What's new at Mobility Basics
I’ve just posted two new articles by guest authour McKenzie Dillon about the Importance of Sleep in Active Seniors and Tips on Getting a Good Night’s Sleep for Seniors.
These articles can be read at mobilitybasics.ca/articles/sleep-is-crucial-for-adults.php and mobilitybasics.ca/articles/sleep-tips-for-seniors.php
There’s an article in the Toronto Star newspaper today about pending cuts to the Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP) for people with disabilities. According to the article, the poverty line for income in Ontario for a single adult is $22,000 per year and the maximum basic needs and shelter benefit under ODSP is currently about $14,000 per year.
The Ontario government is proposing that people with medical conditions that aren’t permanent shouldn’t be eligible for ODSP and should instead be put on the Ontario Works Program which pays a single person a maximum of $733 ($8,796 per year) per month for food and lodging.
Their rationale of these cuts seems to be that people with temporary or intermittent disabilities like Cancer, Multiple Sclerosis, Mental Health issues, etc., should be able to work some of the time so don’t need the same support a person with more debilitating conditions need.
The whole idea that if you pay people with disabilities income support at less than the poverty line you’ll keep those who might abuse the system from ripping off the public purse seems to be a universal belief among all governments. It’s like saying “we’ll just see who’s faking and who is really sick”. Those faking will leave, or not even apply for, the disability program in question because of the low support level. Too bad about the really sick people who can’t afford to buy groceries.
The problem with this belief is that people who already live a difficult life are sentenced to live their lives in a permanent state of near, if not complete, insolvency. So, governments’ solution to the potential for abuse of the system is to punish everyone instead of ensuring the people who need the support are properly screened taken care of.
The rationale that people with temporary or intermittent disabilities can work part time may be true but is not usually feasible. No employer is going to hire a person who cannot promise reliable attendance at work to any responsible long term position and most wouldn’t hire them at all knowing their condition. People with serious medical conditions need a lot of time to manage their condition and perform normal everyday activities which is rarely compatible with working a regular job, even if it’s part time.
If you’d like to read the article in the Toronto Star you can see it here: https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2019/12/09/people-struggling-on-disability-raise-fears-over-proposed-changes-to-odsp.html
I’ve just posted a new article by a new guest author about steps that can help you find a college that will be accessible for your needs. If this article interests you, you can read it here:
https://mobilitybasics.ca/articles/accessible-college-selection
Sliding glass doors involve tracks and often are elevated off the floor making traversing with a wheelchair a challenge. Power wheelchairs with larger casters or mobility scooters don’t usually have trouble with the tracks for sliding glass doors because of the larger wheels that roll over obstacles easier.
I’ve written an article with a few ways of dealing with the track so that wheelchairs with small casters can roll over it easier. To read the article please visit: https://mobilitybasics.ca/wheelchair-ramps/sliding-glass-doors
Under the Healthy Aging Advice for Seniors banner I’ve just added an article on How Older Adults Can Reduce the Risk of Falls.
The article outlines a list of things older people can do for themselves and things that their loved ones can do for them to help them prevent falls in the home and mitigate the effects of any falls that do happen.
This article is a guest submission by Christian Worstell, a health and lifestyle writer living in Raleigh, NC.
To read this article please visit: https://mobilitybasics.ca/articles/how-older-adults-can-reduce-the-risk-of-falls
Caster load is the amount of weight that is supported by the wheelchair casters. Too much weight and the chair will be difficult to push, too little weight and the chair may tip over backwards.
I’ve just added a new article about caster loading, the causes and steps that can be taken to minimise the effects.
For those who are interested in reading this article it can be found at https://mobilitybasics.ca/articles/caster-load-information
Wheelchair and scooter batteries are designed to last for years with proper care and maintenance. They are the most common cause of service calls and can cause all kinds of weird symptoms if not working properly.
I’ve recently been helping a lady work out a battery issue with her scooter and felt that the information I’ve been giving her might be of benefit to the readers of MobilityBasics.ca
If you are interested in reading this article you can find it at: https://mobilitybasics.ca/articles/wheelchair-battery-info
I’ve just posted an article supplied by the Mattress Advisor with some good advice and tips on setting up and organizing a bedroom.
Although the article is about bedrooms specifically, many of the tip provided could apply to just about any area of a house.
For more information or tho read the article please visit: https://mobilitybasics.ca/articles/bedroom-design
This year’s Abilities expo will be held in its normal venue the Toronto International centre at 6900 Airport Road, Mississauga, Ontario On April 5, 6 & 7, 2019.
This is a free show that has, but does not require, prior registration. You’ll find many new products from a wide range of manufacturers in many fields beyond basic mobility.
Its hours of operation are 11:00 am to 5 pm Friday and Saturday and 11:00 to 4:00 pm.
For more information please visit: https://abilitiesexpotoronto.com
I’ve added a couple of new pages to the Mobility Basics website today about the two newest folding electric wheelchairs from EZee Life.
The CH4070 Ultra-light is an extremely lightweight power wheelchair intended for traveling around home and on most hard surfaces. I wouldn’t tr to use in snow, sand or even on a soft lawn but if you need a really light power wheelchair, this is it.
For more information visit: https://mobilitybasics.ca/wheelchairs/-ezee-fold-ultra-light
The CH4075 is at the opposite end of the scale in both weight capacity and size. It’s a heavy duty EZee Fold that has a 20″ x 20″ seat size and 500 pound weight capacity. With larger wheels and more powerful batteries this model has more possibilities in terms of terrains it will traverse.
For more information visit: https://mobilitybasics.ca/wheelchairs/-ezee-fold-bariatric
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