Use a Grabber / Reacher

I wrote an e-mail to a friend who was caring for a man who had broken most of his ribs, messed up his shoulder, and smashed other stuff: 

Can I offer one suggestion that will substantially improve his comfort and ability to manage small tasks? Get him a reacher from the pharmacy. A medium length one that is very light is what he will want. 

There are a few types the best looks like a straight bar and a hook thinggy that moves. It looks stupid
but it grabs most things except glasses of water.  With a reacher he can move blankets for himself, pick up phones, grab remotes that fall, etc. Without having to change position or call someone who has just walked out of the room.

As for drinking what worked for me was the water bottles from 7-11 that have a pop top that can reseal without removing a cap. He can drink without spilling and save the rest for later.

I had broken ribs once and feel great empathy for his condition. It is nearly impossible to get comfortable, and if it is achieved, he will not want to move.
-Miles
I have been living with Chronic Pain for more than 20 years. Without my Grabbers I would accomplish far less in my life. Sometimes I just feel rotten, moving is the last thing I want to do, yet, I need to get paper out of the printer, grab a telephone, pick up a mouse that fell on the ground, even scratch my back. I have a Grabber next to the chair I use during the day. Another one sitting next to my printer (it is longer since the printer is a real reach for me), and a third one next to my bed. If I could afford it and find a way to store it conveniently, I'd have another in my vehicle so I could grab things while sitting in the drivers seat.


Bending, turning, reaching, grabbing, all tough when you are limited in your mobility. Get a grabber and life starts to flow. Get two and it's even better. Who knows you might end up putting one in each room of the house so everything is within reach. Most Pharmacies have them for about $15.If you look online you might save a few pennies or get a bigger selection.The first grabber shown in this article (blue handle example) is NOT the best choice. It is most useful for grabbing delecate items that are small or weigh very little. For more utility get a hook type (black handle example) or one that does not use round rubber suction cup type ends (yellow handle example). The more versitile the grabber the higher the price tag.
  

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