Inventing for mother, a necessity

Taking care of my home-bound wife often presents challenges. So yesterday the challenge was how to get her off the floor where she was sitting without putting unnecessary stress and strain on her frame. This is a real challenge as some of my wife's maladies include arthritis. You can't just wrap your arms around her shoulders and lift her up . . . way too painful.

After making sure she had blankets and pillows, I ran down to the 24-hour WalMart and bought four, 'ratcheting straps', and the largest, padded toilet seat:

Back home, I secured the 'hook end' of the four straps around the seat, closed the lid, and laid the four straps outward. I had my wife scootch over the seat and then put her walker around her. So she was sitting on the toilet seat lid with with her legs out the open end of the walker.

I hooked the four rachet latches around the top; threaded the four straps, and; started ratcheting up the seat with my wife off the floor. Once it was high enough, she could hold me and the walker and stand up. Not a perfect solution, it is 'good enough' to solve the problem.

I had also bought a rug to fabricate a thinner, mat-seat to lift her if the toilet seat did not work. I may still go that way if we need to do something like this again in the future. But the problem is a flexible seat would 'compress her legs' and make transition to standing out of the sling more difficult. Then I noticed these fishing boat, plastic, seats . . . hummm.

We typically have a choose between: GOOD; FAST, and; CHEAP. I am finding many medical devices are available on the eBay 'gray market' at prices strangely equal to the 'deductable' portion of prescribed, medical devices. Often these eBay devices have better characteristics than what is available in the local, medical supply stores where one might take a prescription . . . for example, her walker.

The key technical specifications:

• automatic braking action of rear legs - put weight on and the spring-loaded sliders let the high-friction legs 'brake' to hold the walker in place.
• the seat folds up but can be lowered so the user can turn around, sit, and take rest.
• an optional clear plastic tray (not shown) that fits on the seat so it can function as a "TV tray".
• an optional, wire 'purse' basket (not shown) that fits below the seat to carry loose items.

The local medical equipment markup means they pocket the insurance payment for medical for a less capable walker. But the buyer pays the deductible for what is often a technically, inferior unit. The folks at the therapy center called this one 'the Cadillac' of walkers.

GOOD LUCK!
Bob Wilson