Help for osteoarthritis: Devices for living easier with arthritis

When it comes to coping with arthritis, the use of painkillers tends to grab most of the headlines. But assistive devices can also be very helpful and play an important role. These simple devices or gadgets can improve your ability to walk, bathe, cook, clean and dress with relative ease.

“Think of arthritis as both pain and the loss of joint function. Both are incapacitating,” says Dr John Klippel, president of the Arthritis Foundation in the US. One of the approaches to pain is drugs but the approach to functional loss involves the use of assistive devices, he says.

So where do you begin and what can help you the most? Read this room-by-room guide to find out exactly how and where assistive devices can help you with your activities of daily living.

Your kitchen/dining room

There are many useful aids and strategies that can help make cooking and eating easier for people with arthritis.

For example, utensils are often small and difficult to grip for people with arthritis in their hands, says Klippel. Choosing utensils with wide-grip foam handles can make a big difference. The handles are bigger so people can grip them, he says. Other devices that make life easier in the kitchen include:

• A reach extender. This rod with trigger-controlled grasp at the far end enables you to pick up otherwise out-of-reach, small objects, such as a tin of soup in a cupboard, 65cm to 75cm (26in to 30in) away.
• A jar opener. Once you get a jar down, open it with an automatic jar opener that clamps down on jars of any size and twists off the caps.
• Lever-style handles. Replace doorknobs and kitchen taps with lever-style handles so you don't have to grip and twist knobs.
• Chair extenders. Extenders on chair legs can raise the seat at the kitchen or dining room table to the height at which it's easiest for you to sit. Stools or rubbish bins on wheels can also help.

The layout of your kitchen is also important. Arrange your cupboards and drawers so that you have quick and easy access to the items you use most often. This will help reduce the need for painful stretching. Raise the level of electrical appliances, such as microwaves and food processors, to a comfortable height to help relieve undue pressure on your hips and knees.

You can buy many assistive devices online. Just search for the name of the product you want. The Disabled Living Foundation's website at www.dlf.org.uk provides information on useful equipment and aids for people with arthritis and it also runs a helpline on 0845 130 9177.

Your bedroom

Things that are simple for most of us, such as getting dressed in the morning or turning on a lamp, can be difficult for people with arthritis. There are helpful aids and gadgets that can help.

• Sock aids and zip pulls. A sock aid can help you pull up your socks without bending your legs. A zip pull, which has a large ring that attaches to a zip tag, makes zips easier to grab and zip.
• Shoes with hook and loop fasteners. Try walking shoes with hook and loop fasteners instead of shoelaces to make everyday dressing easier.
• Big buttons and pockets. Shop for garments with buttons the size of a one pence piece and large pockets to carry keys or other hard-to-grab objects. Whether you are looking for bras or shirts, look out for clothes that do up at the front.
• A reach extender. If your wardrobe has hard-to-reach storage areas, a reach extender enables you to reach 65cm to 75cm (26in to 30in) without stretching.

Consider lamps that turn on with a touch or are activated by your voice or motion. Replace small rotating knobs on existing lamps with larger, grip-and-turn knobs. Phones with giant buttons are also easier to use. Special pillows, including neck pillows, can help avoid stressing your neck or neck muscles while you recline or sleep. A large body pillow can support your arms and legs during the night. Some people with arthritis find it helpful to attach Velcro tabs to the corners of sheets so that they can make the bed without tucking in the sheets.