Upper Limb Rehabilitation Aids
Aids to rehabilitation of upper limb function for intensive care patients.
Therapy, Activities, Skills and Kinesiology (TASK) Boards for University Hospital Southampton
Poor muscle tone
Drag brakes for rollator
The client had difficulty controlling her rollator on sloping ground where it tended to run away with her because she did not have the strength to apply the brakes for extended periods. A light weight rollator with drag brakes was bought and modified to allow the drag brakes to be operated without having to bend down.
Arm support
Client has Congenital Myasthenic Syndrome and her weak arms cause difficulty with lifting them above waist height, and so has trouble with doing makeup, hair-drying, hair straightening, etc. A simple padded wooden stand supports her elbows.
Step for dining chair
The client requires a step to encourage correct posture when sitting in a dining chair, which will not move out of place but can be removed when required. A wooden step with holes to accept the chair legs provides a simple solution.
One-handed food preparation
The client had a major stroke and lost use of her left hand but still lives independently and wished to be able to prepare fruit and vegetables, specifically melon. A worktop-mounted vice, operated by leaning forward, allows food to be held while being prepared.
Treadmill child safety rails #3
Rose has cerebral palsy and needs to exercise daily. She has a treadmill available but it is for adults, so the existing hand rails are too high for her since she is only 7 years old. The risk of not being able to hold on to steady herself is too great and there is also a danger of her stepping on the non moving part of the machine in front of her. This make (JLL) is very popular for this purpose since it ca run as slowly as 0.3 km/hr but it is not designed for children. The challenge was to make it safe and suitable for her to use.
One-handed viola playing
After a stroke, the client, with reduced hand and arm strength on one side, wished to take up playing his viola again. The bow was modified to make it easier to grip and a stand makes the bow easier to support.
Wheelchair Step
Bespoke non-slip step, made to fit between front wheels of a child’s electric wheelchair, enabling safe and independent transfers in and out of the wheelchair.
Child’s Counterbalanced Arm Supports
How to enable a child with Nemaline Myopathy to use his arms so that he can use a tablet, play with toys etc.
Head support
Our client suffered from MND and a support had been made to help lift her head, but she was finding it a little difficult to move her head sideways to look at her computerised vision driven voice box or her carer.
Wheelchair Rocking Table
The West Midlands Panel of Remap was approached by a local academy that caters for many children who are wheelchair users and severely disabled. A member of staff who was an Occupational Therapist had identified a product made in the United States which was felt would be of benefit to the children at the school. The problems were the cost of the product, the shipping costs, and the fact that the product was not available in the U.K.
The product provided a rocking table on which a wheelchair could sit. Movements by the wheelchair use would then cause the table to rock back and forth in the same manner as a rocking horse.
Telescopic Dressing stick and Hairbrush adaptor
Telescopic dressing stick with interchangeable ends for a client with a degenerative muscular condition. Her dressing stick is a solid fixed length and therefore not of practical use outside of the home. We adapted a telescopic “selfie stick” with interchangeable end adaptors, for dressing, hair brushing and shoe fitting.
Nappy changing frame
First time mum found it difficult to change a dirty nappy with limited use of her right hand. Her wriggly baby was forever putting his foot in the wrong place!
Shower Chair Headrest
A child with significant scoliosis and no head control required a headrest on her shower chair, which could be off-set to the side to support her head.
Head support
A client with motor neurone disease has “dropped head syndrome” meaning his neck muscles have insufficient strength to keep his head upright. The usual solution to this problem is to use a neck brace, but Chris found this solution very uncomfortable. Remap made him a light weight and discreet aid.
Lift on Mobility Scooter
A man who had polio as a child is now in his 70’s and finds it difficult to climb on to his mobility scooter