Just because a senior has mobility or movement issues does not mean their independence suffers. Daily living aids keep seniors moving, healthy, and engaged. This assistance can make a difference, especially when integrated into someone’s home.
Here are some examples of daily living aids for seniors that help countless older adults live out their retirement in comfort and peace.
Seat Cushions
Seat cushions and backrests can be put on dining room table chairs and any hard chair to add cushion and support. To pick the ideal cushion, you may find a range of products at a home health store.
Bath Chairs
A bath chair in your shower stall provides ongoing comfort and stability so you can bathe easily and independently. This living aid will help you shower or bathe daily and may even prevent a fall.
Non-Slip Mats
Non-slip mats prevent slipping and falling in rooms such as the bathroom, kitchen, and anywhere else in the home.
Grab Bars
A grab bar is placed in an area like a bathroom where you want extra support while standing. It helps you maintain balance, lessen fatigue, and maneuver around a space where you risk slipping and falling.
Hospital Bed
Despite the term ‘hospital bed,’ seniors who use them are not necessarily homebound. Hospital beds provide maximum comfort and functionality, allowing you to raise and lower different sections to alleviate pressure, improve circulation and provide mobility aids.
Mattresses for Seniors
The mattress you choose greatly affects your senior comfort. Memory foam is often preferred as it allows the mattress to contour to the body, relieving pressure on the hips, lower back, neck, and shoulders. Breathable fabric, such as bamboo, can also prevent overheating. What mattress you pick for your bed is ultimately up to what you need for your health and personal preferences.
Lift Chairs for Stairs
A lift chair helps seniors move safely from one floor to the next. If you have an injury or mobility restriction that makes taking stairs difficult, don’t risk your health. A lift chair is warranted and essential for seniors.
Smart Home Technology
Smart home technology can significantly enhance seniors’ daily lives. With smart blinds or curtains, you can set them to operate automatically. They automatically open, close, raise, or lower based on user preferences. There are also smart lights that adjust themselves. They dim during the evening and can be programmed to turn on and off at specific times.
A smart thermostat is another useful tool that controls the temperature of a space according to its user’s comfort levels. For cleaning floors without effort, smart cleaners. These devices vacuum and mop floors, keeping everything neat.
Seniors can also set up smart alerts and reminders. These can notify them when it’s time to take medication, attend an appointment, or remember important dates like birthdays and special events.
Electric or Manual Wheelchairs
Wheelchairs are about ultimate independence. For a senior, this means going to the grocery store without calling a friend or family member. It also means taking a stroll outside on a sunny day, and maintaining social connectedness with the ability to travel.
Ramps
There are all sorts of ramps and ways to make your home more wheelchair-friendly. There are permanent, folding, non-folding, and channel ramps. These are all worth checking out at a senior’s home if they’re using a wheelchair or scooter.
Angled Cutlery
Specially angled cutlery makes cutting easier. Knives, forks, and spoons with larger-than-average handles are easier to grip, especially when made of rubber.
Reachers
A reacher or grabber is a long-handled living aid that helps seniors pick up an item without bending over or reach an item on a shelf without putting themselves at risk. Some reachers are lightweight, while others are heavier. They vary in quality.
Step Stool with Handrail
Another way to reach things on a high shelf is to use a step stool with a handrail that provides added support.
Manual Telephone
Many seniors enjoy a corded telephone designed with them in mind. They typically have photos of loved ones on speed dial, extra-large buttons to minimize the likelihood of a wrong number being punched in, and 9-1-1 as a straightforward dial option in an emergency.
