Uplift Commode Assist

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There are so many different ways to make getting on and off the toilet safer and easier.  Sometimes simply increasing the height of the toilet with any one of a variety of risers, new toilets, or under toilet risers is enough.  Sometimes seating a person with their hips level with or higher than the height of their knees is all that is needed to reduce effort or pain.  What if a person needs more help than that?  Believe it or not, you don’t have to invent your own toilet catapult.  There are many safe and thoroughly tested alternatives!

One option is a self powered lifting seat for the toilet.  A reliable and economical choice is the Uplift Commode Assist from Uplift Technologies, Inc. It can be used over most toilets to help people who have a mild to moderate problem standing and sitting.  It is not permanently attached, so it is useful for people who expect few changes in ability over the years and renters.  It is also something I suggest for people with progressive medical conditions as we can adjust height and amount of assistance provided as they need it, then easily remove the unit entirely if we need to provide even more physical assistance than the Uplift Commode Assist provides.

Whether the Uplift Commode Assist is used over a toilet or is used free-standing with the collection bucket, we often suggest adding a grab bar within arm’s length in front of the toilet for additional balance assist.  The Uplift Commode Assist provides tremendous help, but we’ve found that by the time a person decides they need it, they can benefit from something sturdy in front of them to either help with balance or to help them initiate the motion of leaning forward to stand.  Really, who wants to wobble back and forth around the toilet?  As always, we encourage people to be realistic about their abilities to get the best use from their equipment selection.  There are other equipment choices which are better for people who need to move straight up to be able to stand, such as people with Limb-Girdle Muscular Dystrophy instead of at a forward angle like most of us.  It isn’t designed for  people who aren’t able to bear weight on their legs at all, thought I have suggested it to help caregivers help who can bear weight once they are standing.

The Uplift Commode Assist is easy to use once assembled and adjusted for the amount of lift needed.  The lever is broad and the equipment was awarded the coveted “Ease-of-Use” Commendation by the Arthritis Foundation in recognition of its arthritis-friendly design.  The broad plastic seat is comfortable and easy to clean.  We suggest people sit and measure the straight distance from one side of their hips to the other if they are close to the manufacturer’s weight limit of 300 lbs or have wide hips.  The seat’s arms are 17.5” apart and while the manufacturer reports that it will lift up to 70% of the weight for a person up to 300 lb, the benefit of the lift will be lost if a person sticks inside the arms.  The Uplift Commode Assist come disassembled, but has all the tools and instructions needed to put it together and is covered with a one year warranty.

Click on this Link to purchase the Uplift Commode Assist  and use the coupon code UPLIFT10 to save 10% and get free shipping through February 15, 2012.

Check out the user guide here! >>

Celebrate Your Special Strengths

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I do plenty of video blogs related to aging, disability, and residential accessibility, and have developed a format in which I usually do something a little goofy at the beginning of a video in order to catch people’s attention and get them laughing.   I believe that people will be willing to tolerate thinking about what can sometimes be an uncomfortable topic once they have laughed and relaxed a little.  I know that I run the risk of being known as the goofy lady who will do just about anything to get people to stick around and talk about making homes safer and easier to use, but I can live with that.  I often wonder though, if people know that in addition to being silly and interested in how people live in their homes, that I am an Occupational Therapist, and have been for over 30 years.

I recently read an interesting article in the November 14, 2011 issue of AOTA’s (The American Occupational Therapy Association) magazine “OT PRACTICE”.  Another Occupational Therapist, Barbara A. Smith, MS, OTR/L wrote a short reflection piece titled, “Finding Our Special Strength”.   She said that, “We as occupational therapy practitioners strive to find the special strength each and every one of us contains,” when she was sharing stories of people with disabilities whose accomplishments were “examples of ability trumping disability”.    Thinking about the article caused me to reflect on my own practice, Home Access Solutions, Inc. and the people that I serve.

It doesn’t really bother me to be known as that goofy lady who will do just about anything or the person who is always talking about bathrooms and gleefully announces she was crowned Potty Queen in 1999.  I don’t want to be like everyone else and on my better days, I don’t even try.  The fact that I truly care about everyday living and can comfortably carry on conversations about things most people don’t even want to think about is one of my strengths and I revel in it!  My company, when it is functioning at its best, is not like any other company either.   I do not think that there is another OT practice quite like us; an equipment supplier quite like us; or a construction company quite like us.  Our strength is that we are merging all three services to accomplish our mission and our focus on the importance that everyday activities in the home have on quality of life and we revel in it!

Our strength is that we are actively listening to and seeking to understand and work with the strengths of our clients.  Each person we work with is unlike everyone else who may share the same age, medical condition, developmental disability, or other condition.  We don’t ask our clients to accept the same equipment or remodeling idea that works for someone else.  We listen to their goals, look at their abilities and environment, and we offer education and solutions for them to choose from.  As I tell clients, “It doesn’t really matter to me what you choose to do as long as you are safe.  After all, I am not going to live here.”  As a company we don’t know everything and we can’t work miracles (much to my everlasting disappointment), but we do listen and we do see our clients as people who have unique strengths and unique outlooks.

So whether you are a practitioner of the growing field of environmental modification or you are the recipient of these services, focus on your unique and special strengths to find solutions that will not only work, but will reflect how you want to live your life.