Assistive devices for activities of daily living

Assistive devices for activities of daily living are devices that are made or adapted to help a person perform actions and tasks such as walking, grooming, dressing, eating, and drinking.

Also, they represent an important part of a client’s life because they boost their self-esteem by aiding them in regaining independence.

Let’s start with assistive devices for walking, which are also called ambulatory assistive devices or mobility aids. There are three major groups of mobility aids, which include canes, crutches, and walkers.

Canes are made of plastic, wood, or aluminum, and they can have a straight or half circle handle.

Canes are prescribed to increase stability in individuals that can bear weight but are unstable or too weak on one side of the body.

Next, we have crutches, which can be axillary or forearm crutches. Axillary crutches are made of wood or aluminum, and they are characterized by axillary bars; while forearm crutches are made of aluminum, and they are characterized by forearm cuffs.

These devices are prescribed to increase stability but also to partially or fully reduce the weight bearing on a lower limb.

Finally, we have walkers. These devices have an aluminum framework and four legs, with or without wheels.

Walkers afford the greatest stability; therefore, they are prescribed to individuals that can bear weight but are weak or unstable!

Finally, most assistive devices made of aluminum have a push-button mechanism, which enables their adjustment to a client’s height.

Next, we have assistive devices for personal hygiene such as combs, brushes, and toothbrushes. These devices can be modified to have built-up handles.

Built-up handles make grasping easier, which is perfect for people with reduced grip strength. Additionally, combs and brushes can also be designed to have long handles, which allows users to reach their hair without having to lift their arms above the head.