This is a summary of the first monthly event organised by the Reach Team of the Living Hope Church Borivali at Hope Centre, Borivali on the 25th of March 2022 at 5 PM. The next Seminar is planned at the same venue for 22nd April 2022 from 5 to 6:30 PM. Please click here to register. [will open a new tab]

We present Simple tips and tricks to help in daily living, for all ages.

Here are the key points from the faculty who are experts in the field of Medicine, Physiotherapy, Occupational Therapy, and Safety.  

Daily Living Activities: Dr Vaishali Shah

Following are the tips to make Daily Living Activities Easy:

1. Installing Ramps
2. Using Hearing Aids
3. Chair Lifts
4. Buttoning aid hooks
5. Medical alert devices
6. Toilet Seat Risers
7. Showering Chair
8. Installation of Hand Showers
9. Washcloth mitts
10. Kitchen utensils with larger wooden hand grips
11. Shoes and Clothes with Velcro Straps

Following are a few Activities for mental and physical wellbeing:

1) Clay Exercises (Can use Wheat dough if Stationary Clay is unavailable)

2) Puzzle Solving (Sudoku or Crossword)

3) Peg Boards

4) Reading and writing short articles

Self-Care: Physical Exercises Dr. Kiran Wakpanjar

1) ONE FOOT BALANCE

2)  TOE RAISE

3) KNEE RAISE

4) LEG EXTENSION

5) KNEE FLEXION

6) LEG AND ARM EXTENSION

7) CHAIR SQUAT

To start with, do every exercise twice daily 10 reps. All the balance exercises should be done under observation or around someone.

Mental Exercises, Emotional Health

What counts for emotional safety? भावनात्मक सुरक्षा के लिए क्या मायने रखता है?

– a safe space to talk about anything किसी भी चीज़ के बारे में बात करने के लिए एक सुरक्षित स्थान

– respect for physical and emotional boundaries शारीरिक और भावनात्मक सीमाओं का सम्मान

Mental Exercises

– Memory Games

– Word Association Games

– Card and Board Games

– Puzzles

Takeaway:

• Make sure you have an emotionally safe place to openly talk about what you are feeling without being judged. If you don’t find emotional safety at home, don’t shy away from seeking help outside. You can always connect with us at Support Team @Ashokone Hospital.
  • Maintaining a structure for the day helps you feel much in control, include brain-stimulating games in your routine.
  • Take up hobbies to enhance your quality of life.

Preventive Services: Home safety including Fall Risk [Dr. Mathew, Dr. Vaishali] 

Ergonomics

LEADING CAUSES OF BODY PAIN AND MSI [Musculo Skeletal Injuries] are POOR postures, IMPROPER ERGONOMICS, and LACK OF UNDERSTANDING OF PHYSIOLOGY AND HOW TO DO DAILY LIVING ACTIVITIES.

What can you do to improve your Ergonomics?

Exercises: As demonstrated by Dr Kiran and Dr Vaishali.

Diet: Ensure that you have adequate amounts of proteins, calcium, Vitamin D and other micronutrients in your diet.

Proper selection of equipment: Use a chair and table of the proper height. This image will help you to select them.

Home safety and Fall Risk

The top 5 causes of falls are

Impaired vision:

Medications:

Home Hazards: A major cause of falls is clutter, objects lying on the floor, poor lighting, slippery floors, loose rugs or mats, etc

Weakness and balance issues:

Chronic Medical Conditions: Like dementia, Parkinsonism, etc

Some basic steps that you can take:

Please check your eyesight and hearing regularly and take steps to correct them. Use adequate lighting. Install grab bars and railings wherever needed. Get a Home Safety Assessment done.

Check with your Doctor regarding the medications you are taking if you feel drowsy. Also, check for Obstructive Sleep Apnoea. This is an often-undiagnosed condition.

Do regular decluttering. Take two boxes when you do so, label one as a donation and the other as a sale. This will help you to sort out the items. Any item that you have not used in the past year is a likely candidate for decluttering.

Regular exercises will improve your muscle tone and power. Balancing exercises also will help you prevent falls.

For those who have memory-related issues, there is an additional Home safety assessment available. Simple preventive steps will go a long way to ensure that you are safe at home.

Electrical safety [Samuel] 

Electrical accidents can lead to death and are also a leading cause of fires. Please do an Electrical Audit as part of the Home Safety Assessment. Simple preventive steps can help avert a tragedy. Home safety check-up includes checking all electrical wirings, switches, and fire hazards.

The use of an Earth Linked Circuit Breaker is one such simple step that can help prevent you and your loved ones from getting an electrical shock. It will also cut off the power supply to the faulty equipment before it catches fire.

Equilibrium [Dominic Vales]

Here are some important tips to keep in mind.

Watch your Head:

The body follows the head. The head maintains the body balance. Maintaining a good posture and head position will reduce stress in the neck and shoulder muscles.

Line of Strength

Objects closer to our body are easier to lift as we are engaging more of our body muscles and hence the weight is distributed.

• Lifting heavy objects: Use the green zone to hold objects [close to your body]
• Avoid bending your back to lift objects.

• Move your legs as close to the object as possible
• Bend the knee to reach down. Maintain upright position
• Get a firm grip, engage the little finger (power grip) as it is connected to the larger muscles)
• Brace yourself while lifting when possible
• Lift with your legs and not your back
• Listen to your body and take note of signs of stress

Footwear both indoors and outdoors is important.

• Right foot ware is of utmost importance to avoid stress and hazards of slipping
• Ensure right size, good support, and good grip on the surface
• Avoid worn-out footwear (Nothing is more dangerous than a worn-out chappal on a wet surface)
• You may save a few rupees on cheap chappals and end up paying more to recover from a fall

Remember STOP – WAIT – GO….

If your body is in a resting position, lying on a bed, or sitting for a long time. NEVER get up and move immediately. Sudden movements can cause dizziness and increase the chance of falls and injuries. Always brace yourself when you get up!

So always – Stop… Wait…. Go.