Patient/caregiver was educated on measures to reduce the effort and workload for individuals with gouty arthritis as follows:
Certain arrangements and minor modifications can help improve safety, reduce the effort and workload for individuals with gouty arthritis. Use of ergonomically designed tools can help improve independence and reduce the risk for exacerbation of arthritic pain.
- Wear clothing with pockets to carry essential items, such as, telephone, personal alert systems. They come in handy to call for help during emergencies and falls. Also, carrying the essential items in the pockets will leave the hands to hold the assistive device and other supportive structures firmly to avoid falls.
- Pain and stiffness in the weightbearing joints of gouty arthritis patients can lead to compromised balance. Shoes with pointed heels can compromise the balance further in these patients and promote risk for falls & accidents. Observing compliance with wearing flats can promote safety & security in arthritis patients.
- Sit down comfortably while dressing, undressing, putting shoes on, and taking shoes off. Individuals with gouty arthritis, especially involving the weightbearing joints of lower extremities, can present with poor balance. Performing these above-mentioned tasks while standing can compromise their balance further, thus increasing the fall risk for the individual. Have all the apparel and shoe accessories ready by your side before sitting down to wear them can help avoid multiple trips and frequent getting up to gather them, thus reducing the stress on the aching weightbearing joints. While putting the apparel on, place the bad extremity or the one that is hurting more into the clothing first, followed by the good extremity. While getting off the apparel, get the good extremity out of the clothing first, followed by the bad extremity. This pattern helps have the good limb freely available, for any extra support needed during maneuvering the bad limb into and out of clothing.
