Small household appliances for the elderly. Devices used at home for bedridden patients. Rehabilitation devices

22.06.2015

Devices for helping people with disabilities at home

Out of reach zone

While we are young and healthy, out of habit we do many things automatically: we get out of bed, tie our shoelaces, take out a book from the top shelf... We don’t think about the fact that a cup of tea on the table, a meter from the bed of a bedridden patient, is in the zone out of reach. To turn on the light in the room, a wheelchair user needs to reach the switch, which can be placed at human height. In people with disabilities Such problems occur every minute in everyday life.

Necessary goods

The company "Medtechno.ru" presents unique products that will make life much easier:

To old people,

bedridden patients,

disabled people

A rope ladder will allow a bedridden patient to rise to a sitting position.

The active grip allows you to reach the cup. And devices for putting on socks and stockings will help the patient become more independent.

New technologies

Technological progress opens up new opportunities for people with disabilities. The following automated devices will greatly help in everyday life:

• bath lifting device,

electric bath lift,

electric lift for the disabled,

Caring for bedridden patients is a complex and lengthy process. Modern medical equipment, which significantly alleviates the suffering of the patient and the work of his loved ones, is becoming increasingly accessible for use at home. Various devices for bedridden patients sometimes become indispensable to ensure comfortable conditions and rehabilitation opportunities. Many of these devices can be made independently at home.

Types of devices for bedridden patients

Auxiliary equipment can be useful at any stage of treatment - for caring for a seriously ill patient, providing comfortable conditions for his life, or during the rehabilitation process for a speedy recovery. Devices for caring for bedridden patients at home are freely available; they can be purchased and easily installed in any room.

The main types of assistive devices for caring for bedridden patients:

1. , the shape of which can be changed depending on the needs of the patient.
2. Additional devices: head restraints, restraints, handrails that are necessary to create a safe environment.
3. Equipment for hygiene activities: sheet baths, inflatable baths.
4. Mobile chairs.
5. Lifts for moving patients.
6. Exercise machines and tools that are used during rehabilitation.

Beds

It is important to note that it should be exactly, only the designs of such samples can change the angle of inclination, height and other parameters. This greatly simplifies the work of caring for the patient, and also reduces recovery time.

Types of functional beds:

1. Depending on the number of adjustable sections, there are 2, 3 and 4-section beds. This way the head, hip and leg sections can be adjusted.
2. Depending on the method of regulation, mechanical and electrical types functional beds.
3. There are also simple stocks and equipped bedside tables, side grilles, wheels and other “devices”.

It is worth paying attention to a special subtype of medical beds - equipped. This perfect solution for patients who are unable to get up to relieve their physiological needs. This design greatly facilitates the process of caring for a bedridden patient, since he does not need to be disturbed once again in order to prop him up or pull him out of bed to go to the hospital.

Note! You should install a few more devices near your bed, such as a humidifier or a salt lamp. This is an excellent disease prevention respiratory system, in particular, a disease that often develops in bedridden patients.

Worth your time Special attention and what exactly to cover this one with. The table shows all the items that should be present in the bed of a bedridden patient.

Bed accessories

During treatment and rehabilitation, a bedridden patient may need various devices. So, a pull-up bar will be useful. With its help, the patient will be able to independently take a sitting position, develop arm muscles, and learn to gradually stand up.

Another necessary device is a headrest. This is a back and neck support that is installed on regular beds to make it possible. This reduces the need to disturb the patient to change positions before feeding.

Anti-decubitus mattresses

For bedridden patients this is an indispensable remedy. It greatly facilitates the work of people caring for bedridden patients, since the prevention of bedsores with such a mattress becomes many times more effective. Such mattresses have built-in vibration sources, the operation of which is regulated using the dashboard.

Important! Even if the installation medical bed for some reason is impossible, you must definitely purchase. This problem is much easier to prevent than to solve. Treatment of bedsores is long and difficult process.

The mattress is selected taking into account several parameters: the patient’s weight, the condition of his skin, the predicted time of stay in bed. In addition to the mattress, you can pay attention to anti-bedsore pads. They are placed under the parts of the body that undergo the greatest pressure: feet, sacrum, shoulder blades, back of the head. There are also special pillows with anti-decubitus effect.

To avoid soiling your mattress, it is advisable to purchase a waterproof mattress cover. It goes better with such a mattress than a regular sheet, moreover, it is easy to use and does not require washing after each stain; you just need to wipe it with hot water.

Devices for washing patients

Hygiene for bedridden patients often becomes a problematic issue in care. It is very difficult to wash a person whose mobility is extremely limited, and unnecessary anxiety can be harmful. What also adds to the complexity is that such patients often fulfill their physiological needs right in bed. Consequently, hygiene procedures have to be carried out frequently.

The inflatable bathtub is as easy to use and compact as a sheet bathtub. But it requires a mechanical pump for inflation.

Devices for getting out of bed

• therapeutic arc - a U-shaped support that is installed above the bed; various belts, ropes, ladders can be hung on it;
• the sides can perform 2 functions - they prevent falls and allow you to rest your hands on them;
• pull-up rack.

To facilitate the rehabilitation of the patient, you can resort to various techniques. Analogs of gymnastic rings are installed above the bed, Swedish wall, hang various belts - everything that the patient can grab onto and pull himself up.

Rehabilitation devices

The recovery period for many diseases requires a long stay in bed and additional activities in order to regain former skills. Special devices for the rehabilitation of bedridden patients will help with this. During the rehabilitation period, patients who have suffered brain injuries or seriously injured people are forced to develop muscles, restore motor skills in their fingers, and learn to walk again. Various devices will help with this, which can be purchased at a specialized store or constructed with your own hands.

Professional equipment for bedridden patients at home is offered by the following companies:

• Artromot;
• CefarCompex;
• Joyce.

Rehabilitation simulators have different kind. Typically this is simple design, which sets the patient the task of moving elements. It shouldn't contain small parts, since the motor skills of such patients are poorly developed. An excellent example serves as a simulator for threading rope through large wood beads(the size of a tennis ball) or wooden block with notches between which objects need to be moved.

Important! Rehabilitation is a complex process. The exercises must be performed daily, and the first results may not appear immediately. This stage of treatment should not be neglected. It is imperative to provide the patient with exercise equipment to restore motor functions.

The CefarCompex company offers the use of myostimulators - devices that, with the help of electric charges weak power stimulates muscles to contract. They allow passive training even for bedridden patients.

The Rejoyce device is designed to restore fine motor skills of the fingers.

DIY devices for bedridden patients

The described devices for caring for bedridden patients are very useful, but also quite expensive. You don't always have to spend a lot of money to ensure comfort to a loved one. If you have time and a couple skillful hands, you can make your own devices for bedridden patients at home.

For example, a patient needs to take a semi-sitting position in order to eat or for prevention in people with heart disease, or simply to relax, watch TV, or communicate with family. In this case, you can come to the rescue simplest support under the back for bedridden patients with your own hands.

To make a support you will need a set of some materials, namely:

• Three sheets of plywood 10 mm thick - two 1000x1000 and one 860x520 (of course, dimensions in mm);
• Several (for example, 3-5 pcs.) strips of the same plywood for making stops;
• Two sets (total 4 pieces) door hinges or two large piano hinges (500-800mm);
• Wood glue;

The design is the simplest - two meter sheets are fastened on one side with hinges. It is better to attach the hinges to self-tapping screws with a countersunk head. The third is a “spacer” between the resulting “book” of two meter sheets. This “spacer” rests on the joints with the glued strips. The structure is visible in the attached photo.

Naturally, before assembly, the plywood can and should be sanded and, for the sake of aesthetics, can be covered with stain, varnish or other chemical compositions at the request of the craftsman. The overall assembly and operation process is shown in the photo below.

You can come up with many more different homemade devices for the convenience of a bedridden patient, but a lot depends on the tasks, the interior and the need for one or another design.

Video

There are many types of sanitary devices to increase the comfort of life for a disabled person. Each of them helps you feel more confident, some of them are simply necessary. All types sanitary equipment for disabled people are presented below.

Chair toilets

• Wheelchair with built-in toilet device.
• Toilet chair with folding handrails (armrests).
• Folding toilet chair on wheels.
• Toilet chair for heavy people.

When choosing such sanitary equipment for bedridden patients and disabled people, pay attention to the modification of the chair, and additional options which can increase ease of use. For example, folding handrails, which serve as armrests, greatly simplify the use of the chair in some situations when you need to transfer from a bed to a chair. Telescopic legs, which are present on some models of chairs, allow you to adjust the height of the seat; this option also helps the patient easier to transfer to the chair. Also, all chairs have splash protection and a removable basin, which allows you to use the chair with a regular toilet or bucket.

Toilet nozzles

For a disabled person, an elderly person, or a frail person due to illness, such seemingly simple procedures as going to the toilet become a difficult task. A sanitary device such as a toilet attachment will greatly simplify visiting the toilet for a disabled person. It increases the height of the toilet from 12 to 18cm and comes in two types:

• Toilet head with grab bars.
• Nozzle without handrails.

All of them are made of easy-to-clean hygienic plastic, have splash protection and are suitable for toilets of any shape.

Bathroom sanitary equipment

Bathroom sanitary equipment is divided according to purpose into the following categories:

• Handrails for mounting directly on the bathroom, and for mounting on the wall in any convenient place.
• Chairs, various modifications.
• Seats with various options.
• Auxiliary steps.
• Lifts.
• Sanitary facilities for protecting legs (with bandages applied) from water.

Dry toilets

A dry toilet is a small portable toilet, weighing less than 4 kg. Very convenient for use both outdoors and at home. Its advantages lie in its design, which is completely similar to a conventional dry closet. Does not allow odor to spread and also has a drain. The basic operating principle of this dry closet consists of two tanks. The upper tank contains water for drainage, and the lower tank for waste water. There is an indicator to determine the filling level of the waste tank.

Vessels, urinals and other sanitary equipment

Vessels and urinals do not have large distinctive features, so you just have to choose the one that suits your gender (for a man or a woman. Also in this category you can find equipment such as rubber heating pads, an ice pack, containers for taking tests, a sippy cup for bedridden patients, etc.

For an elderly person, even a practically healthy one, sooner or later it becomes difficult to do things that young people sometimes do not notice. Let's talk about what can make life easier for an elderly person.

Elderly people find it difficult not only to bend over, stand up and walk. Sick joints prevent you from raising your arms to comb your hair. Impaired fine motor skills make it difficult to hold thin objects: pens and pencils, forks, spoons, toothbrushes, cup handles. To reduce these problems, so-called “small means of rehabilitation” have been invented:

• thickening attachments, or holders for pens or pencils;
• holders for mugs, forks, knives in the form of an elastic loop into which you can thread your entire palm;
• massage brushes-combs with a long handle;
• grips for lifting objects from the floor;
• grips for putting on shoes and socks.

And many others useful little things, which we will talk about, analyzing specific situations in which older people experience certain difficulties.

Get into the apartment

Talking about own home in our country, it is worth remembering not so much luxury cottages as the so-called private sector – wooden houses, not always smooth steps. If it is not possible to install a convenient ramp with handrails, you will have to at least make sure that the steps are repaired on time and the handrails are strong. And be sure to consider additional lighting: the ability to clearly see the surroundings saves an elderly person from many injuries. Both traditional light bulbs with a switch are suitable (you only need two switches, one on the railing, the second at the entrance), or more modern devices With remote control– the question, as always, is about financial capabilities.

For the hallway / corridor / entrance to the house (if we are talking about a house) the simplest and convenient solution the lamp will be connected to the volume sensor. Once the volume sensor detects movement, it turns on the light and timer. After 2-3 minutes the light turns off on its own. Volume sensors are inexpensive - from 300 rubles.

Hooks at the door won't hurt either - you can hang your bags while you have to fiddle with the keys. Those who walk “with a stick” will find useful and wall holders for a cane.

Moving around the street and apartment

If it is not so easy to influence the condition of the streets, then making sure that the house does not have thresholds, carpets on the floor and other things that are so easy to trip over (not to mention the fact that they interfere with a person in a stroller) is simply necessary. The doors may need to be widened to accommodate the stroller. But these are, so to speak, large-scale alterations. Less expensive - but very useful - can be handrails located in strategic places:

• In the bathroom: along the walls, removable handrails on the bathtub itself;
• Near the toilet to make it easier to sit down and get up;
• Against the wall along the bed: sometimes turning over from side to side can be a problem, and not only for the deeply disabled, as any woman who has at least once carried a child will confirm.

Well-known canes, walkers, and strollers also help people move around.

Canes.

Walkers.

Wheelchairs.

The choice of models is large - from simple and not very convenient, but indestructible designs of Soviet design, to electrically driven devices. If the stroller is used in an apartment, you need to check whether it fits through doorways, and in the case of a multi-level apartment or a house with stairs, you may have to worry about special lifts (which, unfortunately, are very expensive).

Difficulty sitting down and standing up

Getting up in bed, in addition to handrails, can help special device, reminiscent of a rope ladder with round strong rungs. A special functional, “hospital” bed can change the angle of inclination - so that a person can take a semi-sitting position while remaining in bed - but it is not cheap. There are also special lifts that help you get out of bed and into a wheelchair.

Difficulty taking a bath

Keeping oneself clean is one of the basic human needs, and older people have a hard time when it becomes inaccessible. What can help in this case:

• the already mentioned handrails, which help both to climb into the bath itself and to remain stable in it;
• special stairs (with railings);
• non-slip mats on the bottom of the bathroom - rubber or silicone;
• a “seat” that allows you not to sink completely to the bottom of the bath - this can be too heavy for an elderly person - but to sit comfortably while sitting;
• a special bathtub for those who find it difficult to climb over the sides - with a door;
• “sitz” bath – high, with a built-in seat, where old man can sit comfortably and still submerge in the water;
• electric lifts for the bathroom.
• if space allows, a shower stall with a seat, folding or stationary. Shower cabins without thresholds allow you to enter directly in a stroller (however, you will have to redo the floor in the bathroom by installing a drain).

And, given the forgetfulness of older people, apartment flood sensors that shut off the water wouldn’t hurt.

Kitchen safety

Older people often complain of weakness and problems holding objects - this can be downright dangerous in the kitchen. A special tilting stand for the kettle allows you to pour hot liquid from the kettle without fear of dropping it from your hands and getting burned. In foreign online stores it is searched for using the query “kettle tipper”; we were unable to find a Russian-language equivalent. If you, dear reader, have seen something similar in the domestic Internet space, please leave a comment.

So that an elderly person does not have to “dive” inside the closet, looking for the desired item, it is better to replace the kitchen set with furniture with pull-out shelves. The kitchen will have to be remodeled to accommodate a wheelchair user - modern kitchen sets do not allow you to drive close to work surface or the sink, for this you need free space under the tabletop.

A cutting board for one-handed use is useful regardless of whether both limbs function equally well. Older people's coordination deteriorates, and they often get injured in places where younger people don't see a problem.

By the way, there are also special boards with clamps in which you can secure and safely open jars with a screw cap, without worrying that it will slip out of your hands and break.

If possible, replace kitchen utensils with unbreakable ones. This does not mean that you need to replace your grandmother’s set with camping mugs and plastic plates - now they also produce dishes made of impact-resistant glass.

And if the kitchen is equipped gas stove, it would be a good idea to install gas leakage sensors.

Poor eyesight

Large watches with large numbers, special phones “for grandmothers” with large buttons and large font - all this is common knowledge. But modern technologies allow you to acquire and talking clock, dial a number from your voice, and e-books with Text-to-speech technology will help diversify leisure time for an elderly person.

Bad hearing

Not everyone wears them, and they cannot help everyone. And again modern technologies come to the rescue. Fitness bracelets are not only a fashionable toy for young people. Connected to a mobile phone, they vibrate when the device receives an incoming call or SMS. And the doorbell can be replaced with a special “smart” wireless one, which can also transmit a signal to a mobile phone. True, setting up all these smart systems young family members will have to.

By the way, especially humane individuals can also take care of their neighbors, for whom a deaf old man with a TV can be a real punishment, especially given the insomnia of old age. Good wireless headphones They will save neighbors from noise, and the elderly person himself from conflicts.

Problems taking medications

Elderly people are forced. Old people are forgetful. These two facts clearly contradict each other. Both a forgotten medicine and a medicine taken several times can significantly harm your already less than ideal health. Plastic pill boxes are relatively inexpensive, and, depending on the design, they allow you to separate medications not only for breakfast, lunch and dinner, but also by day. All that remains is to distribute it once a week - and most people cope with this on their own. More “advanced” devices can supply sound signal that it’s time to take the pills and give out a pre-prepared set of medications.

Sanitary facilities

It is not customary to talk about this side of life openly, however, the ability to comfortably cope with natural needs is no less important than cleanliness of the body.

If it is impossible to arrange handrails on the walls of the toilet so that it is convenient for an elderly person to use them, a special attachment for the toilet with handrails will help.

Many older people are forced to get up frequently at night due to kidney disease, bladder disease or prostate adenoma. If going to the toilet at night turns into an ordeal, this may help. portable dry toilet or special sanitary chair. Their prices are approximately the same, so considerations of personal convenience come into play here.

Everyday Security

To old people . They often cannot get up, finding themselves completely helpless. They forget to charge their phones and rarely keep them with them 24/7. So that an elderly person can call for help at any time, there are special devices with panic buttons. Foreign manufacturers They produce many similar gadgets and organize hotlines. In Russia, there is so far only one program, “Life Button,” which allows an elderly person to contact a dispatcher around the clock by pressing just one button on the device, and then the dispatcher will notify the necessary services and relatives. Unfortunately, the program is not free - at the time of writing, the monthly cost of service was 330 rubles, not counting the need to purchase a bracelet-phone or pendant-phone.

Developed countries are aging. And if earlier the lifestyle and environment were created primarily for the young and active, now manufacturers are increasingly thinking about making the lives of older people easier. New devices appear all the time, you just have to choose the right ones.