Tips, Tricks, & Equipment

Tips For Everyday Living

Daily Mindset

• Do as much as you can for yourself. It may be difficult at first, but doing things independently is how you learn.
• Ask questions of other people with a SCI. You are not reinventing the wheel. More often than not, someone else has shared similar experiences and struggles.
• Have a sense of humor! “Does this wheelchair make my butt look big?” – You have to laugh. Humor is an important part of recovery.
• Say please and thank you when you need help. It goes a long way.
• With people close to you, try to separate disagreements about care or accessibility from the relationship itself. You can disagree about SCI/D-related issues without letting them damage your day or your relationship.

Caregiving & Relationships

• Try not to rely on a spouse or family member as your long-term primary caregiver. They should still know how to help but hiring someone for that role can help preserve the health of your relationship.
• If you have a permanent disability, you can get a free lifetime pass to all US National Forests and qualify for Medicare regardless of age.

Out in the Community

• Too many people isolate themselves after getting injured. Try to get out of bed every day and plan something fun to do once a week or a few times each month.
• Need help cutting up your food at a restaurant? Ask the chef to cut it up before being served.
• Carry a backpack in your vehicle with extra supplies and clothes in case of an emergency.
• You can park for FREE with your disabled parking placard at parking meters.
• Don’t skip concerts or shows just because your tickets are not in the accessible section. Box offices can often exchange them for accessible seating, and sometimes you may even get a better seat or gain access to sold-out events by calling ahead.
• In California, public pools built after 1991 must provide a lift for accessibility, including those at hotels, apartment complexes, condo communities, and other public facilities. See the ADA Law file in Triumph’s Resource Guide for building code details.

At Home

• Keep a tray at home to help you transport stuff on your lap while moving around.
• Have your bed, couch, and furniture the same height as your wheelchair, so transferring is as easy as possible. You can get furniture stilts from most department stores (ex: Target, etc.) to raise the height or remove furniture legs, wheels, or frame to lower the height.
• If you live in a home that isn’t accessible, you can convert your garage into a living space

Travel

• Air travel is often easier than people expect. Let the airline know in advance that you use a wheelchair and arrive at the gate early. At the aircraft door, staff can assist with transfer to an aisle chair and help store your wheelchair. Tell staff which wheelchair parts should stay with you, and which can be checked, and make it clear if your chair should remain assembled. When it is time to get off the plane, you are the last to leave and it is the exact reverse process.

Benefits & Paperwork

• You may be asked to provide documentation of your disability. It can be helpful to keep an official letter from your doctor stating that you have a spinal cord injury.
• Ask your doctor about a standing order for urinalysis. It can save you from having to schedule an appointment every time you suspect a UTI.
• Check out the Live to Roll YouTube Channel and website for more awesome tips, tutorials, and vlogs on daily living by one of Triumph’s very own Ambassadors, Shawn Fluke. livetoroll.org

Tricks For Daily Living

Daily Care

• If you have limited hand function, placing a bar of soap in a tube sock can make it easier to grip while washing. Automatic soap dispensers can also make bathing easier.
• Urocare Sport bags are strapped to your upper thigh, allowing you to wear shorts. These bags are easy for quads to empty on their own if you attach them to a Urocare Quick Drain Valve.
• Many women recommend replacing a leg bag with a belly bag if you want to go swimming to hide it under your swimsuit.
• For bowel programs, many people prefer Magic Bullet or Enemeez suppositories. These are often only available online and may not be covered by insurance. Over-the-counter oil-based suppositories may dissolve more slowly and can increase the risk of accidents.
• A product made by Coloplast called the Peristeen anal irrigation system uses water to help fully evacuate the bowels. It typically requires prescription and training, but many people find it to be an effective bowel management option.
• Get a bidet toilet attachment for an easy way to keep yourself clean after using the restroom.
• If you have limited use of your hands, it’s important you have the right bowl program tools. The EZ Reach Bowel Management Tools includes a suppository inserting tool and digital bowel stimulator.
• D-mannose is commonly used to help support bladder health and reduce the risk of UTIs. It is a naturally occurring sugar found in some plants, including cranberries, and may help prevent certain substances from sticking to the bladder lining.
• Uqora.com offers a variety of products that include supplements that have been shown to be clinically effective in preventing UTI’s such as D-Mannose, Curcumin, Vitamin D3, and Lactobacillus.

Clothing

• Buy shoes that are a ½ – 1 size too big. Often times due to lack of movement your feet will swell which will result in issues if your shoes are too tight. Give your feet some breathing room. Dr. Scholl’s air cushions are nice too.
• Sewing your front pants pockets closed gives you a clean, nice look when sitting.
• To use a catheter bag with pants, you can take them in for alterations and get a zipper added to the thigh to make emptying your bag easier.
• Dickies (polyester/cotton blend) pants slide easy on a transfer board and stay looking clean.
• Putting zipper-pulls, key rings, or loops on zippers makes dressing easier. Mirrors, magnets, loops, rings, and hooks are your friends.
• If you need to wear a tie, consider a children’s tie that is shorter in length.
• A long skirt can help hide a larger urinary bag and may reduce the need to empty it as often while out.
• Get magnetic shoelaces, so you don’t have to tie your shoes. ZUBITS on Amazon are great. Off-brand magnetic shoelaces usually aren’t as strong.
• billyfootwear.com has great shoes with a zipper in extra wide.
• An abdominal binder can help if you have low blood pressure or a quad gut.
  com has an abdominal binder with loops to make it easier to put on.
• com is a unique tailor shop specializing in adaptive alterations for people with disabilities. Founded in Pasadena, CA by Lynn Brannelly and Alexander Andronescu.

Regulating Body Temperature 

• Depending on your level of injury, you may have difficulty regulating your body temperature. A great way to cool down when it’s hot outside is by bringing a spray bottle mister. Another great option is to use a cooling rag that can be soaked in water and put around your neck or head.
• To stay warm wear neck warmers, beanies or other hats to keep your temperature regulated when it’s cold out.

Exercise

• Focus on perfect body mechanics rather than maximizing the weight lifted.
• Sign up for online fitness classes!
• You don’t need fancy exercise equipment to work out. You can use many household items to do at-home exercises like a broomstick or dowel.
• Do daily arm circles, punches, and other range of motion exercises. Get some wrist/ankle weights for upper body exercises if you have limited hand function while going through natural body movements.
• Challenge yourself to exercise in different seating positions other than your everyday wheelchair. ex: from a chair, on the edge of a bed or a mat, or long sitting position.
• Focus on posture by sitting up tall, straight, and symmetrical.
• Have someone help you move through movements that you are unable to do properly.
• Always exercise within a pain free range of motion.
• Swimming pools are one of the best places to exercise.
• The Protone Quad Gym enables quads to exercise independently from a wheelchair. https://www.thewrightstuff.com/protone-fitness-machine.html

Equipment

Wheelchairs 

• Manual Wheelchair / Power Chair – having both a lightweight manual wheelchair and a power chair is optimal. A manual chair is great for exercise, trunk strength training and will often go places where a power chair cannot. A powerchair will save your shoulders and be fun to use; it’s like having a go-cart that can go anywhere!
• Air Hawk has a lightweight power chair that is foldable, making it easy to transport.
• Look into getting a standing frame or standing power wheelchair. Standing is great for your body’s digestive system, respiratory system, bone density, and more.
• Power assist wheels and add-ons provide an extra boost to each push of the wheel. Look into e.Motion, Twion, Smartdrive, Tailwind, and other brands/manufacturers.
• Need to easily push your wheelchair over grass, snow, curbs, or dirt trails? Get a FreeWheel attachment for your manual wheelchair. It gently lifts your front casters off the ground turning your wheelchair into a 3-wheel, all-terrain chair.
• Get Frogleg casters with suspension in the front to make your ride a little smoother.

Accessories

• EasyStand’s Easy Glider Standing Frame is a great standing frame that’s also an elliptical machine- easystand.com
• Purchasing quality push gloves can make it more efficient and less strenuous to maneuver a wheelchair. Check out com and rehadesign.com/products/wheelchair-gloves for excellent options that fit your needs.
• com offers a variety of gripping aid products that you can put on independently. Their products are great if you have decreased hand function or a weak grip.
• com has a ton of great adaptive equipment explicitly designed for C5-C7 quads to live more independently. Each tool is custom-fitted to each user!
• Get a portable mini air compressor that plugs into your car’s cigarette lighter or an outlet in case you lose air pressure in your tires and need a little pick-me-up.
• Always keep an extra wheelchair inner tube with a changing tool kit in your car for emergencies.
• Purchase a power inverter for your vehicle to charge your power chair directly from your car. Consult a mechanic to install the inverter for you and see what will work best with your vehicle.

Home Equipment & Modifications

• Having a portable ramp will allow you to have access to more venues and places. EZAccess.com
• Build-it-yourself ramp blueprints Wheelchair-Ramps-DIY.com
• Various stair climbing systems are available if you live in a two-story home. The Scalamobil requires minimal caregiver assistance to operate the machine does all the heavy lifting and stair climbing. This device attaches to almost all manual wheelchairs and can support up to 308lbs in weight.
• Mobile Stairlift is also a stairclimbing device requiring minimal caregiver assistance; however, it does not attach to a wheelchair, so you would have to keep a wheelchair at the top and bottom of the stairs.
• Supertrac Portable Inclined Wheelchair Lift is a portable wheelchair platform lift that provides instant, affordable accessibility where stairways are a barrier.
• There are portable commode chairs that are easily assembled and great for travel. Check out nuprodx.com for options.
• K Cushion padded portable toilet seat riser cushion cover or cushion for showering. kcushion.com
• Need a roll-in shower? Check out these pop-up shower systems that can hook up to your faucet: LiteShower.com
• Shower Buddy is a shower transfer system that makes your bathroom more accessible and you can customize it to fit your needs. shower-buddy.com
• Having trouble closing your door behind you? You can install spring hinges on the front door or install cabinet knob drawer pulls on doors. Tying a dog leash on your door can also help close doors behind you.
• Make your home or work environment more accessible by changing door knobs for door levers/handles.
• Installing offset hinges on your doors can widen your doorway up to two inches.
• Adjustable bed – Having a bed that sits up is amazing (whether or not you are disabled). Can’t afford an adjustable bed? Get the Mattress Genie contourliving.com
• com has a unique adjustable bed because it has a high/low feature that lets you adjust the vertical height of your bed. It’s great if you have caregivers that assist you with transfers.
• A Sleep Number mattress has adjustable firmness settings, so you can have it firm for transfers and exercise (like a workout mat) or soft when you sleep to prevent pressure spots. sleepnumber.com
• The Dolphin Fluid Immersion Simulation® (FIS) System is an advanced therapy system mattress designed to provide state-of-the-art pressure redistribution by simulating the effects of a body immersed in a fluid medium. joerns.com/product/dolphin-fis
• Using a bed ladder or bed rails can be helpful if you need a little assistance to pull yourself up to a sitting position or reposition yourself in bed.

Cooking

• Use a tray to transport stuff around the kitchen without burning yourself.
• Getting a portable convection cooking plate can also be helpful as you can place it on lower surfaces for easy cooking and warming.
• Use a casserole crockpot for cooking because it’s less deep, so you’re able to see what’s in it.
• An air fryer is great because the door and basket pull out sideways, making it easy to manage.
• Find a variety of utensils, spill-proof cups, and other adapted products and tools that are easy to handle performancehealth.com and www.rehabmart.com

Swim

• If you want to go swimming get an Aquatic Head Float life vest. It keeps your head securely above the water to ensure safety. especialneeds.com
• Airtime Watertime Floater is a new flotation suit that adds buoyancy and allows people of all abilities to enjoy the water. airtimewatertime.com

 High-Tech

• Assistive technology is available to make your home more accessible: Smart Assistant – Amazon Alexa / Google Home etc.; Bluetooth Lightbulbs; Smart Plugs; Nest Thermostat.
• If you cannot use your hands, check out GlassOuse device (glassouse.com) that is a mix between glasses and a mouse to help you easily navigate your devices with head movements.
• Speech recognition software is a great and efficient way to type, check out Dragon Software https://dragon.nuance.com/en-us/home
• A great mouse if you have limited hand function is the trackball mice by Kensington. They’re easy to use, and their software allows you to customize your controls. kensington.com/c/products/electronic-control-solutions/trackball-products  

Other

• Quit hauling around multiple medicine bottles and forgetting when to take them. Get a pill organizer to help you keep track.
• Get a wooden sliding board that is nice and slick. Many are available in different lengths. Check out: adi.stealthproducts.com
• Attach a wheelchair drink cup holder to your manual wheelchair. Check out net or livingspinal.com. Bike stores also sell them.
• A magnetic car phone mount with a magnetic case is easy to use if you have limited hand function. Apple offers MagSafe car mounts that charge your phone if you have a compatible iPhone. RAM mounts are also an excellent durable phone mount option.
• Get a cardholder that sticks to the back of your phone for easy access to your cards, and so it provides grip and prevents your phone from sliding off your lap.
• Get an adhesive phone grip holder for your cellphone, so it’s easier to hold. They have large hand straps and finger straps available on amazon.
• Attach a magnetic case to your phone, so you can easily mount your phone when driving to a magnetic phone car mount.
• Save money by creating your typing/writing aid with a built-up comfort handle. Get foam insulation from Lowes or Home Depot and use heavy-duty grip tape to attach it to a pencil-type or write. Use the eraser end to type and pencil side to write. You can also use a stylus to type.
• Build up the handle of your hairbrush for easier grip is by cutting a koozie and attaching it
• A magnetic/sticky reacher is great for picking up items.
• Check out the Tyler Schrenk Foundation’s website for assistive technology grants, consultations, educational materials, and more. thetsf.org

Baby Tips & Equipment

• The Unbuckle Me tool is amazing tool to unbuckle a car seat if you have limited hand strength. com
• Carrying your baby can be difficult when you’re a wheelchair user some solutions are using: o A baby harness carrier
  • Bassinet on wheels that you can push on a low level
  • A lap tray and purchasing a small bed (pet beds are great!) to put on top of the tray in your lap to hold the baby
• To reach in the crib and have more access, you can cut the legs to lower the height of the crib, and have a crib that has a drop rail with a rounded edge for comfort when reaching for the infant and lifting the baby out.

Triumph Foundation does not officially endorse any products or stores mentioned on this website.
These recommendations are based off opinions of many people involved with Triumph Foundation.
If you have a suggestion that you’d like to make about adding something to this page please tell us your idea. info@Triumph-Foundation.org