I offer a high quality bespoke service which includes lots of flexibility as standard. I pop in to deal with any problems that crop up, I run errands, go shopping and take people to appointments. But also, as I get to know people, I just can't help working out ways to make their lives easier and more enjoyable. It's a big part of why I love my job so much!
Sometimes this involves a bit of research and some trial and error, and sometimes it involves just remembering what I've seen working for other people.
So this blog post collects together four of these 'great ideas to share', and includes something useful for the car, the kitchen, memories and enjoying jigsaws.
Can you guess what this is for?
I love finding useful gadgets, and this one is such a good idea.
It's really helpful if you've noticed that you or your passenger are struggling to get in or out of the car.
I use mine all the time with family and clients, and sometimes random people in car parks comment on how useful it looks.
It's a simple little handle that hooks securely into the door latch of your car, and fits easily into the door pocket when not being used.
It creates a solid extra handle - just where the hand would normally flail around for something to hang onto.
What makes it even more useful is, they've sneaked in a few extra features, including a small torchlight. And in case of an accident which leaves you trapped in the car, there's a sharp blade for cutting through the seatbelt, and the solid metal end can be used for smashing through the window.
You can find one to buy online by just searching for something along the lines of 'car handle bar'.
Sometimes the answer is just to go small
If bending and reaching is getting difficult,
a benchtop fridge can be a really useful addition to your kitchen.
It keeps everything accessible at a safe working height and can help to avoid falls and back injuries.
And who says the kitchen bin needs to stand on the floor? You can get a mini bin to sit on the bench for discarding small bits and pieces.
As well as reorganising the kitchen to avoid low level storage, it's also a good idea to avoid storing things at high level.
Over-reaching or climbing up onto steps or furniture to reach things can be another cause of falls and injuries.
The whole story is more than just the picture.
This is me at 4 years old.
When my mum sees this photo she smiles and remembers how excited I was to get the dressy up outfit for my birthday, and how I kept saying "Look at me - I'm a princess!"
Reminiscence therapy and life story work bring many benefits for older people, especially those living with dementia.
However, it can seem daunting to take on what might feel like a big project when you're already pushed for time dealing with day to day challenges.
I've been trying out the Peggi App, introduced to me by Glenda Devlin, with one of the families I support.
Peggi makes it quick and easy to tap into the benefits of precious family memories.
We tried it out by loading up just 3 photos along with a short audio clip for each one. In each recording the daughter briefly described the photo and the family story, the way their mum would usually talk about the photo.
I then witnessed the impact of using the App, at a time when their mum was caught in an escalating cycle of anxiety and confusion. It was usually impossible to calm her down when she got in this state.
But showing her those 3 photos along with the accompanying audio clips was like pressing a Reset button.
She connected immediately with those special family memories, talked about them and smiled, and then she carried on as if nothing had been wrong beforehand.
Based on past experience, without that intervention, she would have stayed distressed for hours.
As well as being used by families themselves, this App is also a useful tool for Carers. Once the family has set up a few photos in the App, then a Carer can show/play them to the person they're supporting. The accompanying text and/or audio file gives important context and helps make those positive connections to memories. In my previous work as a Carer I know this isn't always easy to do if you don't know the back story and you have limited time on visits.
When I get to a certain point, I find I just can't stop!
Does anyone else find jigsaws addictive?
Especially when it gets close to the end,
I just can't stop my hand from picking up another piece.
Just one more, I think to myself,
then I'll do something more useful.
But then I find myself reaching for another...
I've noticed that sometimes people stop doing jigsaws as they get older.
The tiny pieces get too difficult to see clearly, or too difficult to pick up and put in position with arthritis in fingers.
But I've discovered that there's a huge range of jigsaws available with much larger pieces.
And sometimes the same picture is available in a selection of sizes.
Over time I've built up a little library of jigsaws in larger pieces. If someone is reluctant to invest in buying a jigsaw with larger pieces, in case they don't like it, they can just borrow one instead.
Sometimes it also takes a bit of trial and error to find a comfortable working position. Some sort of tilted jigsaw board, a good chair and some extra lighting can help with this.
I like the large selection of jigsaws available from Ravensburger. They have a good variety of 100 piece and 200 piece jigsaws available, building into the same finished size as you would normally get with 500 smaller pieces (49 x 36cm).
And if you're looking for something more personal for a gift, you can create a large-piece jigsaw from your own photo, from online photo stores like photobox.
Next Steps
I hope you found these ideas useful. I'm always keen to hear about any other great ideas so please let me know if you have anything to share.
My business is called And Wiser, and I help older adults live well at home, as independently as possible, with or without carers.
I provide a range of support services. Everything from regular shopping and errands to in-depth project work to help improve quality of life. I can help identify solutions and find ways to get things done. This includes helping with technology.
To find out more about all of the ways I can help, have a look at all of my Services or read some of the blog posts and case studies to find out how my services have helped my clients to live well at home and really thrive, not just survive.
Please get in touch if you, or someone you care for, would like tailored support (including some great ideas, just for you).
Note: I take no payment of any kind from organisations whose products or services I mention in these posts - I just like to save people time by highlighting what I think is good! These are all ideas that I've seen work well for other people, but they may not be suitable for everyone. If you have any difficulties carrying out day to day activities, you can get an assessment from an Occupational Therapist who will be able to give you personal advice.
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