Sometimes it is hard to sit on the sidelines and watch things happen. Sometimes you want to get in and help, but all you can do is sit on the sidelines and be patient. Sometimes something tragic is happening, and there isn't anything you can do but sit on the sideline and just hope for the best. Sometimes there is something pretty major happening and you have no choice but to sit on the sideline until it is over. Sometimes it is nature; sometimes it is man made, and there is nothing you can do but sit on the sideline and watch.
You wonder, "Why me?"
"What did I do to be the one that has to sit on the sideline, while everyone else is able to do whatever they want, whenever they want?"
Sometimes you want answers, but you never find those answers.
By Larry
39 years old and in a wheelchair
April 18, 2011
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I am a disabled senior trying to live as frugally as I can, considering Social Security isn't anything to brag about. I get around in a motorized wheel chair. Our state has a law that seniors and disabled do not need to pay bus fair on our city buses.
I am disabled. I have several things wrong in my lower back. None of them are related to weight or a bad life style. I use a rolling walker or two canes to get around.
Here are the questions asked by community members. Read on to see the answers provided by the ThriftyFun community.
Is there any assistance or service that will help move an elderly woman and her grown disabled son to another county? Such as one that has more services for her son, including independent living for when she's passed.
She asked about moving to a new county not Country ..regardless..check with you county senior and disability resource center or local HUD office....They often can direct you to .."discounted" moving services for seniors or volunteers to at least pack..Check directly for discounts such as..www.wheatonworldwide.com/
Another reason to check with H U D or a senior/disabled resource center in your region is you may qualify for Section 8 housing rental assistance as a senior ..{if you income qualify}
I am a single Mom of 3 teenagers living on a limited disability income. My problem is that my laundry washing machine went out and I had a very nice repair man look at it and said there was no way to fix it without it getting really expensive. I can not afford to even buy a used one. I now go to the local laundromat. My problem is that I can not carry in my baskets in so I pull them in using my cane. Which it gets really hard to do since I need to use the cane to walk. I have tied a belt to them but the basket ends up breaking up.
I use a small childs wagon. you may have to do a few trips. I used a rope on the basket for a long time be fore the basket broke.
Can't your teens help you carry the laundry?
Maybe your friend could make a larger, sturdier version of a folding cart for you. If he/she could look at how the other carts are made, then a new cart could be made in the same style only larger.
There are folding crates with handles like modern luggage that fold flat which we use for a boat cart. It's amazing how much you can pile up on one of them - and if you put your laundry in BAGS instead of baskets, you might make it.
try freecycle.org for your area, I've seen the freecycle in my area donate and receive used appliances as well as lots of other household goods. You may not need a laundy cart after all. Hope this helps!!! -kim
craigslist.com also has a great place to get free appliances, along with freecycle.org. I would definitely check with one of these to see if you can find a free washer and drier!
I don't mean to sound rude, because I don't intend to be, but the first thing I noticed was that you said you had 3 teenagers at home.
I have two at home and they do their own laundry! There is something to gain from having them do their own laundry.....they learn discipline. If they want their favorite shirt for Friday night, they learn they need to check and make sure it is clean on Thursday night. They learn to check their own pockets or their little notes and money ruin in the wash. They finally learned to turn socks and clothes right side out.
Try it, Norma.....I KNOW you will like it. And you spend that time laying back reading a good book with a glass of ice tea at your disposal.
Then say, 'oh, since you are going to the laundry mat, please take this little basket of my clothes and wash them with yours.'
Please don't be a slave to your children. You are doing them no good at all.
Good luck and God Bless!
Sue
I was going to tell you about the www.FreeCycle.org. It is a great recycling site and I see washers and dryers on there for free give away all the time in our area. Then all you have to do is talk one of your teens to help go pick it up and tote it into the house for set up for you!! Best of luck to you.
Also... I was in a similar pickle for a while when we had a huge water leak. I found that the multiple laundry baskets would not fit into my car so I folded lots of my clothes and then bundled them into sheets and pillow cases which really seemed to fit into my car seats much better .Then when I got home I just unbundled and they were still fairly folded and tidy. Hope this helps.
The laundry mat does not seem to a part of your solution as it is very expensive to clean your clothes. Look at freecycle.com in your state and see if anyone is disposing of a washing machine. Also, washing machines can be found at storage auctions dirt cheap. If you are the only one bidding on a washer you will get it. Can you get any help from your teenagers in helping you with the laundry? Can they contribute a few dollars from jobs, babysitting, mowing lawns to help buy a used washing machine? Hope this helps you!
How about using an old skateboard? Get someone to drill a hole in one end and tie a cord (or old bathrobe belt etc.) for a handle. Set a basket on the board and pull it into the laundromat. It would take several trips but the skateboard would be small and easy to lift in and out of the car. I see old beat up skateboards at garage sales and thrift stores quite often. While you're there look for "anything" on wheels! Maybe an old stroller, baby buggy, toy wagon etc which could be altered or adapted to help you. I hate to sound like a broken record since it has been mentioned already............but your teenagers really need to be helping with the laundry!
While this may not be the solution you wanted to hear.. its the most
useful one. My daughter is ill so she tought my grandson age 14 to do laundry. He wasnt crazy about the added chore.. since he already does dishes and cleans his room.. plus more. But once he got started he actualy enjoyed it! He even said to me *Gramma its wierd to tell my mom she has clothes to fold* lol But he felt good that he can help. I am helping give the kids allowance.. that makes me feel good. the 9 yr old emptys trash cleans the end tables.. straightens the rooms.. etc. Kids can do alot.. and when they see everyone pitching in they want to help too. They also make their own supper somtimes.. microwave foods.. hotdogs etc. Its good for them to learn to be independant. Good luck w/ freecycle. I live in small town USA and I didnt find anything there for my area. Good health to you and the kids.
I too walk with a cane and learned long ago to put my dirty clothes in a king size pillow case, after washing them I would fold them up placing them back into the same pillow case until I got home.
I would suggest the same thing to you BUT make everyone have a different color pillow case AND bring them along to help you for heavens sake!
You are their mother NOT THEIR SLAVE...they owe you as you gave them live and nutured them to the point where they are now.
Good luck to you and try the king size pillow cases I personally know they work.
My husband has been in a wheelchair for 4 years following a spinal cord injury. He has gained lots of weight because he can't exercise. He is 57 years old. Any suggestions?
By vickie guy from Earle, AR
Richard Simmons has an exercise tape/dvd just for folks who are unable to move around, such as your dh. Also I've heard that the Wii Fit and/or Sports games may be of some help for the same.
That Richard Simmons tape is called "Sit Tight" and is for people that cannot stand up to do exercises. I am assuming your DH cannot move his legs, but he can do the exercises for the upper body. So long as he keeps moving, that is what is important.
Jodi Stolove has some dvd's for seated exercise called, "Chair Dancing".
You might also investigate dvd's for "Yoga in a Chair" - I thought I'd seen one by that title on the internet.
Yes, get the Wii!
A friend in a hospital rehab nursing home setting said that the Wii (and this one was the bowling version) was very popular. My friend played it once from a wheelchair and would have played more, but there was never another vacancy while she was there.
Avon cosmetics has a "buy something get some equipment for sports games for Wii at a discount" going on shortly. Possibly you can call your local Avon rep or contact them on the web to find out more. I've seen the plastic pieces before in stores and they look lightweight. The one caveat is to make sure you ALWAYS wear the tether controller strap around your wrist. I know someone who was too cool to use a tether strap, and he said he'd always have such a good grip that it really wasn't necessary. Famous last words. He had to buy a new tv and is still picking up glass shards from the carpet.
Not everybody can afford the WII. I've been wanting it for over a year, and haven't been able to save enough to get it. Everytime I get a little bit saved, something more important comes up. I'm living off exactly $650.00 a month retirement social securtiy. Everytime I talk about wanting it, my two grandsons offer to help me learn how to play it. I think they have ulterior motives.lol I keep telling them I wouldn't buy a bunch of the games that they think are necessities.
Check out these Wheelchair excercises:
www.squidoo.com/
Watch Wheelchair Sport Videos
www.newdisability.com/
Find out how to select a sport for your disability:
www.wheelchairpride.com/
How do I make a beach wheelchair?
Here is how you can do this.
You have to change the wheels. There is a kit available here:havewheelchairwilltravel.net/
If you dont want to buy the kit the website has pictures of what the kit includes so you could figure out how to do it yourself
I have a teenage son with a disability living in New York. His disability limits the amount of walking he can do. I do drive. I wanted to know what fun activities he can join or do during the summer.
By Milly
Nature walks can be done in small time frames; research beforehand the kinds of trees and flowers in your area and whether or not they are "native" to the area. Download some pictures of trees, leaves, flowers, or other nature-related things for him to look for, then take photos with him and the "found" items. At the end of summer, put all the photos in a scrapbook to review and enjoy from time to time.
How about taking him to a place where he can swim or row a boat? Can he ride a bike or could he get a scooter or "hoveround"-type vehicle to ride on?
This is a page about gardening with a disability. A physical disability does not necessarily mean you can no longer garden.
Living with a disability can make normal cleaning chores difficult. There are supportive devices that are designed for older and disabled people. Many regular household cleaning tools can be repurposed too.
This is a page about agencies that help disabled people get a car. Advice to help people with disabilities find assistance.
This is a page about making a beach wheelchair from pvc pipe. Help someone who can not walk have the mobility to get down to the beach with a PVC pipe chair.
Because I have several disabilities, I have a hard time feeling safe in a shower. The shower seats are hard to find in thrift shops, as people tend to hang onto them. Buying one new isn't possible, either.
