Home Health Equipment and Independence
by Christine Hsin, Student Occupational Therapist
If you are familiar with AssistList, you may know that our mission is to provide people in our local communities with a free platform to buy and sell home health equipment that helps them to be more independent in their everyday lives. In this way, Assistlist helps to support those who are interested in acquiring more affordable second hand home health equipment and for those who wish to sell equipment that is no longer needed. If you are new to AssistList, or if you would like a refresher with further details on our purpose, please feel free to check out this link to learn more about why we do what we do.
In this blog, we dig deeper into how home health equipment can help users be more independent and safe in their everyday lives. By covering the importance of home health equipment, we hope that you have a better understanding of its usefulness and why AssistList is so passionate about our mission. Keep on reading to learn more!
First off, let’s explore who would benefit from home health equipment.
Who would use home health equipment?
Home health equipment can be used by anyone, including individuals with disabilities, illness, seniors, or individuals recovering from surgery or disease. Home health equipment is not specific to an age group, population, or condition. It can be used by children, teenagers, adults, and seniors. While different groups of people may use different kinds of equipment, home health equipment is used by a wide range of people. You might have even used home health equipment without being aware of it — crutches or canes are included!
Knowing who might benefit from this equipment, why does it matter? We’ll go over a few reasons. This list is not all inclusive, and you might be able to think of other reasons that people might benefit from home health equipment.
Why is home health equipment important?
- Independence
Home health equipment may allow individuals to do daily activities with more independence. For example, a wheelchair may allow individuals to move around their home and do activities like cooking which might be more challenging from a standing position. Or, a stairlift might equip someone with the tools needed to get up and down floors without supervision or physical help. The help that home health equipment offers enables people to do things with greater independence, which can be empowering. Many of these activities are things that we take for granted daily. Even for people whose goal is not to be more independent, home health equipment can help make tasks easier for the supporters that work with them.
2. Safety
Home health equipment can offer a safeguard against risks and dangers that individuals might encounter in their everyday lives. For example, a raised toilet seat with handles might allow someone to use the washroom with a reduced risk of falling when sitting down. On the other hand, a shower chair might allow someone to bathe more safely than if they were standing and balancing without one. By allowing people to manage risks, home health equipment can reduce and prevent possible injury or harm.
3. Improving quality of life
When individuals are able to safely do the activities that are important and meaningful to them through home health equipment, it improves their quality of life. Proper home health equipment can change how people see their health and well being in positive ways. This relates to independence and safety. When people are able to do tasks safely and with increased independence through home health equipment, they might be more satisfied overall.
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We’ve talked about how many people may use and benefit from home health equipment, which is why AssistList is passionate in meeting these needs. If you would like to know more about our story and how we started, check out this page. If you are interested in learning more about how to support AssistList, please click here for possible volunteer opportunities and here for if you would like to donate.
Thank you for sticking with us through this blog post — we hope to continue to bring you new, informative content each month!
Christine
