Adapt Living Space to Ease Arthritis Pain 05/01/03

MANHATTAN, Kan. – The number of people suffering from arthritis is growing, but simple changes around the house can help ease the pain and make living a little easier.

Seventy million people now suffer from the disease – up from 43 million in 1998, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Knit one, purl two...

Handwork and other crafts can benefit arthritis suffers – repetitive motion can help keep joints from freezing, said Kerri Parsons, K-State Research and Extension specialist on aging.

Arthritis often is attributed to the aging process, but the reality is that anyone can be affected, said Kerri Parsons, K-State Research and Extension specialist on aging.

The disease has many forms, including osteoarthritis, a degenerative joint disease that often causes stiffness and reduces mobility, and fibromyalgia, which affects muscles and the areas where they attach.

Not all people who suffer from the disease are affected in the same way. Symptoms and the level of pain and discomfort can vary from patient to patient and from day to day. Arthritis can be debilitating, and make even basic living skills such as preparing a simple meal and bathing and dressing, a challenge, Parsons said.

Caregivers for those who are suffering from the more severe forms of the disease can minimize stress on painful joints and help arthritis sufferers retain their independence by making changes in the home.

That doesn’t necessarily mean compromising style or quality, she said. Some newer grab bars look decorative, rather than hospital-like.

Other home products such as easy-grip kitchenware, lever-style door handles, push-button switches, and easy-on and -off faucets – can be relatively easy to install.

For arthritis sufferers who are wheelchair-bound or who require walking aids, raising electrical outlets or lowering switches should be left to an electrician. Similarly, widening doorways and hallways may require extensive remodeling, but the cost of change may be considerably less than a move to an assisted living facility or nursing home, Parsons said.

As a specialist on aging, she said that she usually advises people who are thinking of building a home to incorporate accessibility, which also is referred to as ‘universal design.’

Building on one level; lowering cabinets; choosing easy-grip hardware and lever-style handles; raising outlets; lowering switch plates, and installing grab bars in bathrooms and walkways are just a few of the changes that can make a home more comfortable and accessible, she said.

The fact that a home is universally designed for all ages can benefit people who suffer from arthritis. It can, in fact, benefit most people and may even add to a home’s resale value, she said.

For more information on managing arthritis successfully, interested persons may contact

their health care professional and the Kansas Chapter of the Arthritis Foundation [316-263-0116 or, if outside the Wichita area, 800-362-1108]. For additional information on improving accessibility at home, interested persons may contact their local K-State Research and Extension office.

K-State Research and Extension is a short name for the Kansas State University Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension Service, a program designed to generate and distribute useful knowledge for the well-being of Kansans. Supported by county, state, federal and private funds, the program has county Extension offices, experiment fields, area Extension offices and regional research centers statewide. Its headquarters is on the K-State campus, Manhattan.