Design for Agile Aging
Disability Exercise

Exercise: Arthritic hand

Staff: Carol

Normal symptoms: fingers are cramped and curled, unable to flex. 

ADLs probably unable to perform: buttoning shirt, grasping handles (door and faucet)

Emulation: Curl the fingers of your dominant hand together around a pill bottle.  Using woven bandage or Ace bandage, tape fingers in place, leaving thumb free.  Fingers should fit snugly around pill bottle, so that they can barely move and not move independently.  Keep the hand wrapped for 8 consecutive hours.

Trial activities:

  1. Open door that has hand-operated handle.
  2. Turn on or off faucet.
  3. Operate a light switch.
  4. Take handwritten notes.
  5. Use a computer keyboard.
  6. Use car keys to unlock, turn on, and drive a car, or use a bicycle.
Report:
What was the first difference you noted?
After 8 hours, how did your hand feel?  Did you feel any cramping in your arm, wrist, hand, or fingers? 
How did you adjust to your disability? How did you compensate for the immobilized fingers? What did you find you couldn’t compensate for?  If this were a permanent condition, what kinds of devices would you want to help you function?