Posts Tagged ‘Home’

Technical Aids Tips and Tricks XXIII

Thursday, December 22nd, 2016

Frontpage I have introduced in an older blogpost

remote-controlled electrical sockets

as useful technical aid. I am using these things for years to switch my

Christmas Tree lighting

on and off. Since a couple of weeks my living room lamp gets switched on by a ghostly hand. I think it’s quite funny, a neighbour is probably using the same frequency!

Translator BL

Eigude Shame XXXI

Tuesday, November 1st, 2016

Sorry, this entry is only available in Deutsch.

Technical Aids Tips und Tricks XLVI

Wednesday, February 24th, 2016

Frontpage

It is due to the small fouls that wheelers are exposed every day to new challenges. You are blocked in from the side so that you can’t get into your car anymore, during cleaning the toaster is moved back to the wall, or the installation CD is put out of reach on the cupboard. My last week’s highlight was a beeping smoke alarm because the battery was empty when I was lying in my bed. All this is causing an uncontrollable neuron tornado in my head.

Among my favourites are open windows.

In the summer it’s getting warm and in winter quite cold, if the heater below is not running on full power which I can’t reach either.

There are definitely more important reasons to ring at the neighbour’s door than asking them to close an open window. Grrrrrrrrr…

The do-it-yourself store with 20% on everything except for the parts you really need offers a

Hobbit &wheelchair window closer/

„almost“ usable in their assortment. However, small construction work needs still to be done.

Just take:

  • min. 1 meter aluminium pipe, thickness 12mm
  • 1 meter aluminium flat bar 15m x 1mm
  • 30 cm hose inner diameter 10mm- 12mm
  • 2x screw M4 x 25mm
  • 2x screw-nut, self-locking M4
  • 1x drill 4 mm with drive mechanism
  • Construction tools for screwing, or a set of healthy teeth ;-)

Cost of material ca. 10,00€

Saw the aluminium bar in ca. 2x 36 cm long pieces and pull the hose on one of the pieces.

Drill a 4 mm hole into all sides of the aluminium bars and the pipe centered with a space of 15 mm from the edge.

Bend the aluminium bar with hose oval e.g. using a bottle and bolt it two-sided with screw and screw-nut on one end of the pipe. This is going to be the window side.

The other aluminium bar is going to be the handle. This can be formed according to hand function or artistic freedom oval, square, round or even heart-shaped, main thing is that the bolting on the pipe is not forgotten.

(My white Vespa scooter from 1992 in the picture below with kick starter is looking for a new master!)

The operating mode of the window closer should be comprehensible, but could on special request be explained personally under phone number 00907/40059449665 for only (1.000.000.000 €/min) by “Bernd das Brot”. (Translator’s note: Reference is made to a satirical sketch to spoof call-in shows on TV, (see also other blogpost).)

All open windows can be closed again now.

And how to open them we will learn tomorrow!!!

The certified re-constructor is obligated to send to the Rollinator a Chilli Pizza online.

Contact: rollinator@eigude.de

Translator BL

Technical Aids Tips and Tricks LXIV

Sunday, February 14th, 2016

Frontpage

My latest tool – an Overhead Lift

After half a year of “enjoying” free food and lodging in different hospitals while testing their equipment and treatment options, I am now back home. Let me introduce to you my latest support instrument.

As some sort of a “Christmas gift” my insurance kindly approved the overhead lift that I had requested out of necessity because of my increasing restrictions. (A mobile standard patient lift cannot be used in combination with my height-adjustable frame insert.) It took a few weeks of organizational back and forth between my insurance, the medical supply store and the manufacturer – you know how this goes – until the lift was finally mounted at the beginning of February.

The Lift is hanging from my bedroom ceiling and ensures a safe bed-air-wheelchair-transfer with the optional switch between wheelchair and shower wheelchair.

For people with back problems, instead of using belts for transfer I recommend a special lifter cloth.

With the three heavy duty anchors, each 1 ton load capacity, I do not need to be fasting right away ;-)

Translator BW

Addendum Technical Aids Tips and Tricks XXXIII

Friday, February 27th, 2015

Sorry, this entry is only available in German.

Frontpage

Ich hatte in einem älteren Artikel berichtet, dass ich einen eigenen Türspion in Hobbithöhe in meiner Wohnungstür montiert habe, siehe älteren Blog.

Dort fehlte bisher eine passende Abdeckung auf der Innenseite und ich wollte nicht wie meine Oma einen Streifen Leukoplast oder ein Pflaster darĂĽber kleben.

Das Projekt ist endlich beendet.

Es war schon seit Monaten geplant, dass mir ein Kumpel ein Loch in eine MĂĽnze oder in irgendeine andere runde Scheibe bohrt und wir diese dann an die TĂĽr schrauben.

Ich hatte die ganze Zeit den Gedanken, so eine passende Scheibe mit Loch schon einmal irgendwo gesehen zu haben.

Ich fuhr schon seit Monaten ohne zu Wissen, das passende Ersatzteil mit mir rum. Hin und wieder sollte man in seinem Portemonnaie schauen, da gibt es nicht nur das Geld fĂĽr Ersatzteile, sondern auch manchmal das Passende…!!!

Die Ă„hnlichkeit ist verblĂĽffend,… gell…??? ;-)

Ich sollte vielleicht etwas genauer mein Portemonaie durchsuchen, ich brauche auch neue Sommerreifen.

Hier geht’s,…ääh..fährt man zur

Technical Aids Tips and Tricks LVII

Friday, December 5th, 2014

Frontpage

Requires some extra time to answer the door!

As a wheelchairdriver I do most of my shopping online and the couriers are streaming in and out of my home.

My record so far is 5 deliveries by 4 different companies within 2.5 hours!

By now I recognize the companies by their ring. For example 2 x very briefly in a row means 90% of the time “Trans O’Flex”, or a certain relative ;-)

Anyway, if I happen to be in the “East Wing” of my apartment, I really have to rush to make it to the door in time before the mail man leaves, especially if he’s new.

I’m either too slow or they’re too fast and if it wasn’t for the nice neighbor my package would go back.

Once I was expected to pick up a package at the “Next DHL-Kiosk” that is only 1.5 km away from my apartment. Unfortunately, it is up the hill and of course, there are stairs at the entrance … arghhh! At that point one needs good friends!!!

Just this morning I received a package from my medical supply store. Luckily I was already in the hallway.

This one had an additional sign for the driver:

Attention: requires some extra time to answer the door!

What a great idea! This is new to me and should be implemented everywhere. A big Thank You from this page to Heidelberg!

I have altered the sign a little bit for you to download and pass on – maybe to your medical supply store along with your next order ;-)

Download here PDF-enlish-version: Requires some extra time to answer the door!!!

Download or click on the pictures, copy, print etc….

PDF-link: http://www.eigude.de/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/Requires-some-extra-time-to-answer-the-door.pdf

picture-link: http://www.eigude.de/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/Requires-some-extra-time-to-answer-the-door-03.jpg

Translator BW

 

Technical Aids Tips and Tricks LVI

Thursday, October 30th, 2014

 

Startseite des Eigude Blogs

Warme Beine find ich gut!

Nachdem sich der Sommer, sofern man die paar helleren Tage diesen Jahres so nennen kann, sich mit dem nassen Herbst fĂĽr den Winterschlaf fertig macht, beginnt damit definitiv nicht die Lieblingszeit eines jeden Rollifahrers. Wohl dem, der im Mar y Sol in Teneriffa ĂĽberwintern kann.

Ich weiß nicht wie es euch geht, aber in dem Moment, nachdem ich die Heizung in der Wohnung aufgedreht habe, ist wird mir und insbesonderen meinen Beinen plötzlich kalt.

Alle Besucher loben die “Sommerlichen Temperaturen” bei mir Zuhause, was ich jedes Jahr mit der Nebenkostenabrechnung bestätigt bekomme, aber meine Beine sind trotzdem kalt, was u. a. mit der fehlenden Bewegung zu tun hat.

Der kälteste Platz ist bei mir ist natĂĽrlich unter dem Schreibtisch im BĂĽro, was ich mittlerweile auf “Polar-Trolle” oder “Thermische Eigendynamik” zurĂĽckfĂĽhre.

Ein Bekannter von mir auch Tetraplegiker (Tetra) wie ich, völlig ohne jedes Temperaturempfinden mehr erzählte mir vor ein paar Jahren, er habe sich einmal so lange mit dem Ellenbogen auf dem noch heißen Ceranfeld abgestützt, bis er seinen eigenen Arm gerochen hätte.

Daher kommt bei mir kein HeizlĂĽfter unter den Schreibtisch. Auch ich habe in den Beinen kein Temperaturempfinden mehr.
Nach langer Suche hatte ich mir November 2013 eine

Mobile Infarot- Schreibtischheizung Modell TH190

http://www.schreibtischheizung.de

gefunden. Das Teil ist genial, die Heizung benötigt nur zwischen 90-220 Watt und wird laut Gespräch des Herstellers nicht heißer als 45°C, so dass man diese sogar über den Beinen, unter die Tischplatte schrauben kann.

Die Perspektive täuscht, das Gerät ist ca. 65cm x 45cm x 3cm groß und arbeitet völlig geräuschlos.

Ich benutze meine “Beinheizung” mit dem recht teureren MetallfuĂźständer von rund 40,00€, der nur eine M-förmige verbogene Metallplatte ist, als Standgerät.

Das Gerät hat zwei Temperatur-Einstellungsmöglichkeiten mit kabelgebundener Fernbedienung.
Der Preis der Infarot- Schreibtischheizung liegt mit 189,00€ noch im vernünftigen Rahmen.

Ich kann die Schreibtischheizung wärmsten empfehlen.

Schaut euch doch einmal die Kategorie Winter auf dem Blog an, da gibt’s eine Menge Tipps fĂĽr Rollifahrer!!!

Hier geht’s,…ääh… fährt man direkt zur

Startseite des Eigude Blogs

Warme Beine find ich gut!

Nachdem sich der Sommer, sofern man die paar helleren Tage diesen Jahres so nennen kann, sich mit dem nassen Herbst fĂĽr den Winterschlaf fertig macht, beginnt damit definitiv nicht die Lieblingszeit eines jeden Rollifahrers. Wohl dem, der im Mar y Sol in Teneriffa ĂĽberwintern kann.

Ich weiß nicht wie es euch geht, aber in dem Moment, nachdem ich die Heizung in der Wohnung aufgedreht habe, ist wird mir und insbesonderen meinen Beinen plötzlich kalt.

Alle Besucher loben die “Sommerlichen Temperaturen” bei mir Zuhause, was ich jedes Jahr mit der Nebenkostenabrechnung bestätigt bekomme, aber meine Beine sind trotzdem kalt, was u. a. mit der fehlenden Bewegung zu tun hat.

Der kälteste Platz ist bei mir ist natĂĽrlich unter dem Schreibtisch im BĂĽro, was ich mittlerweile auf “Polar-Trolle” oder “Thermische Eigendynamik” zurĂĽckfĂĽhre.

Ein Bekannter von mir auch Tetraplegiker (Tetra) wie ich, völlig ohne jedes Temperaturempfinden mehr erzählte mir vor ein paar Jahren, er habe sich einmal so lange mit dem Ellenbogen auf dem noch heißen Ceranfeld abgestützt, bis er seinen eigenen Arm gerochen hätte.

Daher kommt bei mir kein HeizlĂĽfter unter den Schreibtisch. Auch ich habe in den Beinen kein Temperaturempfinden mehr.
Nach langer Suche hatte ich mir November 2013 eine

Mobile Infarot- Schreibtischheizung Modell TH190

http://www.schreibtischheizung.de

gefunden. Das Teil ist genial, die Heizung benötigt nur zwischen 90-220 Watt und wird laut Gespräch des Herstellers nicht heißer als 45°C, so dass man diese sogar über den Beinen, unter die Tischplatte schrauben kann.

Die Perspektive täuscht, das Gerät ist ca. 65cm x 45cm x 3cm groß und arbeitet völlig geräuschlos.

Ich benutze meine “Beinheizung” mit dem recht teureren MetallfuĂźständer von rund 40,00€, der nur eine M-förmige verbogene Metallplatte ist, als Standgerät.

Das Gerät hat zwei Temperatur-Einstellungsmöglichkeiten mit kabelgebundener Fernbedienung.
Der Preis der Infarot- Schreibtischheizung liegt mit 189,00€ noch im vernünftigen Rahmen.

Ich kann die Schreibtischheizung wärmsten empfehlen.

Schaut euch doch einmal die Kategorie Winter auf dem Blog an, da gibt’s eine Menge Tipps fĂĽr Rollifahrer!!!

Hier geht’s,…ääh… fährt man direkt zur

Technical Aids for Quadriplegics Part XVII

Wednesday, September 17th, 2014

Sorry, this entry is only available in Deutsch.

Speedblog Part III

Wednesday, April 16th, 2014

Sorry, this entry is only available in Deutsch.

Technical Aids Tips and Tricks XXXIII

Wednesday, December 11th, 2013

Frontpage

It doesn’t always have to be the big reconstructions in your home like e.g. bathroom or stairlift… (see older blogposts).

Often you “just” need to drill a single hole at the right place to make life easier for a wheelchair user.

Because I never had a video-surveillance-security system at my apartment door I used a virtually maintenance-free, analogue peephole when I was pedestrian.

With its fitting height of 145 cm this is now only usable for me in connection with my standing chair, some ignorant mates call it standing wheelchair.

Because I order a few or many parts in the internet and like to look into the eyes of the courier drivers before I open the door I have drilled a 14 mm hole in my door in individually adjusted hobbit height with the active support of a friend.

A highest price Conrad Elektronik peephole order no. 75 01 63 for the full price of 6,39 € was then screwed in from both sides.

The analogue NSA hobbit peephole

serves its purpose 100%.

The angular field is surprisingly good, you can see the face of the “ringer” even above a size of 1,40 m when he is there… !!!
You don’t have to identify the courier drivers by the size of the parts they bring ;-)

Read the blogpost about a handle on my kitchen door. I have mounted such a handle on my entrance door as well to close the door easier from the outside (see older blogpost).

Now I only need a band-aid to hide the peephole in granny style ;-)

Translator BL

Technical Aids Tips and Tricks XLVIII

Friday, November 2nd, 2012

Frontpage

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

Addendum Technical Aids Tips and Tricks XLVI

Friday, August 24th, 2012

Frontpage

Addendum to blogpost from 01. November 2011 about a self-constructed

window opener for wheelers.

From a fellow wheeler I have got the tip that she is using a window opener of the company

www.w-invention.de

for years and is very happy with it.

Source: w-invention.de

I had a closer look at this part in the internet and agree with her.

For buckled fingers like me with limited finger function the handle would have to be modified a little.

I consider the price as fair, which is probably because this window opener unfortunately doesn’t have a medical device number.

If someone should manage to convince his health insurance to cover the costs for this useful technical aid please send me a short message.

Again thanks for this tip to Bärbel from Berlin.

If you have more tricks on your mind, as usual e-mail to: rollinator@eigude.de

Translator BL

Addendum Technical Aids Tips and Tricks VII

Thursday, July 12th, 2012

Frontpage

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

Eigude Shame XVII

Friday, June 22nd, 2012

Frontpage

Wheelchair Ramp Occupier

I have currently started to write a few new blogposts.

But these have to wait to be published, because what happened yesterday has to be told…

When I bought a flat back in 2005 still as pedestrian together with my wife and a friendly bank, a parking place directly opposite the entrance was included for a little surcharge as well.

Awesome… Our own parking place in Frankfurt!!!

Unfortunately the parking place is too narrow for me to transfer from the wheelchair into the car, so that I have applied for and got a disabled parking place in the street (see older blogposts).

I have a lot of visitors like physiotherapists, friends and other people who are helping me with various things.

They probably only come that often to use my parking place… ;-)

I have a good relationship with all my neighbours.

One of them owns a couple of taxis which are sometimes parked in our courtyard or street a little unconventionally during driver change, especially when he has new drivers.

Last week at least three times such a beige vehicle was standing on my labelled parking place (see lifter picture), and this even when I had a visitor on Sunday morning, when you don’t know anyway where to park your car!!!

When I met my neighbour on the same day I told him in round terms to tell his drivers that I don’t want to see one of his taxis on my parking place any more.

Yesterday on Friday I descended with my

platform lifter

from my flat in the 1st floor and wanted to leave the house on my Flower Ramp (see older blogposts).

My low blood pressure was healed promptly.

I don’t tend to hyperventilate, but yesterday it was almost the case.

After about 2 minutes and the photo I had calmed down again a little and rang at my
Wheelchair Ramp Occupier:

REMOVE THE TAXI IMMEDIATELY!!!

 

I should mention as well that no car was parking on my parking place.

Translator BL

Bath Reconstruction Neverending Story (last part for the time being)

Sunday, April 29th, 2012

Frontpage
 

The Stumbling Rock

 

The reconstruction of my narrow pedestrian bathroom to a

Wheelchair Spa

in the autumn of 2008 with the moving of a wall and the installation of an on grade shower was rather nerve-wracking.

Read the older blogposts “Bath Reconstruction Part 1-4″, and decide yourself if the tears come from laughing or crying ;-)

I was already home from hospital for a couple of days when finally the washing basin was mounted.
The reconstruction was virtually finalized after a few weeks already.

There was just one little thing. The new drain of washing basin and bath tub was ailing a little. The water drained off rather reasonably, but after 25 seconds the drain started to communicate in an unknown language with me.

Just like that:
Gurgle, gurgle, rattle, rattle, bubble, bubble and once again.
Sometimes it seemed to call names.

I had a creepy feeling, everybody knows the pipe ghost, the “Moaning Myrtle” from Harry Potter.

After various unsuccessful attempts to “muzzle” the drain pipe professionally by cleaning it with a spiral I decided to visit the pipe ghost with the help of a camera.

Such a film is quite special if you climb through your own drain pipe.
During the reconstruction work a hardly worth mentionable ca. 4 cm x 4 cm small accident happened to the guys, to say a stone got stuck in the drain pipe.

When the gas-water-heating-bath construction-video expert ;-)

told me that the stone can only be removed from my neighbours underneath I was a bit more relaxed.

Then at least they don’t pry open my brand-new bathroom because of the stupid stone.

I felt so sorry for my neighbours that I didn’t arrange the removal of the stone immediately.

Now, 3,5 years later my neighbours have moved out, and the stumbling rock was finally removed.

Currently I don’t miss the “gurgle conversations” in the morning yet. Should I miss them I have filmed a video with the last words of the stone just in case.

Translator BL