Interviewer: Zahir Bashir
Interviewer: Humera Bashir
Relationship: Mother
General Information: Humera has osteoarthritis in both of her hands and her lower back, which greatly reduces her ability to grip (hands) and lift (back) objects, overall reducing her dexterity and mobility.
Q1: Can you describe some of the daily tasks that are most challenging for you due to arthritis?
- Hands: great difficulty opening jars, holding and using cooking utensils, and holding a knife while cutting for an extended period of time, often has to take breaks while cutting.
- Lower Back: great difficulty lifting heavy items, standing for long periods of time on hard floors (hardwood and tile), bending down, and kneeling while gardening
Q2: Are there any tools or devices you currently use to assist with daily activities? How well do they work for you?
Hands:
- Grippy jar opener, which is supposed to help with maintaining friction as she twists, but unfortunately it does not work well, as it relies on grip strength that she does not have.
- Knives with ergonomic handles and cooking utensils with soft, comfortable handles, which work well.
Lower Back:
- Back belt support for lifting, which works well.
- Wearing comfortable home shoes, such as Crocs, when walking across the hard floors.
Q3: What type of support or feature would make a task easier or less painful for you? (e.g., better grip, adjustable parts, less force required)
For her hands, something that requires less effort and force when gripping and opening jars would be ideal. For her lower back, a back belt that fits under clothes and is not cumbersome would be ideal.
Q4: Do you find that certain movements or actions (like twisting, gripping, or lifting) are particularly painful?
Her hands tend to cramp up when she is holding on to something too tightly.
Q5: How would you prefer a device to be designed in terms of weight, size, or appearance?
She would prefer any assistive devices to be light in weight and ergonomically correct.