Handouts · OT
Adaptive equipment
A printable adaptive equipment sheet for home health: what each aid is for, where it goes in the home and how to use it. The therapist ticks what was recommended.
Adaptive equipment
Occupational therapy · Home health
| Item | Recommended | What it’s for | Where it goes in your home | How to use it |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reacher | Picks things up from the floor or a high shelf without bending or stretching. | Squeeze the handle to close the jaws. Keep it by your chair. | ||
| Sock aid | Helps you put on socks without bending to your feet. | Slide the sock onto the aid, drop it in front of your foot, slide your foot in and pull the cords. | ||
| Long-handled sponge | Washes your back and feet without reaching. | Use it sitting down. Rinse it and hang it to dry. | ||
| Long-handled shoehorn | Slips your foot into a shoe without bending. | Place it at the heel of the shoe and slide your foot down the curve. | ||
| Shower chair | Lets you sit while you wash. | Sit down first, then turn on the water. | ||
| Raised toilet seat | Makes the toilet higher so it is easier to stand up. | Use the arms of the seat or a grab bar to sit and stand. | ||
| Grab bar | A fixed handle to hold when you step in or stand up. | Hold it with a firm grip. Do not use a towel rail instead. | ||
| Other |
Reacher
RecommendedWhat it’s for
Picks things up from the floor or a high shelf without bending or stretching.
Where it goes in your home
How to use it
Squeeze the handle to close the jaws. Keep it by your chair.
Sock aid
RecommendedWhat it’s for
Helps you put on socks without bending to your feet.
Where it goes in your home
How to use it
Slide the sock onto the aid, drop it in front of your foot, slide your foot in and pull the cords.
Long-handled sponge
RecommendedWhat it’s for
Washes your back and feet without reaching.
Where it goes in your home
How to use it
Use it sitting down. Rinse it and hang it to dry.
Long-handled shoehorn
RecommendedWhat it’s for
Slips your foot into a shoe without bending.
Where it goes in your home
How to use it
Place it at the heel of the shoe and slide your foot down the curve.
Shower chair
RecommendedWhat it’s for
Lets you sit while you wash.
Where it goes in your home
How to use it
Sit down first, then turn on the water.
Raised toilet seat
RecommendedWhat it’s for
Makes the toilet higher so it is easier to stand up.
Where it goes in your home
How to use it
Use the arms of the seat or a grab bar to sit and stand.
Grab bar
RecommendedWhat it’s for
A fixed handle to hold when you step in or stand up.
Where it goes in your home
How to use it
Hold it with a firm grip. Do not use a towel rail instead.
Other
RecommendedWhat it’s for
Where it goes in your home
How to use it
The monthly home health regs digest
What CMS changed, what's due next, and what to do about it — one email a month, no fluff. Read the first issue