General guidelines

Personal care

Laundry

Home repairs

Garden and yard work

Shopping

• When able, sit rather than stand during any activity.
• Delegate responsibility. Ask children, roommates and your spouse to share in household chores.
• Rest often. Don’t push yourself to finish a project. If you become tired, STOP and REST for 15 minutes no matter what you are doing.
• Decide on the best time during the day for different activities. Space your activities. Do some of your chores in the morning, some in the afternoon and some in the evening. Rest in between.
• Pace yourself; don’t rush. Space heavy projects so that you have rest periods and do not become exhausted. Alternate easy tasks with hard ones.
• Don’t pull or carry heavy objects. Use wheeled carts. Sliding heavy objects is less strenuous than lifting them.
• Working with the arms about shoulder level is harder on the heart than working with them below shoulder level. Store items used more often on lower shelves or countertops to avoid stooping and stretching. Ask someone to arrange your higher cabinets or workbench so that the things you use often are in the front.
• Get organized. Gather all your supplies and tools before starting a task. Organize your work so only one trip is needed. When you go upstairs, have all you need to avoid extra trips up and down the stairs.

• You may want to buy a shower stool at a medical supply store. These fit in stall showers or standards bathtubs. They do away with the need to stand while showering or climbing in and out of a low tub.
• Dry yourself sitting down. A terry-cloth bathrobe saves energy on drying.
• Keep shampoos, soap, back scrubber, washcloth and towels within easy reach.
• Have a stool or chair close to your bathroom sink for use while washing, brushing teeth, shaving and hair grooming. Hang a mirror at this level or obtain a portable stand-up mirror. Keep toothpaste, soap, shaving accessories and such on the lower shelves of the medicine cabinet within easy reach.
• Sit on the edge of your bed or in a comfortable chair and have your clothes within easy reach.
• Dress your lower body first, as this takes more energy. Bring your feet up to your body as you sit, instead of bending down to tie your shoes, putting on stockings or pulling up your pants.
• Women may find that front closure bras are easier to put on and require less awkward arm activity.
• Wear loose-fitting, comfortable clothing.

• Use a laundry cart, shopping cart or table with wheels to move a load of wet clothes to the dryer or clothes rack.
• Use wooden or plastic drying racks in your laundry area instead of clothesline. These require less stretching and upper arm work.

• Avoid activities that require prolonged reaching above your head, such as painting high walls or paperhanging.
• Ask for help if the repair task calls for strenuous pushing or pulling (such as unscrewing a pipe fitting.)
• Use a vise to hold objects in place instead of holding them with your hands.
• Use power tools rather than hand-operated tools whenever possible.

• Use a power lawn mower if possible.
• Avoid the need to rake leaves by using an attachment for the lawn mower that mulches the leaves while mowing.
• Sit, rather than bend or stoop, if tasks require long periods of time, such as weeding. A small stool is helpful.
• Avoid shoveling snow. If the snow is light, sweep it out of the way.
• Think about neighborhood “Rent-A-Kid” or other help in getting heavy chores done around the house and yard.

• Plan shopping trips during times when stores are not crowded.
• Plan your shopping list with care. Buy heavy items, such as flour, meat and potatoes on days when you have help. If you do not have help, buy these items on a different day. That way you do not have to carry them all at one time.
• Order groceries by telephone and have them delivered. Many stores will deliver goods you have purchased, but you have to request this service.
• Shop at grocery stores where grocery clerks will put your bags into your car.
• Ask store clerks to package items in several smaller bags rather than one big heavy bag. This will allow you to carry a small bag in each arm and balance the weight.
• Ask your grocery clerks to package all frozen and perishable items in separate bags. Once you are home, you only have a few items to unload. Let other family members bring in the rest later.
• Ask for energy savers (food processors, electric can-openers, and mixers) for your birthday or any other gift-giving occasion.

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Rapid City Regional Hospital Home

Rapid City Regional Hospital
Cardiac Services Department
353 Fairmont Blvd.
Rapid City, SD 57701
Phone:(605) 719-8045
Fax:(605) 719-4354