Assistive Devices and Adaptive Equipment

By the end of this lesson you will be able to: - Match a mobility or sensory aid to the deficit it compensates for, and state the single check that proves it fits. - Fit a cane to the correct handle height, name the hand it is held in, and state the safe sequence. - Check a wheelchair before every transfer and explain why unlocked brakes and raised footrests are the commonest set-up errors. - Perform the daily-care checks for hearing aids, eyeglasses and contact lenses, dentures, and prostheses or orthoses, including the skin check under each device. - Name the drug classes that impair balance, vision, cognition or blood pressure control, and say what you assess before and after the dose. - Adapt medication administration for a client with limited dexterity or low vision (labels, spacers, organizers) and teach it back. - State what a care provider may be asked to do, what the RN keeps, and the findings that must come back to you at once.