Errands To Run With A Broken Arm 

Living alone with a broken arm can be challenging. It could take a couple of years for the arm to regain its complete ability and strength. Therefore, you would be advised to take certain precautions while doing your everyday tasks during the time of recovery. 

When it comes to running errands, it is possible nowadays to have groceries delivered to your doorstep or to ask someone for their help. 

Still, this might not always be possible. Moreover, you might want to get out of your house to get fresh air or a break from the boring indoor routine. 

Here is a related article that might interest you on Tips For Living With An Arm Cast.

Hence, the following are a few suggestions that can be followed to ensure your safety and convenience while you run errands.

Use Right Accessories For Your Broken Arm To Run Errands 

Make sure that your injured arm is completely protected with a cast and any protective clothing, if necessary. You should also ensure that the arm is wholly immobilized to avoid accidental or sudden movement, which could worsen the injury.

If your destination is not far and you are planning to walk to run the errands, it is essential to wear comfortable but sturdy shoes to avoid stumbling or falling down, which could increase the injury further. This is also necessary since you might not be able to properly balance or hold on to any support because of the broken arm. 

Drive With Your Healthy Arm With Care And Surveillance 

Your doctor might not allow you to drive for a few weeks, especially if the broken arm is your dominant one. However, if you are allowed to drive, make sure you have good practice in driving with one hand. This could be difficult, especially if the hand gear is on the side of your broken arm. 

If you are driving, make sure to choose less busy roads with no bumps or broken areas. You can also choose to drive at times when there is less traffic, for example, during school and office hours, etc. You can also use any appropriate driving aid if required.

Find a wide spot for parking your car so you can get in and out quickly without having to squeeze yourself in. This could cause pressure on your injured arm, causing further complications.

Organize Your List Before Going For Shopping 

Make a list of things you have to buy or tasks you need to do. You can cut down the time by organizing the list according to what you can complete first along your way. 

Moreover, plan your whole trip before setting out. Try not to insert anything else in that plan, no matter how urgent it may seem. Meanwhile, you can ask someone else to check that errand for you.

Wear comfortable clothing, preferably with multiple pockets to keep cash and other things at hand. If possible, you can also use your debit/credit card for payments to avoid the hassle of counting cash and coins.

Select smaller and less-crowded marts and shops. Making a round of big stores may be tiring for anybody. This will allow you to find your things quickly rather than walking long to find each thing individually on your shopping list. If possible, ask a staff member to help you find and lift things you want. 

Use Drive Through To Run Errands With A Broken Arm 

Several pharmacies provide drive-through services if you have to buy your medicines along the way. You can also call the pharmacist to pack your medicine beforehand so you can pay and pick it up. This can help you in saving time, as well as effort.

Take Care Of Hygiene While Using Public Restrooms

Usually, sinks in public restrooms need to be used with two hands, i.e., one hand to run the faucet while washing the other. Others have knobs that need to be rotated, which could require more effort from you. 

Thus, keeping a small bottle of hand sanitizer with you while you are traveling or running errands would be helpful because using a public bathroom for washing hands could be difficult for you with one hand. 

Furthermore, in contrast to squeezable bottles with caps that have to be opened, you can choose the ones with pumps, which are simpler to use with only one hand.

Also, you have to check out my post on the Tips For Living With A Broken Right Arm.

Keep any necessary medicine, such as pain killers, with you while traveling. Also, keep a traveling cup with a straw filled with water since opening bottle caps with one hand might be difficult for you. 

If you have a friend or a child old enough not to require frequent supervision, it is always a good idea to ask them to accompany you over the trip. They can not only help you by holding things and opening doors, etc., for you, but also take care of you in case any mishap happens. 

If you are traveling over a short distance by foot, you can take a small trolley that can be easily dragged with you to help you carry things since using one hand for everything while holding bags would be almost impossible.