help prevent falls.

Jan 1

Arising in the middle of the night because of the need to use the bathroom could be irritating, more so if you have limited mobility. Getting out of bed, walking to the bathroom, doing your thing, and going back to your bed can be quite a burden and very tiresome. For the disabled and the elderly, aside from having the need to disturb other members of the family to help, going to the bathroom poses some life-threatening dangers.

What if they accidentally slip while in the bathroom? If they live alone, would help immediately arrive?

Fortunately, you do not have to be anxious about your loved ones who have limited mobility to go through these terrifying experiences. Recent technologies have fashioned various independent living products that allow people with mobility problems to move securely and comfortably with little or almost no help needed.

The Swereco Toilet Seat Easy Stack is an adjustable toilet seat that you can bring inside the bedroom. For seniors, owning a Stacking Toilet Seat can be particularly helpful if they are already weak and wobbly. For the disabled, it provides convenience given that they do not have to move too far from the bed and experience discomfort.

People who have trouble with their balance and movement are frequently at risk of falling in the bathroom because of their condition. Damp bathroom floors also add to this risk. More often, people with mobility problems dread going to the bathroom on their own for fear of falling.

Family members need to understand why the disabled and the elderly become frightened of bathrooms. In nursing homes, half of the elders accidentally fall each year.

Stacking Toilet Seats reduce the possibility of falling because they make it easier for the disabled and the elderly to get on and off the toilet. It can function as a portable toilet with a detachable pail, to reduce the user’s trips to the bathroom.

Toilet seats for the handicapped create a feeling of security and self-reliance. They can easily be converted from a handy toilet to a chair set on top of a toilet bowl to create an elevated toilet seat. You do not have to be concerned about placing it by the bed since it has a seat cover for sanitary purposes. It even has a removable backrest for added versatility.

The Swereco Toilet Seat Easy Stack is adjustable to accommodate the user’s height. Sturdy and very stylish, it is also comfortable to sit on. Even children can use it as a potty trainer. Toddlers will take pleasure in using this because it does not feel as chilly as the regular toilet. It also has unwavering arms to support the user.

Dec 20

We must consider the health hazards the winter season brings to the elderly. There are a lot of old people who travel to warmer areas during winter because they cannot handle the cold. However, others have no choice but to deal with the freezing temperature, making them at risk to illnesses and injuries.

If the weather is very cold, everyone, especially the elderly, should protect themselves. One must always wear another layer of clothing, coat, gloves, shoes, and socks whenever going outdoors. Go back inside your house immediately if your skin starts to turn red and begins to ache since this could be a sign of frostbite.

Since older people are less capable of removing snow from driveways and other outdoor chores, they often injure themselves whenever they attempt to handle these things on their own. Hire a professional instead of taking chances.

While walking outdoors, it would be best for the elderly who walks with a cane to modify it, to add stability. Putting ice spikes at the bottom of the cane will keep them from slipping on patches of ice or snow.

Take off your shoes immediately after entering the house. When the snow from your shoes melts, it will leave puddles of water on the floor, making it slippery and leaving anyone at risk of slipping and falling. Place a bench or chair near the door, so that you can sit while removing your shoes.

Any form of exercise is very important for the elderly to help keep them flexible and strong. It also helps with stability and coordination, helping them reduce the risk of injury.

Everyone, especially the elderly, should prepare for the winter months of freezing temperatures, sleet, and snow. Our older loved ones are the most vulnerable, so they need a little extra attention to keep them safe and warm during the long, cold winter season.

Dec 13

The start of the winter season can transform the outdoors into a place full of opportunities for anyone to have fun. However, with the deep snowdrifts and slippery ice on the ground, there are also multitudes that can cause you an injury.

There are some general things, which you can do to protect yourself. Firstly, always make sure that someone knows your whereabouts. Inform a relative or friend if you plan to go out skiing, hiking, or any such activity by yourself. Let them know when you plan to return, in case you get lost and require some help. Secondly, be sure you come inside for breaks, or at least warm up every two hours with a cup of hot chocolate or other warm drink.

If you are going to be on ice, slipping and falling is an enormous risk. Do not carry anything with your hands so that you can make an effort to catch yourself if you fall. When you are ice-skating on an ice-covered pond or lake, or if you are to walk across a frozen body of water, ensure that it is frozen enough to carry your weight. If it suddenly cracks, lay down to distribute your weight and move towards land.

If snow piles up, you may choose to participate in sledding. Sliding downwards a huge snow mountain can be thrilling, but dangerous. You may want to sport a helmet to help guard your head. Also, watch out for rough edges, which can cause cuts. When you want to sled at night, be sure that it is in a well-lit area. Additionally, make sure you will not end up sliding onto a busy road.

Lastly, snowmobiling is a great alternative for people who like speed. Nevertheless, you should always wear a helmet since head injuries are the primary reason for snowmobile-related deaths. Also, be cautious of people who are driving snowmobiles without training because they might lose control of the vehicle and smash into you.

Overall, while there are a lot of preventive steps that you can take to keep yourself safe during winter, you can also rely on some products, like ice spikes underneath walking sticks, to help you walk around the ice or snow. If you want to learn more about them, visit DoAbility UK today.

Dec 5

Now that winter has once again arrived, there is a great number of stuff to look forward to. From ice-skating, to snowboarding, to snowball fights in the front yard, winter brings a myriad of thrilling activities that are fun for each member of the family.

On the other hand, with all the enjoyment that winter delivers, there are also a number of risks connected with it that every person has to be familiar with. One of the main threatening winter hazards is the likelihood of slipping or falling on patches of ice and snow that can lead to serious injuries including cuts and broken bones that can spoil your winter fun.

When walking on slippery ground due to ice or snow, ensure that you walk slowly. Do not put your hands inside your pocket and always keep them empty, so that in the event that you slip and fall, you can use them to hold up yourself and protect your face and head.

Make sure you are wearing the proper clothes for going out in winter conditions. The most significant piece of clothing you can have on is a high-quality pair of shoes. You need shoes with good traction to hang on to the ground, and superior ankle support to prevent sprains if you should slip.

Test the ground ahead of you before you saunter on it. Slippery ground does not appear slippery at all times, which is why it is important to examine the ground in front of you prior to transferring your full weight to it. Step one foot in front of you and feel the surface of the ground to check how slippery it is. This will provide a good idea of what it will be like to walk on it.

Carrying a child while walking on slippery ground is highly discouraged. If you should fall, you will place the child’s safety in serious danger.

For some safety gadgets while walking on ice, visit DoAbility UK today.

May 30

We get our supply of vitamin D in two ways: from the food we eat and from a hormone our bodies make when we stay under the sun. There are only a few food options that are naturally rich in vitamin D, that is why the biggest dietary sources of vitamin D are fortified food and vitamin supplements.

Good sources of vitamin D include dairy products and breakfast cereals, both of which are fortified with vitamin D, as well as fatty fish like salmon and tuna.

For most people, the best way to get enough vitamin D is by taking a supplement, although the level in most multivitamins, which is usually 400 IU, is too low.

Fortunately, some manufacturers have begun adding 800 or 1,000 IU of vitamin D to their standard multivitamin preparations. If the multivitamin you take does not have 1,000 IU of vitamin D, you may want to consider adding a separate vitamin D supplement, especially if you do not spend much time in the sun.

The body also manufactures vitamin D from cholesterol, through a process triggered by the action of sunlight on the skin. This is actually the reason why vitamin D is also referred to as the ’sunshine vitamin’.

Yet, some people do not make enough vitamin D from the sun. These people are those who have a darker skin tone, who are overweight, who are older, and who cover up when they are under the sun.

Correctly applied sunscreen reduces our ability to absorb vitamin D by more than 90 percent. And not all sunlight is created equal: The sun’s ultraviolet B (UVB) rays, the so-called ‘tanning rays’, and the rays that trigger the skin to produce vitamin D are stronger near the equator and weaker at higher latitudes. Hence, in the fall and winter seasons, people who live at higher latitudes, such as in the northern part of the U.S. and Europe, cannot make much vitamin D from the sun.

Many of the body’s organs and tissues have receptors for vitamin D, which helps ensure that the body absorbs and retains calcium and phosphorus that are critical for building bones. Vitamin D also reduces cancer cell growth and plays a critical role in controlling infections. Several promising areas of vitamin D research look far beyond its role in building bones.

Several studies link low vitamin D levels with an increased risk of fractures in older adults, and they suggest that vitamin D supplementation may prevent such fractures, as long as it is taken in a high enough dose.

The latest evidence comes from a combined analysis of several fracture prevention trials that included thousands of elderly people, most of which are women. It was found out that taking at least 800 IU of vitamin D supplements per day reduces hip and non-spine fractures by 20 percent.

Vitamin D may also help increase muscle strength, which in turn helps in preventing falls, a common problem that leads to substantial disability and death in older people. Taking 700 to 1,000 IU of vitamin D per day lowers the risk of falls by 19 percent, but taking only 200 to 600 IU per day did not offer any such protection.

Nonetheless, if you have been neglecting your vitamin D requirements and had a bit of a fall, you may visit DoAbility for all your mobility equipment needs.

Jan 9

Bathrooms at home usually need adaptation if an elderly or disabled wants to stay in the house and remain independent. Ensuring bathroom access and safety may require room customizations.

Falls often happen as people get in or out of the bathtub. Non-slip suction mats or non-skid tub liners or stickers can help prevent falls and provide firm footing.

Grab bars around the tub are a must for safety. These bars should be institutional-grade and installed according to the manufacturer’s directions for firm and solid support.  Using towel rods in place of them is strongly discouraged. Improperly installed bars, as well, will not support a person who loses balance.

Various types of bars and poles are available from plumbing supply companies. The type, number, and positioning of supports depend on:

  • The wall space around the tub;
  • The wall structure;
  • The plumbing arrangements; and
  • The disability of the person using the tub.

Two kinds of grab bars are often needed at the bathtub for the disabled or elderly:

1. For use in getting in and out of the tub from a standing position;

2. For use when lowering and raising the body to and from a seated position in the tub.

U-shaped bars are available in 12- to 40-inch lengths. They may be installed vertically or horizontally to a wall.

A vertically placed U-bar, attached to the side wall at the foot of the tub, allows safe entry and exit. Note that the foot of the tub is the end where the water faucets and drain are located. This vertical bar should be about 32 inches long, and placed near the edge of the outer tub.

Horizontally placed support bars are best for lowering and raising the body to and from a sitting position in the tub. A 12- to 15-inch bar may be placed at the foot end of the tub and a longer one along the back wall.

Diagonally placed grab bars are not recommended because the hand may slide; and if footing is not secure, falls are more likely to occur.

If the tub is free-standing at both ends, like in most older homes, and the end wall is too far for grab bars to be secured, a vertically placed pole on the access side of the tub may be used. This pole should be about 1.5 inches in diameter and extend from floor to ceiling. Place it between 1 foot 3 inches to 1 foot 6 inches from the end of the tub, close enough to the access side to reach from a sitting position. It also can be used to grasp with one hand while operating the water controls.

Angle bars from the back wall or behind the tub to the floor, with wall posts, may be used when one or both tub ends are enclosed by a wall. This is useful for persons needing to use both hands to enter and exit the tub.

A variety of portable seats, chairs, and benches are also available if sitting on the bathtub floor is difficult or impossible. One seat has side flanges that adjust to fit any bathtub. Inside-the-tub chairs with backs for greater comfort are also sold in the market today. An inside/outside transfer bench with adjustable legs allows the person to sit on the bench that extends outside the tub then slide to the inside of the tub.

Any chair or bench must have non-slip rubber tips and should be safe and comfortable. When using this type of seats in the tub, a hand-held shower head is preferable to use.

An angle bar attached to two walls provides support while standing, and also aids in sitting and rising from a bath bench or chair.

If the shower floor is slippery, non-slip suction mats or rubber silicone treads should also be used there.

A non-skid bath mat on the floor outside the shower is a necessity.

The standard 15- to 17-inch height of toilet seats creates a problem for many people, especially those with arthritis, hip, knee or back problems. Elevating the seat 5-7 inches more will give better leverage in regaining a standing position.

There are several types of removable and permanently fixed raised toilet seats available in stores. For a more permanent raised toilet, a plumber can put the stool on a wooden platform made to fit the toilet bowl base. If you are building a new bathroom, consider a wall-hung toilet that can be hung at any height.

A portable bidet for cleaning the perineal area without hands or paper may be attached to any standard toilet bowl. It is electrically powered with a mechanism for spray washing with warm water and drying with a flow of warm air. This promotes independence for persons with very limited hand/arm functions.

Grab bars around the toilets are a must. Many types are available, and the choice will depend on:

  • Available wall space near the toilet;
  • Nearness to other fixtures in the room; and
  • Needs of people in the household.

If you have a physical limitation, we recommend you consult a physical therapist or a housing specialist to help you select and recommend placement of grab bars and other accessories for safety in the bathroom. If you are unsure of your wall structure, or do not have proper tools or skills, we suggest you hire a carpenter to install and/or make the new adaptations.

And for the latest bathroom and toilet aids for the disabled and the elderly, visit www.doability.co.uk.

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