DIY Adaptive Equipment: Improve Independence & Daily Living

Adaptive equipment describes any utensil or tool that has been modified to allow use by someone with physical limitations. It improves the person's ability to perform activities of daily living and supports independence and is frequently used by people after a stroke, spinal cord injury, or debilitating condition like severe arthritis. Large handled utensils, writing instruments and hygiene items can be purchased from a medical supply store, however they can be made at home at little cost.

Things You'll Need

• Pipe insulation
• Electrical tape
• Tape measure

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Instructions

• 1

  Gather your most commonly used household items with handles such as cooking and eating utensils, toothbrushes, hairbrushes, garden tools and writing instruments.

• 2

  Measure the diameter of each handle. Using these measurements, purchase appropriately sized pipe insulation at a home improvement store.

• 3

  Measure the length of each handle. Cut the pipe insulation to the appropriate length and place it around the handle. For items with a long handle, use a 5- to 6-inch piece of pipe insulation. For writing utensils, a 2-inch piece of pipe insulation is sufficient.

• 4

  Wrap the pipe insulation with electrical tape beginning at one end, and continue by overlapping half of the width of the previous piece.The first and last layers of tape should be half on the pipe insulation and half on the handle itself to prevent it from sliding.