Leslie Murray: When an MS
patient comes to us, our goal
is to keep them as
independent as possible for as
long as possible.
When an MS patient comes in,
they decide which
assistive device is going to be
best for them,
if someone can hopefully start
off with just a straight cane.
As their balance deficits
progress, then they may have
to change to the quad cane,
which gives them a little bit
more stability.
Then they may have to change
to a walker, and then they may
have to change to a wheelchair.
But as their safety and balance
declines, then you progress
to the next piece of equipment.
A lot of MS patients
have problems with self-care,
especially dressing.
So we train them to dress
in the bed or sitting
on the edge of the bed.
And then there's
adaptive equipment to use
for that.
There's button aids, zipper
pulls, reachers,
long-handled shoehorns,
elastic shoelaces, all sorts
of different equipment
to help them.
MS patients have a, sometimes,
have a hard time with
self-feeding -- different
adaptive equipment that helps
them cut, scoop, and bring it
to their mouth without all
the food items falling off
their fork and spoon.
Or even if they cannot hold onto
a fork or spoon,
there's different equipment that
is weighted, or bigger grips,
or that actually hooks onto
their hand, that will help them
bring the food to their mouth.
MS patients sometimes have
a problem
with another self-care task,
which is toileting,
sit to stand off and on
a toilet.
There's different equipment
for the actual toilet,
the raised toilet seat.
You can put the bedside commode
over the toilet seat.
There's grab bars
around the toilet.
There are also assistive devices
that help them still to be
able to clean
their perineal area
and maintain that independence
for as long as possible.
