When someone has MS: Tips for at-home care

At-home care
For people with MS who have severe levels of disability, there are several solutions to practical problems. For example, someone who needs to be lifted from their wheelchair to their bed or bath can be moved using the proper kind of lift. Other at-home solutions might include making wider doorways, and installing grab bars in the bathroom and shower.

Sometime it's not always possible for a person with MS to live a life exactly like most people. Fortunately, there are many devices to help people with MS meet the challenges of daily living. Many of these things are available in your local shopping mall, in hardware stores, kitchen supply shops, drug stores, or department stores; others can be bought through hospitals and clinics; and there are companies that sell many of them over the Web – ask your local Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada support group for recommendations.

Some of the things available to make life easier with MS include:

  • for around the house: special spring-style scissors, pegboards for easy-access storage, cupboard and closet organizers, revolving or fold-out storage devices, levers for door handles, key holders
  • for the kitchen: jar openers, cutting boards with pegs to hold food in place, built-up utensils for easier gripping, carts
  • for the bathroom: grab bars, toilet safety frames, rubber mats, long-handled sponges
  • for the bedroom: aids for putting on socks, dressing sticks and reaching sticks, shoehorns, elastic laces, button hooks

Other care options
Providing care at home might be more challenging in some cases. There are different kinds of live-in care facilities, including assisted living, nursing homes, and cooperative care housing. Deciding what kind of facility is best will depend on individual care needs and the financial resources available.

All material copyright MediResource Inc. 1996 – 2023. Terms and conditions of use. The contents herein are for informational purposes only. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Source: www.medbroadcast.com/healthfeature/gethealthfeature/MS-Tips-For-Caregivers