How can a reacher/grabber help you out & about?

When we’re affected by reduced mobility, routine daily tasks can become too difficult and more time-consuming to complete, and we could all do with a helping hand.

It may be something as simple as struggling to put on your socks, coat or shoes, or reaching for a jar from the cupboard, but the frustrations these basic challenges create can waste time and energy which would be much better spent enjoying your life.

As a family-run business, we have always taken great pride in helping people who might be struggling to manage everyday tasks to regain their independence and dignity, and to free up time to spend on more rewarding activities.

The original reachers were crafted in wood and today, with over 13 million customers worldwide, they continue to deliver a lifetime of reliability and quality.

Around the home – 5 most common ways to use a reacher

1. A key part of your independent living kit when recovering from a hip or knee operation
2. Avoiding bending, twisting and straining when getting dressed
3. Reaching an object that’s fallen behind the washing machine, cupboard or sofa
4. Perfect TV remote grabber, or to pick up the paper and post in the morning
5. An essential kitchen aid for gripping jars and tins from the cupboard shelf

Maintain your independence out and about

Off on your travels to visit friends and family? Going to the shops to do your grocery shopping? Here are the results from our 2019 survey of the top 19 ways you ensure your time out and about is enjoyable, stress-free and without having to ask someone else for help:

1. “Pick up the dog’s ball, we play for hours.” – John, Suffolk
2. “I take my folding one with me every time I go shopping, I don’t need to ask the store assistants for help.” – Margaret, Hereford
3. “It was a godsend last autumn to collect fallen fruit in the garden without bending down.” – Sheila, Worcester
4. “I like to see the birds in my back garden so I use mine to hang up the bird feeder.” – Peter, Swindon
5. “I’m forever dropping my keys down the side of the car seat and the door but just can’t get my fingers in the gap to pick them up.” – Scott, Devon
6. “Going out for my daily walk, I can hold my boots upright so I don’t need to bend down.” – Phil, Norfolk
7. “Perfect to hang up the garden lights for our summer party.” – Julie, Surrey
8. “It was perfect to get the frisbee out of the tree when the grandchildren came to visit.” – Chris, Malvern
9. “Pick up my post every morning along with the newspaper.” – Richard, Oxford
10. “Ever since my stroke, I find it hard carrying and lifting with one hand – I even use my grabber to pick up the milk bottle off the doorstep.” – Gill, Somerset
11. “I want to manage by myself which can be difficult in my wheelchair, but I can pull the washing off the line with my reacher.” – Anne, Nottingham
12. “The ticket machine at my local shopping centre is such a nuisance to reach – I bought a folding grabber which I keep in the car and now I don’t have to get out.” – John, Aberdeen
13. “I struggle with backache on a daily basis. Even reaching into the boot of the car to get my shopping bags is easier.” – Sheila, Coventry
14. “Snake catcher – I’m not joking!” – Peter, Pembrokeshire
15. “I live on my own and have had a fall so don’t like to use steps. I can hold a cloth to wipe the top of the windows and the oven hood.” – Jane, Sussex
16. “Pull down the awning in the back garden.” – Alison, Aberdeen
17. “The neighbour’s cat keeps coming to see if there are any fish in my pond, but he knocked over one of the ornaments the other day. It splashed right into the water. I have an extra-long Helping Hand for outside.” – Tom, Lancashire
18. “Hang up the netting over the fruit bushes.” – Helen, Perth
19. “I take my folding one with me when I go to stay with my daughter so I don’t have to ask her to help me. The grandchildren think it is great fun.” – Mary, Devon

Do you have a top tip that could help someone else? Give us a call on 01531 635678 or email shop@helpinghand.co.uk.

Driven by a passion to make a positive difference in people’s lives, we take pride in helping you maintain your independence wherever you are.