| For those who have arthritis, it is very common for | | | | room with a laundry bin collecting sheets and other |
| many daily tasks to become more difficult and painful. | | | | laundry, these actions could be just as much of a |
| The way that arthritis affects people, however, can | | | | contributing factor of the arthritis pain as simply putting |
| greatly vary depending on not just the type of arthritis | | | | the clothes in the washer. |
| that is present, but also the overall health and lifestyle | | | | Once a problem is found and evaluated, it is necessary |
| of the individual. Since arthritis can have such a serious | | | | to brainstorm ways of completing the same amount of |
| effect on ones life, it is very important to learn how to | | | | work, but in a smarter way. For instance, instead of |
| live with arthritis, so that it remains possible to complete | | | | carrying the laundry basket to each room, the laundry |
| daily tasks with as little pain and discomfort as possible. | | | | basket could be left in the middle of the hall and the |
| When learning how to live with arthritis, one of the first | | | | clothes and bedding carried to it. Another option might |
| steps is to identify what activities during the day are | | | | be to install a laundry shoot to eliminate the need of |
| painful or difficult. While this sounds very basic and in | | | | carrying the laundry in the first place. |
| some cases is, often the problems caused by arthritis | | | | Once a possible solution is found, it is important to |
| are not quite as obvious. | | | | remember that you might not get it right the first time. |
| For example, say that a person with rheumatoid | | | | For instance, using a laundry shoot might help, but in |
| arthritis discovers that after doing their laundry, they | | | | some people, the act of bending down to pick up the |
| suffer from a bout of intense arthritis pain. It is | | | | clothes might also cause problems. In this case, |
| important to not only consider the actual event of | | | | ensuring that clothes from the laundry shoot fall onto a |
| doing laundry, but also the actions that lead up to it. | | | | table to prevent bending could help further refine the |
| This is because the arthritis pain might not be caused | | | | solution. |
| directly by doing the laundry, but instead could be the | | | | The example above of how to evaluate problems |
| result of how the laundry is collected and moved the | | | | shows how living with arthritis can be achieved. It is |
| the laundry room. | | | | important to remember that there is not a cure for |
| So, rather than just focusing on the actual event, it | | | | arthritis, so instead people must make an effort to |
| becomes necessary to understand what occurs | | | | ensure that the effects of the disease do not spread |
| before and after the arthritis pain as well. For instance, | | | | and that it always remains possible to live a safe |
| if the laundry room were on the first floor and when | | | | lifestyle. |
| carrying the laundry the senior moves from room to | | | | |