Daily activities start becoming challenging due to a variety of medical conditions, injuries, and increasing age. Tasks like using the bathroom and toilet, getting dressed, eating, mobilizing, etc. can be overwhelming. And you might rely on the help of caregivers or family members. This will take away your independence. This is where aids for the elderly come in handy. We have categorized them into different types. Let us learn more about them.
Hygiene
Hygiene plays an important role in a healthy lifestyle. The clean surroundings will make you feel good and motivated. With increasing age, bathing seems like a difficult task. Well, you can buy back washers and body washers with extended handles which makes bathing easier if you have a less flexible body.
We talked about how a few tools can make bathing easier for you but what about the soapy wet floors. It increases the risk of falling on the floor if you have less stable feet. To overcome this, installing grab bars or rails in the bathroom can be a solution. It will provide support to you while you walk and reduce the risk of falling.
The next on the list is something people tend to ignore and not talk about it—Toilet Aids. Toilet aids can really simplify the difficulties you face while using a toilet. Raised toilet seats, commodes, support rails, etc. can really help you while using the toilet. With these aids, you can use a toilet independently without any external help. Thus, these hygiene aids will help you keep yourself clean and maintain a healthy body.
Mobility
Moving in and around the house is difficult if you have low strength and less stable feet. Spending your whole day laying on the bed or sitting on a couch can be boring. Zero or less mobilizing means you can not socialize enough. These factors will surely impact your mental health. But with help of mobility aids, you can increase your mobility. For your reference, we have divided it into three types.
1. Bedroom Aids:
Railing around the bed can be useful while getting in and out of the bed. The backrest is helpful if you like sitting on the bed while you read or watch TV as it gives your back the support it needs.
2. Chair Accessibility:
Lift seats will help you get up from the chair, especially when you have joint pains. Or you can add cushions that will give you the required comfort.
3. General Mobility:
This is the most important type of aid you need if you need some sort of support while walking. To walk in and out of the house, canes, walking frames, wheelchairs, rollators scooters, etc. can be really helpful. They will give you the support and confidence you need.
Dining
Eating can be messy if you have shivering hands or poor vision. Using ordinary cutlery or utensils can be difficult for you. Don’t worry, we have a few suggestions that will help you make your lunch and dinner more fun than messy.
To ensure you don’t spill while eating due to shivering hands or weak eyes, invest in cutleries, bowls, and dishes that are specially made for older people. They are lightweight and easy to use. You can choose between napkin-style aprons. They will save you from spoiling your clothes so that you don’t have a hard time removing the stains. The other tools are a bottle and jar opener. They come in handy if you have low strength or if you are struggling with arthritis.
Dressing
We usually take dressing up for granted. It might feel that it is the simplest task to do until you start losing the flexibility. You will then realize how many movements you make while you dress up. We have some tools that will make dressing up an easier task for you.
Zippers can be difficult to reach or grasp with stiff hands. There are tools that will help you pull the zippers. Closing and opening a button is another difficult thing to do. There are tools that will help you grasp and pull the button. Another challenge is wearing socks and shoes. With long-handled shoehorns, pulling socks and shoes will get easier.
Wrapping Up
Daily tasks do not have necessarily have to be difficult. Various aids like hygiene aid, dressing aid, mobility aid, and dining aid can make an elder's life much simpler. These tools are designed in a way that lessens your daily struggle and gives back your lost independence.
