There are many different kinds of accessories and equipment that can help both the care-giver and the affected person cope with many of the difficulties IBMPFD presents.

One wants to delay both onset (mostly through nutrition and exercise) and the degradation rate (through use of nutrition, exercise, and specialty equipment).  The following lists some types of equipment and available locations to obtain.  Some can be paid for through Medicare or MDA, although one must consider one's situation in each case where financial assistance is desired.

The following items are ones that I have used and from companies that I have used.  Other recommendations are welcome.

1.    Grab bars to be mounted in many locations, e.g., showers, near steps or ramps, to assist with balance.  From Home Depot or Lowe's, although specialty bars can be built for unique applications, e.g., near therapy pools, by http://www.elcoma.com/.  Ramps are quite useful to get over thresholds and come in a variety of sizes, e.g., made of extruded aluminum, or one can have larger ones built to bypass stairs.

2.    Lift chairs, both recliners and for dining.  Planet Mobility (http://www.planetmobility.com/) has a wide variety from both Golden and Pride, as well of lots of other equipment.

3.    Scooters from Pride Mobility or others obtained from Planet Mobility or others are extremely useful for going places.  A scooter lift from Bruno (http://www.bruno.com/) for use to carry in a vehicle is essential.  Get the one that has a remote to rotate, extend, and lower the scooter electrically.  I also use an electric utility cart, in this case one customized from an old Club Car golf cart (a standard golf cart is too small for use by a normal size person, e.g., 5'8" feet or taller) for use around our property to carry things or go to the Post Office.  Bruno also makes a chair lift to place on stairs, when one can no longer go up and down the stairs.

4.    Canes and walkers help with balance and support when walking.  Pick-up tools help to get things off the floor or when otherwise difficult to reach.  Long shoe horns and clothes picks help with dressing.  A rolling cane or rolling walker is a lot easier to use on non-carpeted floors, e.g., laminate, vinyl, wood, see www.FullLifeProducts.com for ideas and for availability.

5.    We use a therapy pool (http://www.myendlesspool.com/index.asp) for both exercise therapy and a good place to relax.  The pool is heated to ~ 100  °F using strictly solar heating.  The warm temperature is easier to use with the hydro-jets as well as more comfortable to enter and stretch in, especially when one cannot be extremely active anyway. A pool lift will be required when one can no longer use the stairs, see Planet Mobility for a wide variety of options.

6.    A commode seat lift is available, again see Planet Mobility.  Some do not fit easily over handicap toilets (now called comfort height), but can be fixed.  Portable commodes, that fit over toilets, are also useful.

7.    A LiftVest (see www.liftvest.com) is quite useful, both to help move the disabled person, as well as easier and safer for the care giver.

8.    Parts, tools, and accessories for wheelchairs and scooters can be found at www.edmond-wheelchair.com.  For example, the tire levers are useful tools for changing parts such as tubes or tires, the packs and saddle bags are helpful accessories to put on wheelchairs or scooters to carry things.

9.    A Hoyer lift is useful for either transferring or getting off the floor, see http://www.sunrisemedical.com/index.jsp for ideas and Planet Mobility for availability.

10.   Rolling shower chairs are useful for showering and also can be used as portable commode chairs.  Some examples include:                                              http://www.invacare.com/cgibin/imhqprd/inv_catalog/prod_cat_detail.jsps=0&prodID=6891&catOID=null;  http://www.clarkehealthcare.com/chairproducts/ocean_vip.html; http://www.sammonspreston.com/Supply/Product.asp?Leaf_Id=567041.  These chairs have different features, whose usefulness will vary with need.

11.    Compression socks can relieve some of the pain and swelling associated with loss of mobility from the atrophying of the lower leg muscles.  See http://www.footsmart.com/Product.aspx?ProductId=351&cm_re=xsell-_-product-_-1 for an example of a sock that has worked very well for me. 

12.   While many people have cell phones (I do not), there are other forms of communication.  For land lines, a voice activated phone can be very helpful; see http://www.ablephone.com/ for several examples.  In addition, a walkie-talkie is often useful; see http://www.motorola.com/walkie-talkie/english/index.html for a variety of examples.  See http://www.walkietalkies.com/ for general information and other suppliers.                                                                                                       

As my degeneration increases, I will find and use additional equipment.  Anybody that has additional suggestions now, please provide inputs through the bulletin board.

The following link is to an article that I wrote for Quest Magazine, an abbreviated version was published in Quest Extra (July-August 2007): Living In an ADA World . The article contains information about equipment that is useful in the house or when traveling.