Grooming For People With Disabilities

Filed under Disability

Having the ability to groom oneself is often taken for granted especially for those who have been doing it for a while. However, if you are disabled, you may struggle with upper body tasks such as brushing your teeth, applying hand lotion or holding a hairbrush.

If you have a disability that involves your feet or legs, you may find it difficult to get out of the bathtub or sit down for a manicure. There are many personal care aids available for someone who is disabled; toothpaste squeezers, lotion applicators, hair dryer stands, one-handed nail clippers and self inspection mirrors are just a few of the items that a person with a disability might use to perform self-grooming activities.

Grooming Equipment

One of the most frustrating things about a disability for many people is the loss of independence. It’s difficult to look your best when you can’t brush your teeth, comb your hair or have proper hygiene. Handicap grooming aids for people with disabilities can help provide a semblance of normalcy and allow you to do many tasks for yourself. Here is a list of grooming equipment along with an explanation on how they can help you.

• For dental hygiene, a toothpaste squeezer can allow a person who is disabled with arthritis or has little hand strength to get toothpaste out of the tube.
• If you have impaired shoulder movement or cannot bend over to reach your legs, a lotion applicator can do the job for you.
• A hair dryer stand can hold the hair dryer even if you don’t have sufficient grip strength to perform that task for yourself. Additionally, the hair dryer stand can help those who are unable to hold up a heavy hair dryer for extended periods of time.
• One handed nail clippers allow you to clip nails on the same hand that does the clipping. It provides more leverage with a larger base. Simply press down the clippers with your palm.
• Feet scrubbers are attached to the shower floor and can remove dirt and dead skin when you move your feet back and forth.
• Lightweight easy-to-grip tweezers can remove unsightly hair with a light squeeze of your hand.
• Wash hair without using water. This shampoo does not require the rinsing of water and will evaporate away, leaving your hair with a nice fragrance.
• Self inspection mirrors have a long, flexible and bendable adjustable handle that allows you to see hard to see areas such as your back.
• Getting the eyedropper to drop directly in the center of your eye without blinking can be difficult but eyedropper guides make it much easier. The guide fits over your eye and prevents your eye from blinking. No more missing and hitting the eyelid.
• Hair brushes for the disabled have a longer extended handle that helps those who unable to reach that far. These come in 12 or 14 inches in length.
• If you are unable to grasp a regular hair brush due to limited hand strength or arthritis, there are universal hand clips that you can stick to the hair brush. One side will velcro to the brush and the other is a clip that you put over your hand.
• Can’t reach your legs because of painful bending and reaching? Consider razor extension handles that adds 19 inches of length. The extension handles create a long bendable razor that allows for shaving at a more comfortable angle. They are also great for pregnant women who can’t bend over to shave their legs because of them squishing the baby and the extra pressure on their belly.

Many personal grooming aids are inexpensive handicap devices, require little or no maintenance and can be used in the home or other locations such as a live-in care facility. In addition to the desire most people feel to be neat and clean, there are health aspects. Good dental hygiene not only prevents tooth decay, it can promote overall health by preventing gingivitis, or gum disease. Dry skin is uncomfortable and more likely to become irritated or break down under pressure, so the ability to apply lotion is important. Brushing your hair regularly helps stimulate the circulation in the scalp.

If you don’t have ready access to products for people with a disability, don’t give up. Grooming aids for people with disabilities are readily available from on-line specialty stores and internet sites. We have already recommended a few items above. There are many handicap grooming aids out there and it is almost certain you will find one that will meet your needs. Be sure to contact us if you need a certain type of assistance but are unsure what will help you.

Tags: Handicap Grooming Aids, Hygiene Aids

Handicap Hygiene Equipment

Filed under Disability, Handicap Bathroom

For those who possess a disability or handicap, life is frequently defined by one’s physical limitations. Overcoming those limitations then takes on certain importance, as no one wants to be forced to rely on others for their basic needs.

In the realm of personal hygiene, having the right handicap hygiene equipment can be the sole determinant of this independence. It can literally be the difference between taking care of oneself and forced reliability on others.

Fortunately, there are many inexpensive, easy-to-use pieces of handicap hygiene equipment available today for a variety of disabilities and hygiene needs. Use them while taking care of your hygiene and make cleaning easier. With bathing aids such as wiping aids, safety bars and shower chairs, an individual with leg or hip trouble can still perform the necessary bathing duties by either using the safety bar to assist entering or exiting the bath or by using a chair or stool to sit while showering. Additionally, wiping aids to help with cleaning your bottom can extend your reach by 14 to 21 inches.

Hygiene Aids

Lack of reach, dexterity and strength are often the reasons for hygiene problems. Here are a few situations one might encounter and the recommended hygiene equipment.

• Washing the back – Reach is the biggest problem when comes to washing the back, so much of the equipment are long in length.
• Scrubbing and cleaning your feet – These foot scrubbers allow the users to stand and move their feet back and forth on pumice stones, brushes or bristles.
• Squeezing the toothpaste out – Get every last drop of toothpaste out easily by pressing down on this device.
• Shaving hard to reach body areas – These razor handle extenders can save you from strain and grief when grooming. With an additional 19 inches of reach, you should be able to shave anywhere on your body. Works on standard and electric razors.
• Unsteady or weak hands when clipping nails – Increase the leverage when clipping your nails and have a larger base for stability. Works one handed too.
• Applying lotion to all areas of body – Easy to clean sponge applicator with a long handle.
• Wash your hair without using water – This no water shampoo easily rinses and can be dried off with a towel. They are refreshing and has a pleasant smell.
• Wiping your backside after using the toilet – The Freedom Wand and the Bottom Buddy are both great toilet aids. These handicap devices will aid people with disabilities whening wiping themselves on the toilet. Read more about these products below.

If you are looking for an all purpose hygiene aid, consider the freedom wand that is capable of self wiping after toilet use, shaving, applying lotion or ointment and reaching all those hard to reach places. These are great handicap toilet wipe devices that cater to the elderly, someone with limited upper body mobility, short arm length, pregnant women, obese or large sized individuals.

Wiping Aids

For assistance when using the toilet, wiping aids such as the popular bottom buddy allow handicapped individuals with reach issues to clean themselves by attaching the toilet paper to a flexible plastic arm that extends one’s reach without stress or strain. If you require some toilet hygiene without reaching towards your back, consider bidet toilet seats. They provide a stream of water directly to your bottom and can clean it without the need for wiping or toilet paper.

These are only a few of the many different products available to handicapped individuals to aid them in their personal hygiene needs. Such products are designed to last a long time with a minimum of maintenance and be helpful and usable to a wide range of disabilities. Additionally, many of these products are relatively inexpensive and, in fact, can save the individual hundreds of dollars over the long run when the alternative costs of home health aides and live-in nurses are factored in.

When living with a disability, the quality of one’s life is often measured by the degree of one’s independence and the proper handicap hygiene equipment can help to secure that independence, instill confidence, and improve the quality of life overall.

Tags: Hygiene Aids, Wiping Aids