Equipment That Can Help The Elderly

| Thursday, July 21, 2011
By Amy Norman


Most elderly people need help around the house, but sadly, many of them don't have the luxury of having family members pitching in on a regular basis. A typical household will not have a hired nurse, and so it becomes the duty of the homeowner to assist their aged parents or grandparents. Assistance needed may come in many forms, from walking to reaching items in far shelves. The wisdom comes in the form of self-assistance; that is, in the ability for the elderly to help themselves. This can easily be made possible with proper planning and slight adjustment to your daily routine.

Get rid of obstacles around the area. What may seem like a trifle to an agile twenty-year-old may be a gauntlet for a seventy-year-old. These daily obstacles pose threats ranging from mild to critical. Just to give an idea, something slippery such as glassware and tile could pose a problem, while surfaces such as carpets and polycarbonate would be much safer. Simple thinking can easily take care of the problem - whatever causes the issue should be removed. Fitting a home to the needs of an elderly person is much easier than one would expect.

Solutions can be entirely within the realm of practicality, while others involve expenses. If they live in a home with multiple floors, it would be easier to have everything they need downstairs. This will eliminate any fear of a fall down the stairs. If at all possible, ensure that plenty of necessities remain accessible on the first level, especially a bathroom. You should add non-slip surfaces to tubs and showers, and also mats in front of them. Even if they are easy to install and very affordable, they are one of the most important things you can do to cut down on the possibility of household injuries.

You can add a wireless headset to the TV. This way, the volume can be turned up to suit their needs without disrupting the rest of the household. Another measure would be to enable subtitles and captions for movies and television. You might find great benefit in using audio reminders also, since you can use them to remind them of simple tasks they need to take care of. In short, gadgets of all kinds can aid in everyday life just as well as practical decisions. And of course, if your elderly get easily bored, handheld portable gaming systems can be wonderful. As an example, simple games such as crossword puzzles can be very helpful with critical thinking and coordination, and they can easily be played on a Nintendo DS Lite.

With these tips in mind, use your home to their advantage, all without necessitating too much change. Sometimes, being safe and comfortable truly depends on some very simple adjustments. Sometimes the elderly may be at home for hours at a time, alone. The best option would be to organize a lifestyle alongside your aged parents or grandparents, a lifestyle that suits them. And this would be a win-win situation for everyone involved, since self-assistance is the best option for all.




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