Essential Support Aids That Every Caregiver Should Own

Home care-giving is probably one of the most emotionally and physically challenging professions. It requires a lot of training, patience and understanding to work in this industry. However, it is by far one of the most rewarding professions, both mentally and financially. Also, being a professional caretaker requires you to be properly equipped to help those in need. There are a couple of products that are considered essential in this profession, and every aspiring caregiver should own them. Here are some of them.

Stand Aid

The stand aid is by far the most important piece of support aids equipment. The reason being is that often times you’ll be caring for elderly patients with limited mobility. Without a standing aid, assisting someone with impaired physical mobility can be dangerous for both the caregiver and the patient, and could result in serious injury.

Wheelchair

Having to transport your patient from one place to another is far more convenient and easy for both parties if you use a wheelchair. Wheelchairs can be manual and motorised. Regardless, there are a couple of features that need to be considered when looking to buy these support aids, the most important ones being: comfort, compactness, stability and security. The handles, armrests and lumbar support should be ergonomic so that they don’t strain the caregiver while he/she is pushing the patient around, and the patient needs to be 100% comfortable in it for longer periods of time.

Shower Stool or Chair

A shower stool or chair is ideal for people who can’t stand for long time periods, or the ones who have limited mobility. Typically, shower chairs have extra comfort features which regular chairs do not, namely padded seating and backrest. Moreover, they’re tested and approved to Australian standards, which is very important in this line of work. A good quality stool chair has drainage windows and holes and reduces skin adhesion and provides great postural support. The legs on the chair need to be easily adjustable, the frames need to be corrosion-resistant and the feet of the chair need to be non-slippery.

Disposable Gloves

Disposable gloves are, without a question, one of the most essential tools for home caregivers. They act as a protective barrier between the caregiver and the patient, thus preventing contaminants and bacteria from passing from one person to another. They should be worn any time when performing hygiene tasks, personal care, wound dressing and whenever there’s contact with body fluids. Typically, most modern gloves are powder free and come in a variety of sizes and colours. They need to be the right fit for you so that they don’t slip off or split open, which could make simple tasks more complicated.