Special toilet seat
A bariatric client with motor neuron disease wishes to self-insert suppositories and enemas while seated over the toilet. A reinforced toilet seat with improved access was provided.
Projects
Wheel chair stump support
A woman had an above the knee amputation and need a detachable stump support
Temporary duvet support
An 81 y-o woman had a Total Hip Replacement (THR). Since she already had home improvements in place (hand rails on stairs and doors, saddle boards removed, radio button alarm, 24/7 carer) she was released from hospital after four days – the only thing she needed and was given was a Rollator (wheeled walking frame, Zimmer frame). She found that the duvet on her bed restricted her movement, and a duvet support was requested for the period of her recovery. A length of 1/8 inch fencing wire was bent to shape and a brass ferrule with two grub screws was made in order to secure the ends of the wire.
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
Fly-by-wire kids tractor
Like most small boys Theo loves tractors, but when you are born with really short arms it makes steering a challenge. So Gerry, a fellow volunteer from the York panel, and I set about creating a safe fly-by-wire push along tractor to make the 20-month old lad very happy.
Alternate Footrest for a Recliner
The patient could not use her recliner chair as the footrest came up and aggravated her skin.
I swapped the chair leg rest for a smaller pad made from plywood and foam to support her feet.
Give me a minute – indicating when eye tracker software is in use
For many high-tech assistive communication (AAC) users, it is difficult to see when they are composing a message. We implemented a system that visually indicates when communication software is in use.
HandShake – using hand motion to control switchable software
Some people with e.g. cerebral palsy are unable to use physical controllers such as buttons and joysticks but are still able to make intentional hand movements. HandShake uses a pair of BBC micro:bits to enable triggers to be sent to switchable communication software to enable speech to be composed. A trigger is sent to the communications device when the participant moves a hand above an adjustable threshold of acceleration.
Crutch Stand
An 80 y.o. woman has severe arthritis of her right hip, and is awaiting a replacement. She needs two crutches in the meantime. A stand for the crutches was made from 6 mm MDF – a base plate, three vertical members, and two horizontal plates. The verticals are glued into 6 mm slots routed into the base plate. The lower horizontal is glued into a slot in the base plate, and has 3mm deep slots at the ends and in the middle to match up with the verticals. The upper horizontal has similar slots, and is glued in place. The stand has been in use for a week, and has proven to be stable.
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.
Walker stability
A 9 year old boy with cerebral palsy uses a Lecky walker for mobility. As he has grown, the walker is no longer sufficiently stable when he is moving around outside. The project was to angle the large wheels of the walker like a sports wheelchair to increase the track width and improve stability.
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.
Alternative to sofa raising
Lynne has poor strength in her lower body and finds getting on and off her sofa almost impossible. She thought the answer might be to raise the sofa, as we have done so many times before. But the sofa was a huge corner affair that would have been almost impossible to do either safely or practically. So another solution was required. We tried other products on the market but nothing worked. So a new device was required.