Posts Tagged ‘Grip’

Hilfsmittel Tipps und Tricks XXXII

Friday, November 1st, 2013

Sorry, this entry is only available in Deutsch.

Technical Aids Tips and Tricks II (Blogpost 2009)

Friday, October 25th, 2013

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The transport of items of all kind is horror for us wheelers, especially if they are round!
Thighs are completely unsuitable for carrying pomaceous fruit.
The high art of German engineering has brought it to light after years of research:

the plum transport box for wheelers

dscf0093b

The resemblance with an egg carton is misleading!

Translator BL

Technical Aids Tips and Tricks XXX

Saturday, March 16th, 2013

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During my last stay in the wheelchair hotel Mar y Sol in Tenerife (see older blogposts) I wanted to do some physical training when I met the Scotswoman Mary.

On her wheelchair two aluminium tubes were fixed with hose clamps which made me a bit curious.

Even I didn’t know what to do with this construction!!!

On my enquiry it turned out that you put those sticks into the tubes with which you push the rocks at wheelchair Curling. Curling is a very common sport in Scotland. If the term Curling doesn’t mean anything to some of you, it is a sport similar to ice stock sport, but Olympic.

When she took out a black bandage glove which looked a little as if she wanted to enter the boxing ring with me for twelve rounds instead of spreading the ping-pong balls broadly in the gym she started to scare me.

With this special velcro tape glove type Hand Grip she is holding the stick at wheelchair curling with which the rock is pushed, a ping-pong or badminton racket or hockey stick tight in her hand. This is working excellently even though she is quadriplegic like me and has very limited finger functions.

You can use the glove especially well for working out with weights, or supposedly for playing with the “Wii”.

Maybe I should start with a 500 gram weight first, but I do everything for a good shot ;-)

The glove is from the English company active hands, who are specialised in gripping aids for handicapped (as well for kids).

www.activehands.com

I have ordered such a glove in England. It was delivered within a week. The price is quite high with 65 €, but justified.

When you order the glove online beware that the check mark is set for “left glove”. But you can put the left glove on the right hand without problems ;-)

The English have always been a little “twisted”, this is probably because the genetic pool of the islanders is exhausted ;-)

Now I can finally hold a little hammer when I urgently need to consult my piggy bank.

Translator BL

Technical Aids for Quadriplegics Part XII

Tuesday, March 12th, 2013

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It doesn’t always have to be the expensive aids from the medical supply stores which make one’s life easier.

If you have finger motor functions as if you are wearing boxing gloves the little metal clip on the toast packaging becomes your object of hate.

These clips are “Newton’s” best friend.

For some time, I am only using re-usable

plastic fasteners


for plastic bags.

Simply great, these little clips.

They are available in some supermarkets or for little money at the yellow Swedes!

Translator BL

Wheelchair Tuning Part XXXIII

Saturday, March 9th, 2013

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Strictly speaking, a wheelchair is nothing else than a shoe!!!

It is not owned by yourself, but by your medical supply store.

Refurbishment and reconstruction are only allowed to be done by the medical supply store for insurance reasons ;-) ;-) ;-)

Except for cleaning you are not allowed to do anything officially…!!!

However I also recommend regular greasing and oiling (see older blogpost).

With a newly prescribed wheelchair you are usually allowed to select the colour, but this is the utmost individuality you can get.

Of course a wheelchair has to fit primarily from a medical point of view, but where is it written that it should not look stylish as well.

The look of the wheelchair reflects the soul of its owner… ommm…

I really have to work on my meditation… eh, medication, well, this is a little bit right however…!!!

The easiest way to change the appearance of your wheelchair is to fix spoke protector discs with motif on the running wheels.

The original reason for spoke protector discs is that such a “buckled finger” like me doesn’t clamp his fingers in the spokes.

Children get these quite expensive discs with logos from football clubs or motifs from Princess Lilifee and other kids characters paid by the health insurance, and the kids are very proud how great their wheelchair is looking.

As old guy you have to pay the discs yourself or drive around with the original health insurance shopper look.

Depending on the company, you have a choice of dozens of motifs “ready-made”, but you can get almost every picture printed on the discs as well.
Believe me, I have seen quite weird things.

You can let your creativity “run wild“.

I have now got my own discs produced, in fact according to my own design with personal reference:

With such an eye-catcher the wheelchair is not so much seen as medical device anymore and can even ease some situations. Especially kids react unbiased to the motif and don’t have any fear of contact.

I have got the discs produced at an innovative family company (contact on request at rollinator@eigude.de).

If you are on 25.-27. April 2013 visiting the REHAB in Karlsruhe, keep the eyes open if you discover my motif at one of the booths ;-)

A physiotherapist noticed once with expert’s eye that the lion is an above-knee amputee…
I was just in this moment in the swimming pool, forgot to move the arms and was almost drowning.

Translator BL

Technical Aids for Quadriplegics Part XI

Thursday, March 7th, 2013

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Around 30 years ago I tried to learn to play guitar.

The success was so limited that I put the career aspiration to be a professional musician on hold for an indefinite period.

As mentioned already several times, my finger function is very limited since my accident so that playing the guitar was not necessarily on my priority list.

Many quadriplegics like me with our cervical spine injuries have difficulties with gripping.

Therefore it was so much surprising when Mary from Scotland (quadriplegic as well) showed me her self-constructed

guitar plectrum holder.

When she told me that in spite of her handicap she is able again to strum around on her guitar her eyes were sparkling.

A really great idea, we need more of these.

Tips as usual to contact: rollinator@eigude.de

Click here on “Quadriplegic Tips”, to read other tips!!!

Translator BL

Technical Aids Tips and Tricks XXVIII

Friday, January 18th, 2013

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The medically proven positive effect of hop blossom ice tea, or disdainfully just called beer, is generally known.

“Cold wheat soup” dope

is extensively carried out, especially in Bavaria with state recognition.

If you are not able to remove the crown cap of the medicine bottle any more due to the paralysis of your hands, illness, stroke or too much doping, there is only one thing to help, the

One-arm-hop-blossom-ice-tea-bottle-opener

Source of supply of this ingenious aid without medical device number is amongst others

the company www.Mehal.de

I have already reported about their knife holder (see older blogpost).

Here is a link to other helpful special openers:

Type I bottle / jar opener

Type II bottle / jar opener

2. self-developed technical aid, my medicine bottle opener

Type I canpull opener

Type II can opener

Security advice: Too much doping can influence the driving characteristics of your wheelchair substantially.

Special thanks to Technical Aids Stuntman Ochim, who immediately volunteered to test the opener with video evidence.

Translator BL

Technical Aids Tips and Tricks XLVIII

Friday, November 2nd, 2012

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Since I am rolling through the world for 5 years now, I have another enemy besides disabled parking place occupiers, namely doors.

These mostly white pieces are slowly turning into a phobia.

Not so easy to pull the door shut when you are standing… eh, sitting in your own way.

Hold the handle tight, roll backwards and mind not to fall forward if possible, or to do a backflip with the wheelchair.

In hospital I already had a long ribbon with which I was always fishing for the door handles. This ribbon is still hanging on the door of my flat and is serving its purpose.

I hate my own kitchen door, it is one meter wide. I only say:

No arms, no cookies…!!!

Only the door knows why I haven’t hung such a ribbon on my beloved kitchen door during the last 4 years.

The blue-yellow nordic timber worms offer drawer handles in all designs, sizes and colours. There were no more hurdles for the

kitchen door tuning.

A mate has screwed such a handle on my favourite door from the inside.
Now I can eventually close the door even when I am already standing in the corridor.

Because the screws have to be very long I recommend to immediately take threaded bars (on IKEA handles mostly thread M4), and saw it off to size only at the end.

If you leave the bars a bit longer you can even mount two towel hooks at the inside on the door.

Tip, always drill the holes from outside to inside and use an air level.

Looks a bit like a towel rail, I like it. Next, the door of my flat will be refurbished.

Before spot-drilling the entrance door it can’t do any harm to integrate the landlord in selecting the handles.

Translator BL

Technical Aids for Quadriplegics Part X

Thursday, September 27th, 2012

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One of the biggest difficulties for us quadriplegics is opening screw caps of jars and bottles.

The variant to beat them up with a hammer or to throw the jars and bottles in the easiest way on the floor to open them is working excellently, but proved out to be inefficient in practice after a longer test phase.

I have reported already several times about special openers, (see older blogposts).

As self-confessed roamer on websites of the most different online medical supply stores I have found two new models made from silicone. The sunflower bottle opener

Model Geniosa

is working quite well, but needs getting used to. The

blue jar opener

has convinced me completely with its splines on the in- and outside whereby it gets a good grip, and is in my opinion even a little bit better than its competitor product of the company Dycem, whose products I think are excellent.

Source of supply of both items at www.dein-sanitätshaus.de

I assume no responsibility for an aching head on the next day after an extensive test series of the openers with e.g. a bottle of vodka and a jar of figs ;-)

Translator BL

Technical Aids for Quadriplegics IX

Friday, August 10th, 2012

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There are often small things which can help to get mad a little less in spite of one’s handicap. With my buckled fingers I always have “slight” difficulties to hold a pen.

Even before my accident I already had a kind of cryptographic handwriting (dreadful scrawl), which I only could decipher myself, but now…

My “handwriting“ is quite dreadful despite occupational therapy in which I started like in first grade to draw “e” and “a”.

I always try to convince myself to see everything sportingly and stay quiet, but if it is about writing I rarely succeed.

Everybody who once had a healthy set of hands knows what I mean.

I recommend to everyone who would like to try out such a handicap to do the housekeeping for at least 1,5 hours with leather ski gloves, or just try to write an address on an envelope… with sender! ;-)
If I could really motivate somebody for this test I would appreciate to receive a test report. rollinator@eigude.de

I didn’t like pencils any more at all, these things were too smooth for me.

You might put rubber foam or rubber caps on the pencils, but it might work differently as well.

The company Staedtler is known for their writing utensils of all kind.

They are offering a

rubberized pencil (type Noris Ergosoft)

which I think is very recommendable due to its grip.

With this one you might be able to write a love letter in ski gloves.

Translator BL

Techncal Aids Tips and Tricks XLX

Wednesday, August 8th, 2012

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Today it’s all about the money!!!

If you are like me not bigger than 1,38 m sitting in the wheelchair and additionally are not able to grip acceptably any more the supposed most easy things become challenges.

Before my accident I was a real friend of plastic money. Insert card, add number, and yet the bucks were gone, if you are not just standing in front of an ATM.

As wheeler you feel a little uncomfortable with the debit card when each pedestrian looks over your shoulder when you are typing the PIN on the do-it-yourself store counter.
Additionally my wallet fell down regularly.

I decided rather quickly in favour of the a bit antiquated, but in Germany still widely used cash, whereas the little hitch was that I can only grip coins very poorly with my fingers and the coins fall down to the floor often. Additionally, who likes it when the casher is digging in your wallet, or who would give to the kind filling station attendant the PIN of the debit card to settle your bill.

Every quadriplegic has his mishap with zippers when the motor function of the fingers is limited. Alternatively to the well-known key rings which are usually fixed to the zippers I as former electronic technician am largely fixated on tie wraps.
On rucksack, jacket (see older blogpost), camera bag and even on the pants,… tie wraps, tie wraps, tie wraps… Thumbs in… open close, open close…! ;-)


The idea to fix the wallet with a spiral rope on the key ring at the front bag of my cushion was obvious. A wheeler friend of mine got his wallet stolen from his rucksack on the back of his wheelchair 4 weeks ago. If someone would try this with me the person would have to bend down so low that an uppercut would be recommendable.

From the technical side I don’t have difficulties with paying any more; now only the regular refilling of the wallet at the bank has to be ensured.

Quiz question: There are two tie wraps on the wallet, a white one and a black one, which one opens the pocket with the cash??? *

* Answer, of course the black tie wrap: BLACK MONEY ;-)

Translator BL

 

Today it’s all about the money!!!

If you are like me not bigger than 1,38 m sitting in the wheelchair and additionally are not able to grip acceptably any more the supposed most easy things become challenges.

Before my accident I was a real friend of plastic money. Insert card, add number, and yet the bucks were gone, if you are not just standing in front of an ATM.

As wheeler you feel a little uncomfortable with the debit card when each pedestrian looks over your shoulder when you are typing the PIN on the do-it-yourself store counter.
Additionally my wallet fell down regularly.

I decided rather quickly in favour of the a bit antiquated, but in Germany still widely used cash, whereas the little hitch was that I can only grip coins very poorly with my fingers and the coins fall down to the floor often. Additionally, who likes it when the casher is digging in your wallet, or who would give to the kind filling station attendant the PIN of the debit card to settle your bill.

Every quadriplegic has his mishap with zippers when the motor function of the fingers is limited. Alternatively to the well-known key rings which are usually fixed to the zippers I as former electronic technician am largely fixated on tie wraps.
On rucksack, jacket (see older blogpost), camera bag and even on the pants,… tie wraps, tie wraps, tie wraps… Thumbs in… open close, open close…! ;-)


The idea to fix the wallet with a spiral rope on the key ring at the front bag of my cushion was obvious. A wheeler friend of mine got his wallet stolen from his rucksack on the back of his wheelchair 4 weeks ago. If someone would try this with me the person would have to bend down so low that an uppercut would be recommendable.

From the technical side I don’t have difficulties with paying any more; now only the regular refilling of the wallet at the bank has to be ensured.

Quiz question: There are two tie wraps on the wallet, a white one and a black one, which one opens the pocket with the cash??? *

* Answer, of course the black tie wrap: BLACK MONEY ;-)

Translator BL

Addendum Technical Aids Tips and Tricks VII

Thursday, July 12th, 2012

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I have already reported on 01.04.2010 about a

vertical magnet key holder

(see older blogpost).

It is nothing new that a wheeler is wearing a couple of key chains every now and then.
Slowly this technique gets a little annoying and a bit out of hand…!!!

(picture is not faked!!!)

If the chains are collectively lying around, for no apparent reason a Gordian knot is formed again and again. I explain this by the momentum.

Therefore I have meanwhile established a key chain

hanging board parking place.

Maybe I should sort the key chains by spectral colours.

Translator BL

Technical Aids Tips and Tricks Part LI

Wednesday, June 27th, 2012

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As offered on my front page, you can ask me all kinds of questions relating to technical aids, para- or quadriplegia etc. using rollinator@eigude.de.

I always try to answer these questions independently and free of charge.
Depending on the handicap the usually easiest activities become small and big challenges.

There are no problems, there are just challenges and a big challenge is a project.

Recently I received a most interesting enquiry, original text:

Because I am hemiplegic on the right side, you might know how I can stir the contents of a cooking pot on the stove without the pot stirring as well.

Maybe you have FINALLY an answer to that question!

I discussed with highly qualified colleagues to find a possible solution.
After several weeks of intensive research we came up with two solutions.

Option 1:
For e.g. sauce Bolognese you don’t only buy 500g of minced meat, but at least 2 kg, so that due to the gravitational force of the earth and the law of mass inertia according to Newton, at simultaneous roasting of the 2 kg meat with non-excessive stirring, the pot on the stove will not stir as well.

Option 2:

Silicon pot holders

Currently you can buy these again at the big coffee roaster (2 pieces for 4,95€).

You can not only use them as pot holders.

According to manufacturer instructions the pot holders can also be used as trivet.
They would be temperature-resistant until 230 degrees Celsius.

These are referred to in our specially developed

Glass ceramic stove top one arm pot stirring method

Before cooking, one of the silicon pot holders is placed next to the glass ceramic stove top.

If you feel the need to protect the hopefully later delicious food from the roasty flavour and stir the contents of the pot, you just pull the pot on one handle with one arm half or a little more on the silicon pot holder.

If the pot is pulled completely on the pot holder there will be difficulties with pulling it back to the stove later.
Now you can stir, stir, stir,… with one arm to your heart’s content without the pot stirring as well.

Then you pull the pot again back to the stove.

Sounds easy, and it is ;-)

Best try it before with the stove switched off.

These silicon pot holders are also perfectly suitable as non-slip mat and allegedly as jar opener as well.
Best technical aid in my opinion to open jars and bottles, see older blogpost.

Security advice:
I strongly advise against placing especially cast-iron and other pans and pressure cookers on the silicon pot holders because they may exceed the maximum temperature of 230° C.
Never place the pot holders on the stovetop!!!
Application of the tip on your own risk, I assume no liability.

Translator BL

Technical Aids Tips and Tricks Part L

Monday, May 7th, 2012

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I have found a great technical aid to open canned staple food, with fish, instant noodles, goulash soup, wieners, Coke, Bed Rull, beer and cider.

The Canpull opener was awarded with a design prize, the unofficial Oscar for household items of all kind.

One reason more for an extensive Rollinator test as I always had ambivalent feelings towards designer parts. From experience, unfortunately modern appearance and functionality rarely fit together.

This is not the case with the

Canpuller and Soda Snap

With one side

dog, cat and human food cans

can be opened tetra easily.

A small plastic nose clicks into the ring-pull of the can so that the Canpuller doesn’t slip off when it is bent for opening. This is working without problems.

Unfortunately the Canpuller doesn’t help against the burning lips if three chilli peppers are displayed on the “devil’s goulash” can. I am currently a little handicapped.

The other side of the award winner is suitable to open beverage cans in record time.

Thus you can pass an opened can of Prosecco to your colleague even after the eight successful test series with hop blossom ice tea cans of which the content was professionally disposed into the gorge.

This can opener is a well-thought-out and functional technical aid.

Source of Supply: http://www.desicare.de

I give to the Canpuller 4,5 out of 5 possible Golden Steering Forks.

Half a steering fork had to be deducted because manual hands-on is still necessary.

Another type of can opener, (see older blogpost).
An ingenious bottle opener, (see older blogpost).

Translator BL

Sport News Part II

Saturday, March 17th, 2012

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The sun beds in the Mar y Sol in Tenerife at the pool are extra high for us wheelers so that it is easier to transfer.

But because constant hanging around on the sun bed can lead to permanent back disorders I decided to perform some complementary training.

After the training match of the Swedish national team in wheelchair rugby (see older blogpost) the sports hall of our hotel was available for us tourists again.

The idea of my mates to play wheelchair hockey I found quite appealing.
Once upon a time in a galaxy far, far away… or roundabout 25 years ago it was the last time when I had a hockey stick in my hands.
At this time I was playing hockey at the club SC 1880 Frankfurt until the last youth age class. Back then of course with real wooden sticks.

The plastic sticks were not heavy at all with about 200 g. But there it was again, the challenge: How to play hockey when you are not able to hold the hockey stick because of the paralysis of the hands as quadriplegic.

The first attempts to bind the stick onto the arm with bandages and theraband did not lead to the desired success.

With black duct tape a match overlasting

Hockey stick-hand-arm-adaption

could be achieved. I was quite satisfied with the result, and the wheelchair hockey match was fun.

After the match there was actually only one loser, my skin…!!!

Wheelchair hockey is excellently suitable for permanent hair removal ;-)

Translator BL