About
Home
Equipment
Guide
Home Equipment Guide is a resource created and run by me, Miles Mock to help people who are having difficulty with their daily routine find the things they need to get back to being as independent as possible.
Ok, but who are you?
I’m an Occupational Therapist who primarily works with adults who are experiencing short or long term disabilities. I commonly see people with a whole range of physical and neurological challenges a few of which include stroke, parkinson’s, MS, obesity, and just general old age. I’m terrible at basketball, make ugly sushi and binge Netflix too often. I also have a very cool wife.
What's an
Occupational Therapist?
Glad you asked! Physical Therapists focus on improving mobility, Speech Therapists focus on speaking and swallowing, Occupational Therapists focus on what we call “activities of daily living” or ADLs for short. That’s all of the things you have to and want to do in a day, from simple things like eating, dressing, bathing, using the bathroom and driving all the way up to working, socializing, studying and skiing.
Because my job is in an inpatient hospital, I’m usually focused on the basics. If someone can’t get out of bed, use the bathroom, bathe, dress and move around their home safely, they’ll struggle at home. It’s my job to help people improve at these activities by increasing strength, endurance, balance etc. or by changing how the task is done. The end goal is to help my patients be as independent and safe as possible living at home, and to decrease caregiver burden as much as possible. One of the easiest and most effective ways to do this is with equipment.
So what's with the website?
Occupational Therapists are commonly regarded as the equipment gurus of the medical world. I frequently recommend equipment for patients that will make their return home safer, easier, or even possible in the first place. After I show a patient or their family how much easier a given task is with some equipment, the next question I always get asked is where they can get it. I almost always recommend they purchase items online, mostly through Amazon, as most medical supply stores are needlessly pricey. This works well for some people, but others seem to get hung up on navigating the enormous world of online shopping. I would often find myself comparing options and then recommending a specific item. Eventually, I decided to make this resource for my own patients and anyone else who can benefit from it.
How does it work?
I wanted Home Equipment Guide to be as simple as possible. I’ve created an equipment guide based on the different areas of your home. If you or your loved one are having trouble in the bathroom, you can use this guide to find all of the most common pieces of equipment I find helpful for bathrooms. This site is a work in progress, but the same will be true of other areas of the home, like your bedroom, kitchen, or living room. There you’ll find my explanation of why a certain piece of equipment might be helpful and then specific recommendations with pros and cons to help you find the right fit for you. I plan to eventually add ways to search for equipment by diagnosis as well.
Keep in mind that while I spend hours narrowing down between all of the different brands available to find the one I think the most people will be happy with, no product is perfect. I can’t guarantee that every item will be a perfect fit for every person. If you have specific needs that you feel this guide doesn’t entirely address, I would recommend you seek out a medical professional in your area that can assess your situation and make a personalized recommendation.
I hope you find it helpful and that you’ll feel comfortable sharing it with friends and family you think might benefit from it.
Cheers!
-Miles