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At 08:12 PM 2/25/98 -0700, Andrew John Conovaloff wrote: >Prevent bath falls with leg excercises and balance techniques. > >As a CG I learned that people with neurological disorders who have >orientation problems take cues visually from their environment rather from >their inner ear. To know were up and down is, you need to see the >walls, floor, and how people and objects are standing. When you concentrate on >moving your hands to wash your face or shave, you probably lose focus on >your balance and are unaware you are falling until it's too late. Your >slowness of motion also prohibits you from reacting fast enough to regain >your balance. > >I know may aunt often watched her feet to see what they were doing. With >PSP she little balance. Upon starting to walk she randomly would step back >or side-ways as she guessed how to move; and, though I'm 6 foot compared to >her 5'2", she often would push us both over. Once she got into the rhythm >of walking she could maintain a pace unless her legs began to freeze or >stop suddenly. The same with a stationary bike, sometimes she'd start >pedaling backwards. > >Before she got diagnosed in 1993, I saw her begin to drink a glass of >water. She stood at the sink, holding on to the faucet to provide a >reference for balance and leaned into the counter to steady herself. She >filled the glass OK, lifted to her face and as she tilted her head up to >drink, fell straight backwards. > >Hired CG would have her brush her teeth sitting but that was awkward. I >trained her to stand with her feet a bit wider apart than her shoulders >and leaning over the sink. It would've been best if I rigged a belt that >fastened her to the counter. But she rarely fell while brushing her teeth >until she tried to move away from the sink. The technique was to be >leaning into the sink/counter to steady the body so you don't have to >think about balance. > >And my last word here is to workout in a gym or at home to build up the >strength of your legs. Do leg presses, knee extensions, stair climbing, >steping up and down on a step stool while holding on to something for >balance. > > >** A.J. Conovaloff -->> "The Molokan Cyber-Cowboy" <<-- >** --- [log in to unmask] >** --- [log in to unmask] >** Molokan HomePage: http://staff.gc.maricopa.edu/~jstory/molokan > i do not mean any thing bad about what you saying but after 26yrs ofpd and cg i have seen it all hured it all and been therapy for a year to learn to walk,sit down use my cane to get up. am not to use to much of lifting of legs when i sit i have 1/2lb wheight to put on my ankle to lifed my legs. but i thank you for your good advice I.Y.Q DON7vivian