Month: January 2019

Caregivers Senior Care

Wheelchair Safety – Tips from Karma Healthcare

By on Monday, January 28, 2019

This product from Karma is extremely light-weight and highly durable. This ultra-light transport chair weighs only – 9.2kg can take up to 100Kg weight and provides a more stable ride. Can move in very narrow space and allows easy storage and transport.

AVAILABLE AT OLD IS GOLD STORE

Wheelchair Safety – Tips from Karma Healthcare

Doorways

  • The safest way to operate the wheelchair is on level floors that are free of obstacles. Whenever possible use a ramp to enter or exit a facility. Keeping your hands on the push rims will allow you to maintain maximum balance. Do not try to force yourself over an obstruction by propulsion and never use the sides of a doorway to pull yourself through a passageway.

Negotiating Inclines

  • Never turn on a hill due to the danger of tipping.
  • When assisting, go straight up a slope. If user needs to go down midway, walk backwards until user is on level ground. (See Figures 2.2 and 2.3.)
  • Do not drive up to 7 degrees of incline to avoid danger. When negotiating inclines, don’t propel up to 3 degrees of incline.
  • Avoid stopping on an incline, it can potentially cause you to lose control of the wheelchair.
  • Do not use the brakes to slow down or stop the wheelchair, this could cause it to seize up, causing you to lose control or fall out of the wheelchair.
  • Whenever possible, utilize help from an assistant/attendant while negotiating inclines.

Negotiating Inclines
Figure 2.2

Negotiating Inclines
Figure2.3

Kerbs

  • Whenever possible get help from an assistant/attendant (if you have assistance make sure that your chair is equipped with push handles)
  • Avoid hard impacts when descending a kerb. A hard impact could adversely affect the wheelchair.
  • Never try to scale or descend kerbs that exceed a normal height.
  • Always take care when climbing kerbs or turning on slopes and never move in reverse without an assistant.

Stairs

 

  • Always use two or more assistants. Tilt the wheelchair to its point of equilibrium. One assistant (at the back) holds the wheelchair up against the first step, gripping the handles firmly to lift. The second assistant, holding firmly a fixed part of the front frame, lifts the wheelchair above the stairs and holds it while the first attendant places one foot on the following step and repeat the operation (See below Figure)
  • Never go down the steps forwards.
  • Never use an escalator for transport, use an elevator.

Wheelchair safety Stairs

 

Streets

  • Always use extreme caution when crossing streets. Reflective tape on the wheelchair and/or your clothing will make you more visible to drivers.
  • Please comply with traffic safety code.
  • Avoid potholes and rough terrain that might cause the casters to become stuck. (See Figure 2.4)

• Avoid potholes and rough terrain that might cause the casters to become stuck
Figure 2.4

General

  • Always make sure BOTH brakes are applied before getting in or out of the wheelchair.
  • Never stand on the footplates when getting in or out of the wheelchair.
  • Never carry more than one passenger. KARMA wheelchairs are limited to one user.
  • Use caution to assure your clothing doesn’t get tangled with the wheels.
  • When the user is operating the wheelchair using the push rim, please push the wheelchair gently. DO NOT apply a sudden huge force on the push rim. It could cause the chair to tip over. Please refer to the figure below for the best grip points for using the push rim.

Upholstery

  • When cleaning the upholstery, use warm water and a mild soap.
  • Upholstery cleaner/foam can also be used, but avoid other cleaning solvents.
  • Do be far away of flame, it might injury user and damage the wheelchair.

Anti-tippers

Anti-tippers

  • Please strongly consider purchasing anti-tippers and always use them to avoid personal injury. The distance between anti-tipper and wheels is at least 5cm; the height to floor doesn’t exceed 5 cm.

 Maximum User Weight Limit

  • Loads exceeding maximum capacity can damage your wheelchair and cause malfunctions yielding a safety hazard.

Avoid General Misuse

  • Any vehicle can cause injury if misused and with reasonable care and your safety will be ensured.
  • Your wheelchair will give years of safe use if used sensibly and be aware that careless use endangers your own safety as well as that of user.
    • Do not let children stand or play on the wheelchair. (See Figure 2.5)

• Do not let children stand or play on the wheelchair
Figure 2.5

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Dementia Senior Care

Activities for Seniors who have physical or cognitive limitations – Pallanguzhi

By on Saturday, January 5, 2019

Activities for Seniors who have physical or cognitive limitations – Pallanguzhi

There are activities and fun board games for older adults even if they have physical or cognitive limitations like arthritis or early stages of dementia. It’s more about spending time together, enjoying it and being a part of an activity.

Pallanguzhi (also known as a Cup and Coin Game, Vamanaguntalu, Mancala, Olinda Kaluja, Aliguli Mane, Adu-Guni Mane, Chenne Mane, Saat Kooti, Kutki-Boia) is perfect for seniors to enjoy with family and friends. Although seniors enjoy this game, we must be careful not to overdo it. Look for signs of fatigue and give it a break to keep seniors from getting too tired.

This is played on a wooden board with 14 cups in it, this is a game of distribution and counting. Variations of the game appeal to different ages and make it challenging and exciting.

  • Develops excellent math skills and fine motor skills
  • Helps to build memory
  • Believed to be therapeutic for those with arthritic fingers

Pallankuzhi – Rules of the Game

1. Aim of the game: To capture the most seeds. The Game is played in pairs with each player taking one side of the board.
2. Start: Place five seeds in each cup (Fig 1)

Figure -1
PLAYER-1

Pallankuzhi – Rules of the Game

PLAYER-2
Round 1:
PLAYER 2 lifts the seeds from any cup on his side of the board and distributes one seed in each cup. When the player drops the last seed, s/he takes the seeds from the next cup and continues dropping them around the board including the opponent’s side. (Fig 2)

Pallankuzhi – Rules of the Game
Figure-2

If the last seed falls into a cup with an empty cup beyond, Player 2 collects the seeds next to the empty cup and that ends his turn. (Figs 3 and 4)
Figure-3

Pallankuzhi – Rules of the Game

Figure-4

Pallankuzhi – Rules of the Game

PLAYER-1 plays the same way, starting from any of the cups on his side and goes round the board distributing the seeds in the cups.
If the last seed falls into a cup with two empty cups beyond, he collects no seeds and his turn is over.
3.Winning:
The round is over when a player has no seeds on his side to start his turn. At this point, the winner could be determined based on the number of seeds in the stores. Or else continue playing until one player’s store is exhausted. (Fig 5)

Pallankuzhi – Rules of the Game
Figure-5

Pallanguzhi from Kreeda

Pallanguzhi from Kreeda

While Pallanguzhis were traditionally made of wood, our current need is to conserve forests and trees. The new Pallanguzhi from Kreeda is made from MDF (Medium Density Fibreboard). This is a type of hardboard, which is made from wood fibres glued under heat and pressure. It can be made from almost any scrap wood that is normally of limited value.
So when you buy an environment friendly Pallanguzhi from Kreeda, you are doing your bit toward conserving the environment.

IMPORTANT – KREEDA uses game pieces (small white stone) instead of seeds but the rules of the game remain the same

Where to buy?

We recommend ‘The Old is Gold Store’, speciality Store offering an assortment of products & services exclusive to senior citizens. Apart from the above, you will find several products that make your older adult’s life easier.

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