helping aids

I was assessed at the prepping hip school and perching chair, loo seat and chair raisers were provided. Bought 2 grabbers, one upstairs and one downstairs, sock putter on was hubby, long handles shoe horns a must

Toilet raiser, and chair raiser and walking stick were loaned to me by the hospital. I bought 3 grabbers so I could spread them round the rooms why buy a leg lifter you can use a towel or even pull with your trouser leg. I also bought some ice packs that you put in the freezer they were worth every penny I paid for them, and they wern't expensive either, boought them from medi-care on line.  Hope this helps Love |Gillxx

Hi Richard

You will be able to manage stairs when you get out of hospital but slowly so you won't need a commode if you have a loo downstairs but depends on how long you last if you have to go upstairs.

Grabber and sock aid ( unless you have a partner to put your socks on.) Also shower mat but my most useful item was a zimmer frame as I was not happy on crutches in the middle of the night when going to the bathroom. Used crutches st all other times. Bathboard if your shower is over the bath so you can sit if necessary and a frame round the toilet so I could get up.

Tske care

Kate x

Hi Richard, I was supplied with crutches, grabber and long shoe horn through the nhs.

The grabber is called ' the classic pro ' and is fantastic, with different things on it for different tasks. It's from a company called the helping hand company. If you look on the net they offer all kinds of stuff, even a hip kit for people like us who have or are having THR. I think they would probably have everything you would possibly need.

I do get along fine with my 3 items but then again I do have the missus helping me a lot.

Best of luck, Mark

Sorry, I was also supplied I toilet raiser!

I was provided with the following items: 

Raised toilet seat, 2 perching stools for upstairs and downstairs, a grabber, long handled shoe horn, sock aid and leg lifter. Hubby bought me a bath step as our bed is very high and I also used this for the shower as mine is over the bath shower so not easy to get in. Another great idea which I got from someone on here was to attach my grabber to my crutch with a length of heavy duty Velcro. It stayed firmly attached until I needed if and it was always with me without having to carry it round.

That was everything I had and I didn't find the need for anything else.

Im sure you'll get some good ideas from others on here.

Take care.

Ali xx

I was only supplied a wheeled walker bought everthing else on line. A cane with 4 legs, and a shower brush or sponge on a long handle will help alot.

Buy a long handled sponge for showering, good for back , legs and feet . X

Well I would only add, a stool softener as pain medication, especially codeine is constipating along with prune juice. I was on codeine and I took a stool softmener and drank a big glass of prune juice every day. Once you start moving again you will get random aches & pains in your knees, your shins etc. for these I highly recomened Voltarene pain cream. You do not need a doctors prescription. It has a slightly different name in the UK maybe you can look it up by it's scientific name, diclofenac.  Voltarene doesn't work immediately, it takes about 30 minutes to work so be patient.

I found Voltarene worked particularly well on my sore butt. Your butt gets sore from laying on your back, and the Volterane is excellent for that and lower back pain.

If you don't have one and can afford it a tablet or iPad is very nice as you will be laying around in different positions, propped every which way trying to get comfortable and the smaller iPad is very handy.

If you don't have one and can afford it a recliner chair would be awsome. Maybe try to buy a used one and when you no longer need it resell it. Electric Lift chairs would be the absolute ideal and they are pretty easy to find used as they are mainly used by the elderly and then when they pass on the family sells the chair. I don't know where you are but if Craigs list is popular then you might find electric lift chairs under health aids instead of household goods.

You are lucky, you are a man so I would get a male hand held urinal. My elderly father who had urination troubles used his male urinal practically every night. We ladies don't have it so easy.

I wish you well.