The Use and Effectiveness of Assistive Devices Possessed by Patients Seen in Home Care

The use and effectiveness of 54 selected assistive devices were studied in 30 recipients of home care services. Of these 54 devices, 82% were used and 69% were used routinely for the intended purpose. Twenty patients had bedside commodes and nine had bathtub benches or shower chairs. Only a few patients had long-handled shoe horns, reachers, raised toilet seats, sock aids, elastic shoelaces, commode armrests, or long-handled scrub sponges. No patient had a rocker knife, even though stroke was the most common medical condition. Device training, done inconsistently, generally took 30 minutes or less, spanned 1 to 2 sessions, occurred within 6 months of impairment or 1 year after onset, was carried out by a home health agency, and was judged adequate by the patient. Family members were as apt as not to be included in the training. No association was discerned between training and usage or timing of training in relation to length of impairment and usage. A substantive amount of human help was needed to complete the tasks involving the device. Device disuse was attributed to functional improvement, misprescription, and ineffectiveness.