Why Do The Elderly Need An Assistive Device?
Assistive devices make life easier, especially for an elderly person with mobility and other health issues. The devices provide support in doing simple actions. They include talking, hearing, eating, walking, and other tasks they are having a difficult time doing.
An assistive device can help seniors in many ways. These devices range from simple walking canes, pill dispensers, or grab bars to more complex technologies, such as wheelchairs, scooters or voice amplifiers.
You will understand the big changes these devices can bring to the lives of older people once you have seen they are no longer struggling to do what they want. The bodies of our senior family members will inevitably get weaker over time. But it also feels good how a device can aid them and make them feel better and more independent.
Assistive devices aid seniors in making it easier and possible to perform certain actions despite their mobility issues. One of the saddest things for a loved one to witness is how the elderly lose their confidence and happiness as they age.
You can get many types of assistive devices to stop the struggle and help a loved one feel independent and happier despite their mobility concerns.
List of the Most Helpful Assistive Devices for Elderly
Here are the most useful assistive devices that can help seniors with mobility concerns. It’s best to always be on the lookout for innovative assistive technology to help an elderly loved one do a range of tasks, relieve them from stress, and feel happier about life.
The following will ensure daily activities of the elderly are managed without worrying too much about their safety in the house or if they’d suffer from accidents:
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Walkers or canes
Most seniors over the age of 60 struggle to walk on their own. But fortunately, there are a number of walking devices, such as canes or walkers, which make it simpler.
When the elderly walk on uneven ground, canes help them balance and sustain their standing position. They also give them something to lean against when they require help standing up from a chair, getting in and out of a car, and availing of senior-friendly transport services.
Walkers provide excellent support, making it simpler for the elderly with restricted mobility to maintain their balance. They are particularly useful for avoiding falls that might result in major injuries, including hip fractures or head traumas.
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Wheelchairs
A wheelchair is an example of the most commonly used mobility device for seniors. This assistive technology comes in different types, such as manual and electric wheelchairs.
While it’s okay for seniors to use a manual wheelchair, you may want to get them the electric type if they have weak muscles. Electric wheelchairs are easier to operate and require less effort than standard ones. They come in various designs, from lightweight interior seats to robust outdoor chairs. They are meant to assist, especially when used in difficult terrains.
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Standing Frame
This is useful for seniors who have suffered or are recuperating from various ailments. They include diabetes, stroke, Parkinson’s Disease, arthritis, and more.
This assistive technology aids seniors in sustaining their balance and lifting their weight when getting out of bed or sitting in a chair. You can get the device in varying heights, colours, and weights.
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Mobility Scooter
The equipment is particularly excellent for those recovering from surgery or with arthritis. This assistive technology makes it simpler for users to run errands. They bridge gaps and distances, allowing them to travel to nearby places without getting tired easily. It also gives them the freedom to go to certain places without getting help from their caregivers.
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Security Monitors and Alarms
You never know what accident can happen to an elderly loved one despite the presence of their caregivers. Having access to monitors where you can check on them all the time feels comforting and reassuring. The systems will alert you if, for example, they fall off the mattress or slip into the toilet or bathroom while no one is looking.
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Gait Belts
The device aids a person’s natural gait when they walk. It offers stability, especially to those recovering from hip surgery or ailments affecting their ability to move.
This assistive technology is commonly used with other mobility equipment and tools, such as crutches and walkers. Patients can also use gait belts to climb stairs or walk along rough roads.
You can get the device in adjustable models or fully assembled. It is better to get the adjustable type if you are unsure of the patient’s body size.
Moreso, you can get the material with added features that help the user gain more stability. They include padded back straps and wide waistbands. These features transfer weight evenly over the user’s pelvis while avoiding pressure areas around the hips or abdomen.
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Toilet Aid Devices
Several devices are available nowadays that can assist patients in using the toilet. One, they can have elevated toilets or raised toilet seats to easily access and use their bathroom or toilet without using other assistive devices.
Meanwhile, patients can also have bedside toilets in their rooms. They will make it easier to go whenever they want without asking anyone for assistance.
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Safety Rails
The rails will support and guide patients in going to the bathroom or restroom. These rails will make it safer to use other assistive equipment, especially when the flooring is slippery or uneven.
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Non-Slip Bathmat
You must place these materials near the tubs or showers when senior citizens or children are at home. They prevent accidents from happening, especially after showering. You can get these mats in a wide range of construction, sizes, and features.
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Shower Chair
Many elderly patients prefer sitting to standing when using the shower room. It’s more comfortable and safe this way. Besides, a shower chair offers more stability, especially when rinsing, reaching for soap, or scrubbing the back.
This tool aids with stability and balance. It also minimizes slip-and-fall incidents. These accidents commonly happen to patients suffering from weak bones and muscles.
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Bed Risers
The tool is handy for seniors who have difficulty getting up from lying. They can also be helpful to houses with raised floors, like cement blocks or wood flooring.
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Bed Rails
The rails will ensure the safety of patients confined in their beds due to severe mobility problems. The rails will keep them from falling out of the mattress. They can also use the rails as support when they want to reach out or change their position.
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Quilt Holders
A quilt holder comes in handy when moving. The handles of quilted holders are attached to the long edge at either end, and loops are stitched into one side of each handle across its width. Loops are stitched into the edge of each handle on the opposite end to give the material a grip.
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Sock Aids
These handy tools provide simple solutions for the elderly, making it easy for them to slip onto their socks without bending over.
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Eating Aid Devices
The elderly can use eating devices, usually given to children or hospital patients, to assist them when eating. They include feeding trays and cutlery with suction cups on the handles.
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Lift Devices
Ageing people will benefit from using lift devices from time to time. It is best to get them handy, so they can use the materials whenever needed. So of these tools include reacher grabbers, slings, and lift harnesses.
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Assistive Technology Devices
You can teach your elderly kin how to use certain gadgets, especially in emergencies. These gadgets, including a large-button phone, allow them to contact a doctor or occupational therapist when needed. They can also talk to you whenever they want to. Other technologies that can be helpful for older adults include tracking devices, magnifiers, and alarm systems.
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Hearing Aids
Older people having a hard time hearing often feel irritable. They tend to shy away from other people, including their families because they don’t want them to feel burdened by their problem with hearing. You can buy hearing devices to help them deal with the problem to avoid such circumstances. Some products available include personal amplifiers, hearing aids, and cochlear implants.
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Comfort Devices
You will be surprised at the many other products available to ensure the safety of elderly patients. You can get them zipper pulls, so they’ll find it easy to zip and unzip their clothes. You can also get a button hook, robot vacuums, a modified computer keyboard, and many more.
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Pill Dispensers
Aside from keeping the patient’s medications properly stored, these dispensers will make it easier for them to remember if they have taken all pills they need to take each day.
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Stairlift
This is a good investment if you have a multi-storey house with seniors living with you. This is installed on the stairs and can be adjusted according to the patient’s weight and body frame.
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Bathtub Step Stool
You can place the stool near the tub to make it easier for the patient to step in and out. The material will help them move while preventing accidental slips or falls.
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Bedside Step Stool
This tool will help a loved one easily get up and move from the bed. The stool has tall grab bars and can be adjusted to suit the body frame and height of the patient.
Final Thoughts
It helps to stay active even as you get older. It’s good to let your ageing loved ones use assistive devices to help them move and do their tasks efficiently.
If an occupational therapist treats the patient, you can ask the doctor what other devices can help and enhance their overall well-being. For assistance regarding elderly care, you can seek help from RC Caregivers. We can advise you regarding proper care, offer caregiving help, and help you choose which assistive devices will help your loved one the most.
