Assistive devices: start from the everyday task that needs support

This category is for situations where daily life needs a little more structure, support, or physical help. The useful starting point is not the product family itself, but the practical difficulty. It may be remembering doses, walking more steadily, reducing strain on a joint, or making tablets easier to handle.

Different products solve different problems. Pill boxes help with routines, compression socks and support products are chosen by fit and purpose, and mobility aids need to suit both the person and the setting where they are used. A more complicated device is not automatically the better one if it becomes awkward in daily life.

An assistive device is useful when it removes friction from the day instead of adding more steps. If it is hard to put on, hard to clean, or difficult to use correctly, the intended benefit can disappear quickly.

If the need for support has changed suddenly, walking has become clearly more difficult, swelling has increased, or there is pain after an injury, the device should not delay assessment. Products in this category support function, but they do not explain why a new problem has appeared.