Lavatory Assistance for Aged and Paralyzed Persons

Abstract

This paper presents a design and development of lavatory assistance systems for aged and paralyzed persons. Generally, paralyzed person and elder person will find it difficult even to do their daily activities that we normally do. In that case, it becomes necessary for the role of caregivers. Caregivers identify assisting with toileting as a particularly frequent and difficult activity. Until now, caregivers take the paralyzed and aged persons to the bathroom and assist them to sit in correct position. In some places they use the fixed handle bar near the toilet in order to provide support. In the worst case scenario, they are asked to do attend their nature call while lying in the bed itself, where they have no choice but will feel extremely uncomfortable. The toilet assistance given by caregivers has a great chance of resulting in musculoskeletal injury. There is a greater chance for accidents and fall in bathrooms due to lack of balance. The objective of this project is to provide assistive system for lavatory which provides intelligent mechanical assistance to help seating and to move around for shorter distance. Here wiper motor is used for the movement control. Wiper motor is a permanent-magnet DC motor which is a combination of electric motor and gear reduction which provides power to the wipers. Neat linkage present in it converts the rotational output of the motor into the back-and-forth motion of the wipers. Automatic Screw jack is used to lift heavy load by applying very little force and is operated by turning lead screw. Wiper motor is used to transmit rotary motion to reciprocating motion. Shaft is used to transmit power from motor to the jack which is coupled to it. The primary input for working is given through four switches. Two switches are for controlling the movements of the wheels. Other two switches are for controlling the screw jack which helps in upward and downward movement.