Date: 14.02.2015
From: William Hunt
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Subject: Designing For Arthritis Sufferers
Hello there,
My name is William Hunt and I am currently studying sustainable product design at Falmouth university. The current project I have chosen to tackle aims to provide and maintain independent living to people who suffer from Arthritis. My focus is on minimising pain and discomfort regarding daily tasks that are carried out within the home.
At the stage I am currently at I am simply trying to conclude which jobs around the home are most difficult to carry out and complete, this could be anything from peeling potatoes for a meal, or shuffling a deck of cards for a game of hearts.
If anyone reading this forum post is aware of any activities or jobs that take place within the home that are made difficult, time consuming or uncomfortable to complete due to having Arthritis I would be very grateful if you could reply to this post and let me know, or feel free to email me on: WilliamHuntDesign@gmail.com Thank you very much for your time.
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Date: 14.02.2015
From: Colin W
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Subject: Re: Designing For Arthritis Sufferers
hi William , I would talk to Rheumatology Department at Truro, there are support groups which could help you develop any product which you design something I am looking for is a aid to help put on compression socks
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Date: 14.02.2015
From: Julie
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Subject: Re: Designing For Arthritis Sufferers
Hi William, I find holding the telephone quite painful, its okay for a while but being a woman I am on the phone for ages and it does hurt my wrists to hold phone to my ear.
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Date: 15.02.2015
From: William Hunt
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Subject: Re: Designing For Arthritis Sufferers
Thank you for the advice Colin. I'll certainly contact the Rheumatology Department and see if I can attend a support group meeting. I'll also take a look at compression socks to see if there is a design opportunity there. What aspects of putting on the compression socks do you find tricky? Thank you for your response Julie, I'll definitely analyse the issue you have raised to see if there are any design solutions I can think up.
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Date: 15.02.2015
From: Colin W
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Subject: Re: Designing For Arthritis Sufferers
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B006681ZUY?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00 this is what I use but its fine if you can stand up & put your leg into it but most people using this will have mobility problems
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Date: 20.02.2015
From: Sleek Fox
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Subject: Re: Designing For Arthritis Sufferers
Julie, I have the same problem and recently bought a phone that you can use a headset with. I think it was a panasonic one and it has made a massive difference. However, there is only one on the market that I could find.
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Date: 27.02.2015
From: Emily
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Subject: Re: Designing For Arthritis Sufferers
I've found aids for most things and anything else the husband is good! As for the phone - I agree it hurts. Why not just use hands free head set or loud speaker so that you don't have to hold the phones? I'd love a gadget that opens bottles! I can't buy a bottle of coke if out alone I have to go for a carton or take a ready opened loosened drink. Maybe you can already buy them but I'm yet to find!
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Date: 28.02.2015
From: lucy
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Subject: Re: Designing For Arthritis Sufferers
I agree with Colin, I recently had an operation on my hip and it is impossible to put compression stocking on by yourself without damaging yourself. They are very tight to get on, especially over the foot. There are a couple of things to aid this but you still need help from someone. Perhaps something that would open them out to allow the foot to get it easier and pull them up without having to bend.
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Date: 28.02.2015
From: lucy
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Subject: Re: Designing For Arthritis Sufferers
Meant to say, William, the ones I have are not socks they go right up to the top of the legs and they are open at the toes. I think there are different designs but probably all difficult to get on as they are so tight.
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Date: 01.03.2015
From: William Hunt
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Subject: Re: Designing For Arthritis Sufferers
Hi Emily, I recently returned to the UK from a design exhibition in Barcelona where a tool for opening screw top bottles was displayed. I managed to find it on Amazon and think it would be perfectly suited for your needs. Here is the link - http://www.amazon.co.uk/Tenura-Silicone-Rubber-Bottle-Opener/dp/B007W2497O Thank you for your post Lucy. As you have mentioned there are a few existing products that aid putting on compression socks but they all involve bending over and do not focus on the type you detail going up to the top of the legs. I'll certainly take a look into this issue and see if I can design a product to ease this task.
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Date: 02.03.2015
From: Emily
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Subject: Re: Designing For Arthritis Sufferers
Thank you for the link William. That's very kind of you. Unfortunately I've tried these before but due to swelling and joint damage I don't have the strength in my hands to turn the bottle lid still to open it. I often can't even open jars/bottles that have already been opened and re done up. I have an electric jar opener that's amazing for jars but need a similar one for bottles. You simply put it on. Press a button and by itself it closes to the jar size and turns it open. It's a little miracle!
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Date: 03.03.2015
From: Julie
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Subject: Re: Designing For Arthritis Sufferers
thanks SleekFox! I will have a look for the phone headset. We have just moved and we brought with us an expensive Panasonic answer phone set, had problems with it so bought another phone, this time cheaper BT one, I sold the Panasonic good bits and pieces on ebay. Had trouble with this new one just the same, so called in engineer - it wasn't my phones that were the problem, its the line that was corroded. Headset does sound good because I don't like using loud speaker.
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