Organizing for Injury or Illness

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When problems arise, my organizer brain immediately takes in the situation and starts looking for ways to improve the physical environment in order to make it more functional. Such has been the case recently. I have just returned from two and a half weeks of assisting my mom who is recovering from a broken hip.

Long term illnesses or injuries, such as my mom's, can make it difficult for a person to function comfortably within his or her normal surroundings. The more that can be done to accommodate the recovering person's needs and abilities, the more comfortable that person will be physically, mentally, and emotionally. Often a few simple changes can make a big difference in a person's ability to comfortably do for themselves as much as possible. 

In this post, I would like to share some suggestions for things you can do to make the physical environment more user-friendly for someone who is recovering from a serious illness or injury. 

Remove Obstacles

One of the first things I did after arriving at my mom's house was to remove the throw rugs from her bathroom floor. They may serve a useful purpose, but in her current situation they are more of a hazard than a help. I washed them and set them aside to be replaced later when she is stronger and better able to get around. 

A person suffering from a serious illness is often in a weakened state. This can also be true of someone who has been injured seriously. Anything you can do to help them get around more easily is desirable. This may mean moving furniture around temporarily to create a more direct path from point A to point B. Look around the environment with new eyes searching for anything that could be a tripping hazard, sharp corner, obstacle, or other potential danger and find a way to minimize the risk. 

Make Things Accessible

A person who is seriously injured or ill is likely to have limited mobility. They may be bed-ridden or just camped out on the sofa for a time. Their ability to reach things and do simple tasks is probably reduced. This can be tremendously trying. Finding ways to make things easier to access will help them retain a degree of independence and greatly reduce their level of frustration. Some of my favorite solutions include:

• Using clear plastic bins with handles to group items within a cupboard.  My favorites are actually designed for organizing the refrigerator, but they work great just about anywhere. The handles make them easy to grip, and they slide nicely in and out of the cupboard making it painless to reach items deeper in the cabinet. They function like pull out shelves, only they are much less expensive and easier to "install". Instead of the shelf moving, the contents of the cupboard slide in and out inside the bin. As an added bonus, they come in a wide variety of sizes, so you're sure to find one that fits your needs. 

• For the person who is bed-ridden or sofa bound, a tabletop organizer is a great way to keep all the essentials within arm's reach. 

• A bedside storage organizer is another great way to keep regularly used items close at hand. One side slips under the mattress to hold the caddy in place, and the other side hangs down beside the bed. They come with multiple pockets for storing reading material, glasses, phone, remote control, and more.

Utilize Effective Tools

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We are fortunate to live in a world where energy saving, work reducing devices abound. What's more, many of these gadgets are specifically designed for people with limited mobility, strength, energy, and/or dexterity. Here are some examples of tools designed to make doing basic household tasks easier.

• After using a long-handled dustpan with broom I will never go back. Why bend over and sweep, sweep, sweep when you can stand upright to accomplish the same task? This is a must for anyone who has difficulty stooping or bending, and I highly recommend it for even the most agile housekeepers. 

• Hefting heavy laundry baskets or  hampers can be hard on even the most hale among us. For someone with strength and mobility issues, it presents a real challenge. A wheeled laundry hamper with retractable handle is a great way to transport laundry without having to heft it. I personally prefer one with a retractable handle because wheeling it from one place to another does not require stooping or bending. 

• Vacuuming is another task that can be impossible for someone struggling with illness or injury. A robot vacuum cleaner will do the work for you on the schedule you select. My daughter and son-in-law have a robo vacuum. They named it Dusty, and my granddaughter considers it a member of the family. It appears in all her drawings of her family.

• A reacher grabber tool can solve a myriad of challenges. I use mine to get socks out of the way back of my stack-able washing machine. Otherwise I have to get on my hands and knees and crawl half way in the washer! It's great for reaching items overhead or under foot and perfect for reducing back strain and other discomforts. 

• When my husband broke his arm, the occupational therapist introduced us to this non-slip material. It's double-sided, easy to clean, and can be cut to any shape you need. Use it to keep items from sliding on a flat surface or for gripping things. 

• I first discovered Eco Cloths while working at a specialty kitchen store, and I love them! These tightly woven micro-fiber cloths clean with just water. No chemical cleansers required. I recommend them for any household, but they are especially nice for people with limited mobility and dexterity because all you need is a damp cloth. No juggling a spray bottle while wielding a cloth. These cloths allow you to clean with one hand. 

Often a person recovering from serious illness or injury spends a good deal of their time either in bed or lounging on a sofa. It can be frustrating to be confined to a small space, but there are a variety of products available to help make the experience more comfortable, and possibly even more productive. Here are a few of my favorites:

• We got my mom this tablet pillow last fall when she was recovering from pneumonia, and she loves it! She has gotten so much use out of it. It makes working or watching on a tablet easy and comfortable. 

• Depending on the type of headboard you have, it can be almost impossible to sit up comfortably in bed. This bedrest back support pillow allows you to have comfortable back and arm support. What's more, it can be used in other locations as well to include on the floor. 

• I recently purchased this breakfast tray for my mom, and it is working out wonderfully. In addition to eating off the tray, she uses it to write on, prop her tablet pillow on, pay bills and balance her checkbook on. You could also play solitaire or other card games on it to pass the time in bed. As a bonus, when not in use, the legs fold under to create a slim profile that can easily be stored within reach between a bed and night stand. ​

• This bed wedge pillow set relieves a variety of discomforts from acid reflux to back pain and more. It can even help reduce snoring. One section allows you to rest in a semi-recumbent position, and the other section can be used to elevate the legs. 

• This lap desk offers another alternative to the breakfast tray and serves many of the same functions. What I like about this option is the cushy base which rests comfortably on your lap. I also like the slot on the top for propping up a cell phone. 

• TV trays are great for serving food to a sofa bound person. They can also be nice for someone confined to their bed. Sometimes it's nice to sit up and swing your legs around and work or eat off of a hard surface for a change of position and perspective. 

Bathroom safety is often a concern for someone who is recovering from illness or injury. In our family we have found the following items to be particularly helpful in providing needed support and comfort. 

• This tension mounted security pole is great for helping a person with mobility issues get up and down safely and comfortably. I love the swivel feature that allows you to move the handle section out of the way when needed. 

• My mom's most recent injury has really highlighted for me the value of handrails and grab bars, particularly in the bathroom. Install them near the toilet, shower, and tub to make transitions safe and smooth. 

• A good sturdy shower chair makes bathing possible for a person with limited mobility or strength. Bathing is something few of us really want assistance with, so anything that allows a person to bathe independently without fear of injury is a blessing. 

• I can't recommend removable shower heads enough whether or not you're recovering from an illness or injury. In addition to making bathing easier, they also make cleaning the shower or tub simpler. For a person who needs to shower while seated, they are an absolute must. 

• We recently discovered this toilet seat riser with handles in conjunction with my mom's recovery. Like bathing, most people strongly prefer to get on and off the toilet by themselves. This allows a person with strength and mobility issues to maintain that coveted independence. 

• A good non-slip bath mat is recommended for any household, but it is particularly important for people at risk for falls. 

While working at the kitchen store, I discovered some really great kitchen gadgets designed to make accomplishing basic tasks simple and pain free for people with strength and dexterity challenges.  Here are some of my favorites.  

• My mom has used porcelain dishware for years, but these dishes are heavy, especially when lifted in a stack. My mom is 4'11" tall, and the dishes go in a cupboard above her head. A better, safer solution was clearly needed. This set of lightweight all-purpose dishware is perfect for her needs. In addition to being lightweight, they are eco-friendly, unbreakable, microwave and dishwasher safe. What more could you want from a set of dishware?

• A good jar opener is a must for anyone with grip issues. I like this one that mounts under the cabinet because it doesn't take up valuable space in a drawer. It also works on pretty much any size jar. 

• My husband got this kitchen multi-tool set for my mother for Christmas last year, and I'm totally getting one for us after using hers. There isn't a package you can't open with one of these tools. As a person with arthritis, I appreciate the pain free options these tools provide. 

• This easy pour spout makes it possible for weak hands to pour milk or juice from a jug without spilling. 

• My kids got me an electric can opener a couple of years ago, and it seriously brings me joy! It never even occurred to me that I needed one, but I wouldn't want to live without it now that I have one. It's another amazing tool for opening stuff without pain, and it's fun to use!

• The Zyliss Easy Pull Food Chopper is hands-down my favorite kitchen tool. Just give the handle a few pulls and you're done! It's so easy, and it's fun. It makes a tedious, and potentially tiring task, quick and simple. We affectionately refer to ours as the "duck chopper" because of the noise it makes when you pull the string. 

• Lastly, I recommend a set of kids' safety knives for anyone with shaky hands, difficulty gripping, or limited hand strength. My grand kids are able to cut, slice, and dice a vast range of foods using their knives, all without fear of injury. Why can't that be true for an adult as well? It may not be ideal, but it's way better than cutting yourself.  

As you can see, organizing for injury or illness is not complicated, but it does take some thought. The key is to identify specific needs and work from there to find the best solution. Anything you can do to make a recovering person more comfortable and better able to enjoy some independence is highly desirable!