Assistive technology on a budget.

When you have chronic illnesses/disabilities Assistive technology can really make a difference, but like everything in the medical world it can prove to be too expensive. Here are some weird little alternatives/makeshifts I’ve come up with.

#1 Stepping Ladder & Bar stool for the bath.

Stepping ladders have handles on the top that you can use to steady yourself into the tub; the actual steps might prove dangerous for those with balance or joint problems to use.  & as for a bar stool you can drape some plastic over it and use it as a shower chair.

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#2 Overbed table

#3 Phone holders

#4 Foot rest for wheelchair.

Okay also totally weird, but I’m sure you’ve noticed a theme here.  So once a long time ago a family member and I decided we try to walk the cat so we went to the 99 cents store and got a leash. It didn’t work out haha; we ended up just letting Niko (my cat) sleep on the dashboard while we took a drive.  But that leash still layed around the house and the material was really strong so I decided to tie it up under my wheelchair where a foot rest would’ve been if I hadn’t bought it second hand.  (The wheelchair was $15 on offer up woot woot)

#5 Bed pulley/caddy

When you fatigue/faintness is so bad your struggling to pull yourself to an upright position in bed you need a bed pulley.  This can be done for $1 at the 99 cents store, just tie a strong dog leash around the leg of a bed and voila! I like to tie the top of the leash to this sleeping bag I use as a blanket so I can find it easily (yes I am weird)

Now these aren’t makeshift they’re just some good buys I’ve found.

#6 Reacher

Can’t bend without pain?  Need a reacher but the ATech websites are asking you to fork up 30 buckaroos?? Totally unnecessary, the 99 cents and Dollar trees sell reachers about as long as a walking cane for $1!! This thing is a major part of my cleaning routine. Aliexpress also has some with suction cups for $4.

#7 Walking Cane

Now I know this is gonna make a big difference for a lot of people, when I first got sick I had the weirdest gait due to my vertigo and still do (I werk it lol) but it’s easier to walk and is stabilized when I use my cane. I wasn’t able to get a cane for quite a while and my past school nurse gifted one to me when she saw my gait.  I would’ve been able to get one sooner had I known the fruits of frugality (haha see what I did there) anyways, Aliexpress is life because they have a million cheap things including foldable walking canes. I bought mine for about $7  they’re usually $30 in stores and I got myself a really cute gold one ( and yes I’ve been called a pimp daddy ) and I’m hoping to save up for a silver and maybe a blue one too, I like matching my cane with my outfits lol.   It’s a helpful little thing especially since my black one doesn’t fold and sometimes I need to carry my cane while I’m on my wheelchair.  It’s sturdy enough to help me walk and stabilize me but my black cane does offer more support simply because it’s thicker.

#8  Wheelchair/Powerchair, Misc.

Now I know I’ve written about this before but I see so many people struggling to pay for wheelchairs & powerchairs that I felt like it was necessary to write about again. Check out offer up or let go for Manual wheelchairs & powerchairs. I bought mine for $15 and its made life a lot easier and made me a lot more independent. I’ve seen them range usually from $20-50 but a few are under that price.  I’m hoping to get a powerchair in the future from there as well; I see them range from $200-$300.

I’ve also seen real overbed tables, stair lifts and more for fractions of the price that they usually are in stores. So Offer up is definitely a good place to go if you can’t diy or are able to afford something secondhand.