inMotion Magazine

May | June 2019 28 Living With Limb Loss Whether you’re adjusting to a recent amputation, coping with loss of limb function, or living with any sort of limb difference, keeping up with life means dealing with basic daily activities. You’re not alone. According to the World Health Organization, more than 1 billion people worldwide live with some form of disability. Nearly 200 million of those people experience considerable difficulties in performing basic daily activities. Although prosthetic limbs, wheelchairs and other mobility devices can help people to remain active and connected to the world, they can’t help with a simple task like buttoning a shirt or many other essential parts of everyday life that pose a challenge for people with limb loss. Fortunately, there are many assistive devices available to help with the personal functions of daily life, such as the following examples. Dressing Getting dressed seems like a function that most people would prefer to do alone. But for people without full use of two hands and 10 fingers, it isn’t so easy. A few simple devices can help people wear what they want and dress and undress more easily. The Button Aid is an advanced version of the centuries-old buttonhook, designed to assist people with one hand or limited finger dexterity to fasten buttons. It includes a wire loop that slips over the button and allows it to be pulled through the buttonhole. The Button Aid comes in two sizes for small and large buttons. (supportplus.com ) The Dressing Stick assists people who have difficulty bending, a limited range of motion, or the use of only one arm or hand. The Dressing Stick is a simple 2-foot handle with a small hook on one end, to assist in pulling zippers and shoelace loops, and a larger double hook/pusher attachment at the other end to help with putting on shirts and jackets, pulling up pants or skirts, or removing socks. (maddak.com ) Another simple tool for getting dressed is the I-Zip Zipper Pull Dressing Aid, a zipper pull to By Tony Phillips INDEPENDENCE DEVICES FOR