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What are your tips for staying independent at your own home?

Aging Well | Last Active: Mar 13 3:19pm | Replies (160)

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@gingerw

@robinann Welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect. You can call you local fire department for a medical lift assist. They are trained to do this, and actually respond to a fair number of this type of call.
Ginger

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Replies to "@robinann Welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect. You can call you local fire department for a medical..."

Wow - that’s a wonderful service! We don’t have that in Au; they only attend if it’s a transport to emergency.
The other thing I used to give people was those two-step blocks that often are used in rehab facilities for people to start learning to lift their feet and step up onto two steps..it’s solid wood, and is simply two steps, which then the other person can drag over to the person on the floor, stabilise it with their feet (blocking it from sliding), and the person on the floor can move to it, lever themselves onto the low step then up on to the second step, rest, then stand. This is where a pelican belt is also helpful, because once the person is ready to stand, their assist person can stabilise them easily at their centre of gravity by holding the handles on the belt.
Otherwise, a mobile hoist with sling can help if the person is quite large - it’s a hand operated rolling device like a miniature crane. Not sure if funding is available in the US for something like that? Usually it’s occupational therapists who assess and prescribe these (former OT here) 🙂

Many thanks Ginger - I did not know this. Robin