Managing life with a broken arm

[Mrs Pingu]

Hi folks,

My brother has done himself a mischief and broken his arm. He's getting a full cast to above the elbow on Wednesday. He lives on his own and has two cats to look after but no-one to look after him and is about an hour away from me.

Have any of you been in this position and have any top tips they can share on how to get through this (like what do you wear when you've got a huge stookie on one arm?)?
I'm going down on Wednesday and will do a big shop while I'm down there but if anyone can think of anything else that might help him I'd be grateful

[T42]

1960's Scots chum of mine broke both wrists going over the bars of his motor-scooter. Ate haggis, neaps & tatties and wore the kilt in the traditional manner for several weeks.

[Peter]

It really shouldn't be that much of a problem.  When I was knocked off my bike a few years ago I had an immobilising cast after the operation to fix my elbow.  I had it on for a few weeks and it was my left arm (I'm left-handed).  I imagine cooking might be a problem (I don't live alone) but dressing was just a bit slower, using shirts with open cuffs and jogging type trousers with elasticated waists.  Going to the toilet was a learning experience but just a bit awkward, really!  However, as I've said, I don't live on my own.  Very best wishes.

Peter

[mrcharly-YHT]

I've bust an arm - well I spent 3 months in a cast last year.

Get a shower cover. Not just for showering - they are really useful once you can use your fingers a bit (say, when you want to try washing up). I have one - I think it goes above elbow. Your brother is welcome to it (they need to fit, I'll check size).

Hospital provides a huge purple foam sling which is awkward but it is good for protecting arm from bumps. Wear it for first week at least for protection, getting arm bumped can really bloody hurt.

Shoes are a pain. I was ok - I wear pull on boots anyway. You can't do up shoelaces. He'll need something he can pull on. Maybe wellies for going outside An old-fashioned boot remover might be useful.

For computer use, you can get a pedal thing that can be coded otherwise doing ctrl-alt-del is really difficult. Other people might have other suggestions.


[edit] peter has reminded me - cooking.

Just don't try anything that requires draining or boiling water. Too hard to co-ordinate and you can't steady a pan while stirring. Stick to fried stuff, risottos or simple stew type stuff. Or meals in microwave

[Jaded]

Have a gander at web pages like this.

http://www.livingmadeeasy.org.uk/scenario.php?csid=405

There are a number of bits of equipment that can help. plus some techniques.

[pcolbeck]

Oh thats difficult. I broke my shoulder a couple of years ago but that was in summer luckily so a loose shirt and tracky bottoms were all I needed to ware. I don't live alone and even sop I had six weeks of it being very frustrating doing anything.

What about getting him one of those stand based electric can openers and some rubber mats, nothing worse than stuff sliding around when your trying to do stuff one handed with it.

[Little Jim]

When I had my arm in a splint (wrist to elbow, so my elbow was mobile) the nurse recommended wrapping it all in clingfilm or a large plastic bag and cling film around the top in order to shower.  It worked very effectively.  As others have said shoe laces are impossible, although I suppose there are always those curly laces that triathletes use that you just pull on  I used an old fleece jumper with part of the arm cut off (the fleece does not fray when you cut it).

Cooking will be a bit of a problem - does he live within Deliveroo range (or any of the other delivery services)?

I didn't know about the computer foot pedal so I improvised with a pencil held between my teeth.

The big foam sling is good as it keeps your arm warm in this weather but is very bulky.  I just wore my coat over the top of it, but I can see that doing the coat up will be a problem on your own.  If it has a zip you might be able to do the zip up partially and then get it on over your head - I never had to try that but did have to ask people at work to help me!

Most things are do-able, they just take twice as long...

[Pippa]

Cooking. Chopping. Opening tins. All tricky one handed.

I got an electric tin opener and a mini food processor. I was also sent some of this which was useful to stop plates slipping away when you are trying to spread hummus/butter etc onto a toasted bagel

Get all the useful implements down from cupboards in advance - getting them down one handed from head height is harder than you might imagine.

[Kim]

Theoretically this is a barakta question, while she's never broken a bone she's spent more time with her hands in plaster than most people have had hot dinners, and much of her day to day activities are one-handed or one-and-a-half-handed.  On the other hand (or should that be the same hand?), many compensatory tactics involve skills that have taken a long time to develop and are bloody difficult when attempted by a normally able-handed person from scratch (eg. shoelaces).

Just don't try anything that requires draining or boiling water.

Slotted spoons work for the draining of coarser things (eg. pasta).

Too hard to co-ordinate and you can't steady a pan while stirring. Stick to fried stuff, risottos or simple stew type stuff. Or meals in microwave

Cooking is only half of the equation, unless you have a dishwasher^[1].  Pre-prepared and microwaveable food and learning to ignore/resent the middle-class snobbery is the winning tactic.

Chopping. Opening tins. All tricky one handed.

I got an electric tin opener and a mini food processor. I was also sent some of this which was useful to stop plates slipping away when you are trying to spread hummus/butter etc onto a toasted bagel

The cost:benefit balance for aids and adaptions may be very different for a one-off injury than for someone with a long-term disability.  Of course some things are generally useful...

Beware of cooking gadgets that simplify eg. chopping but then leave you with additional, fiddly washing-up.

A surprising number of electric tin openers are unsuitable for one-handed operation.  You may be able to get away with ring-pull tins and a lever.  The stuff that needs an opener will keep, unless the cats develop opposable thumbs.

Get all the useful implements down from cupboards in advance - getting them down one handed from head height is harder than you might imagine.

Excellent point.  Some re-organising of the kitchen might be prudent, if you can find someone to help.

On a related note, smaller bottles are much easier for one-handed operation.  I'm thinking washing-up liquid, cooking oil, that sort of thing.


_{[1] Robot or human.}

[hellymedic]

Lock-Laces and a long shoe horn might make lace-up shoes possible if you NEED to wear lace-ups.

I'd also suggest avoiding stove-top cookery.

Frozen, cut-up veg is cheap and nutritious. It can be microwaved easily.

Make sure there are good sharp scissors that can be used with the good side.

A sling makes walking balance difficult.

Use tableware and cutlery unconventionally; forks can be very useful, where spoons are usually used. Don't be scared of drinking from bowls. A good supply of man-size tissues and a bin within reach can prevent the home becoming horrible.

[Legs]

Pah!

[CrinklyLion]

I found it completey impossible to manage ordinary shower gel or shampoo bottles one handed - resolved by using pump action bottles!

[Asterix, the former Gaul.]

I learned to do lots left-handed, including using a screwdriver, but it's so long ago I can't remember any clever stuff, if there was any.  Enduring pain was important as it was a broken right elbow and couldn't be put in a cast.  Physio was no fun, especially the ice.

[pcolbeck]

I found it completey impossible to manage ordinary shower gel or shampoo bottles one handed - resolved by using pump action bottles!

Pcolbeck junior bought some battery operated ones cheap, the type you just wave your hand under and you get some soap.

[hellymedic]

Forget 'table manners'. Finger food is fine!

[Mrs Pingu]

I knew you lot would be good at this. Cheers!

[Vince]

He will need a long knitting needle.

[Legs]

He will need a long knitting needle.

Or a plastic ruler...