This is one of those tools that will either be incredibly useful or not useful at all. The idea of a pivot disc is simple: the patient stands on the disc, and the caregiver uses his toe to rotate the disc in a circle. It’s incredibly useful if the patient can stand up but has trouble moving his/her feet. It’s great when moving a patient from the bed to a wheelchair, or from a wheelchair to a position in front of the toilet.
On the other hand, this device won’t be useful at all if the patient can’t stand up, or if the patient can easily move his/her feet. That’s why I classify this tool as useful for early ALS, but not for later ALS when the patient isn’t likely to be able to stand.
Pivot discs are available in three sizes: 13″ diameter, 15″ diameter or 18″ diameter. I opted for the 18″ because Sharon has difficulty in keeping her feet together, and I figured the bigger disc would be better. I’ve never tried the 13″ or 15″ but they may be adequate for smaller patients.
The Trick in Using a Pivot Disc
Here’s the trick in using a pivot disc that wasn’t obvious (to me anyway) from the instructions. When the patient is getting up and standing on the pivot disc, put your own foot on the disc to keep it from accidentally rotating. Then when the patient is stable, and is standing on the disc, use the toe of your foot to slowly push the edge of the disc in a circle, rotating the disc to the position where the patient needs to move. When you’ve reached the desired position, put your foot back on the disc to stabilize it, and help the patient to sit on whatever object (wheelchair, toilet, etc.) you’re trying to move the patient to.
Make sure that you hold on tightly to the patient while he/she is standing on the pivot disc. Or have the patient hold on to something else (e.g., the wheelchair) so he/she won’t fall.
You can buy a pivot disc at Amazon.com.
