5 Tricks to Make Life Easier

For me, a very good hair day is important to my total well-being. But amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) — a continual sickness I’ve lived with for over a decade — has taken a toll on my arms and arms, inflicting extreme weak spot and dexterity issues. And made doing my hair difficult.  

The most vital a part of styling my hair is the crowning glory: hairspray. It offers the phantasm of quantity and swagger to my straight, baby-fine locks. Imagine my dismay a number of years in the past when my fingers bought too weak to press the nozzle on a hairspray can.

A good friend advised attaching an aerosol set off deal with to the hairspray can. They promote them at {hardware} shops to make use of with cans of spray paint. It helped me squeeze the set off with my complete hand as an alternative of 1 finger. This continual sickness life hack did the trick. I additionally felt empowered. I retained the independence to do my very own hair.

Living With a Degenerative Chronic Illness

I do know I’m not alone in experiencing the frustration of declining perform brought on by a degenerative sickness. As they progress, these continual sicknesses — ALS, a number of sclerosis (MS), Alzheimer’s illness, Parkinson’s illness, Huntington’s illness, and arthritis — can result in:

• Muscle weak spot and atrophy (losing away)
• Persistent fatigue
• Balance issues
• Decreased mobility
• Chronic ache
• Memory loss and confusion
• Vision loss

Over time, they have an effect on your potential to do on a regular basis duties, from bathing and getting dressed to going to the lavatory, consuming, and strolling.

Chronic Illness Life Hacks Make Things Easier

It’s not simple to deal with shedding independence. You’ll want a robust medical crew, just like the UVA Health ALS consultants who look after me. And you’ll doubtless want the help of a caregiver at house.

But for lots of the on a regular basis challenges, a life hack or shortcut could make issues simpler. It may imply shopping for a brand new gadget. Or repurposing widespread home items. Get artistic. Read on to study some widespread continual sickness life hacks.

Hack #1: Chip Clips & String

The Problem: Your arms are too weak to drag your pants up.

When I’m house alone with nobody round to assist, I usually stroll round with sagging pants — just like the skate boarders and hip-hop artists of the Nineteen Nineties. Some days, my arms and arms are too weak to know the waistband and pull them up all the way in which.

The Fix: First, put on free clothes with an elastic waistband, suggests UVA Health occupational therapist Kate Kucera.

“Those tend to be easier to pull up than something that’s form-fitting with a tighter waistband or buttons and zippers,” she says.  

If your muscle weak spot is totally on one aspect, or when you simply have hassle bending over, Kucera recommends pant clip dressing aids. Attach one finish to your shirt and the opposite to your waistband. That retains the pants from falling all the way in which to the ground. You can use your stronger arm to drag up your pants.

You can even make your personal utilizing chip clips. Connect two of them with a bit of string (lower to no matter size you want). Voila! You’ve Macgyvered your first hack.

Hack #2: Help Picking Things Up

The Problem: You have hassle greedy and choosing issues up.

This is a every day battle. Honestly, typically my husband comes house to a flooring suffering from tissues that missed the garbage can, a dropped pen, or a stray potato chip I couldn’t choose up. It’s a very good factor I’m lovable!

With the lack of superb motor expertise, you will have issue holding a pencil, utilizing a fork and knife, greedy a cup, or choosing up stuff you’ve dropped.

The Fix: One of those may help.

• A reacher. They are available many types. So be sure you discover one which you can function. Some are made with a magnetic tip to select up steel objects.
• EazyHold straps or common cuffs. Use these that will help you maintain objects corresponding to cups, utensils, pencils, and extra. I’ve discovered them helpful for my razor.
• Coban wrap can construct up handles, utensils, pencils and pens, or different small objects, making them simpler to know. “If you have hand weakness or a tremor, the bigger the object, the easier it is to hold onto,” Kucera says. “That’s because less muscle recruitment is needed to grasp onto that object.”
• Dycem is one in all my private favorites. You can use this non-slip materials beneath your dinner plate to maintain it in place. It’s additionally helpful for opening tight jar lids.
• Zipper pulls are nice when you lack the superb motor expertise wanted to pinch a zipper and slide it up. You can discover these in several shapes and types. The spherical ones work nicely as a result of you possibly can hook your finger in them and pull.

Bonus tip: Just a few years in the past, I started having hassle unlocking and opening our entrance door. It was troublesome for me to know the important thing and switch the knob. So, my husband put in a keyless entry system. Now I simply punch in our secret code. I can simply open the lever deal with. And no person ever will get locked out of the home as a result of they forgot their key!

Hack #3: Make Meals Easier

The Problem: If you’re shedding the flexibility to do the essential actions of every day residing, cooking can seem to be a frightening activity. Your power is already low, so that you’ll want to search out new methods of doing issues. That contains meal prep.

The Fix: Plan a weekly menu and use that as your information for grocery buying. And whereas we’re with regards to groceries, strive your native retailer’s supply or pick-up service. You’ll additionally save time and power for the actions you take pleasure in.

Here are just a few different continual sickness life hacks:

• Gather all of the components you want and put them in a single easy-to-reach location.
• Do your work sitting down. Pull up a chair and work on the kitchen desk or sit on a stool to make use of a countertop.
• Use light-weight dishes which might be simple to carry.
• Use a non-skid materials to maintain bowls in place.
• Inexpensive, useful devices could make the job simpler. Use a meals processor to cut veggies. Or strive a right-angled knife. And this egg cracker is one in all my private favorites for baking. It makes a clear break, leaving no shells within the batter!
• Double the recipe and freeze half. That means, you’ll have meals prepared for instances when fatigue has you down.
• And it’s okay to repair a frozen dinner if you’ll want to, or get a pizza delivered.

Hack #4: Make Housework Less Work

The Problem: You haven’t got the power or energy for home tasks.

Maintaining a house might be tiring for anybody. But it’s particularly draining when you’re residing with a degenerative sickness.

The Fix: Set life like, every day objectives.

Know your limitations. Are you making an attempt to pack an excessive amount of in a day? Maybe you’re making an attempt to do essentially the most bodily demanding jobs on the time of day when your power degree is lowest.

“You’ve got to prioritize each day and figure out what’s really important to you,” Kucera says. “It’s about looking ahead and planning. For example, if you’re going to clean the house, don’t plan to do it on a day when you’re also going grocery shopping or have a million doctor appointments. Break things up and build in time for rest breaks.”

Here are another methods to simplify:

• Keep all of the provides you want useful. If you reside in a two-story home, for instance, retailer a set of cleansing provides on every degree. Or put on an apron with pockets to hold across the stuff you want most.
• Use light-weight cleansing instruments. For instance, a transportable moist mop could also be simpler to make use of than lugging round an old school mop and bucket.
• Fold laundry sitting down.
• Enlist the assistance of household and pals.

Hack #5: Prevent Falls

The Problem: You’re afraid of falling.

That’s comprehensible. If you’ve got a degenerative sickness, you doubtless have the next threat of falling.

“Fall prevention is huge,” Kucera says. “If you fall, that can actually make things way worse. It can set you back, depending on what injuries you sustain.”

The Fix: Make changes at house to stop falls.

Look round. These easy steps can stop falls at house:

• Remove throw rugs or safe them with double-sided tape
• Wear sturdy, supportive sneakers with nonslip soles
• Minimize litter
• Use a seat within the bathe
• Install shiny lights, and use nightlights
• Install railings on all staircases
• Use mobility units, corresponding to a cane, walker or rollator, scooter, or wheelchair if applicable

Different Life Hacks for Different Folks

When it involves discovering a brand new means of doing one thing, Kucera says it’s vital to do not forget that there is not any one-size-fits-all answer to any problem. A hack that works nicely for one particular person might not work nicely for another person.

If you’re having issue with on a regular basis actions, it could be time to seek the advice of an occupational therapist. They can consider your vary of movement and muscle energy, alongside together with your surroundings and private objectives that will help you handle on a regular basis duties.

“What we do in OT is constantly an individualized approach,” Kucera says. “We try to figure out what’s going to suit a person’s lifestyle.”