According to AgingInPlace, nine out of ten people want to age at home.
However, as individuals age, daily tasks such as gripping, eating, standing up, and sitting down become increasingly more difficult. If you have a family member or loved one that needs some assistance performing these sort of tasks, you’re probably trying to find every solution you can to help them age in place and maintain their independence. And that is exactly why we made a list of what we think are the top 4 aids to daily living products.
Dressing Aids
Maintaining your independence is all about completing daily tasks that allow you to have privacy and control throughout your day, which means getting dressed on your own is no small victory. If you have arthritis, general stiffness or other chronic pain, buttons, zippers, and shoes are typically the hardest part of the morning routine. You can ease this pain and frustration by adding aids to your daily routine that are less reliant on fine motor skills. Examples of these products include:
- Buttonhook
- Foot funnel shoe assist
- Dressing stick
- Clothes with easy-grip zippers
- Lock laces for no-tie shoes
- WingsPants for wheelchair dressing
Reachers
We can all understand the frustration of knowing exactly what you want and how to get without actually being able to reach it. This is especially true for seniors living on their own that have cabinets that are too high, or household objects that are stored too low to the ground. Rather than investing in a costly home renovation, these individuals can purchase a reacher that will help them grab the object they need!
Reachers come in all sizes and materials, so it’s important to do a little research before purchasing one. AgingInPlace recently made a list of the best reachers and grabber tools with a pros and cons list to help you decide!
Mobility Accessories
For individuals that use assistive mobility devices like wheelchairs, walkers, and scooters, mobility accessories are a great solution for keeping regularly used objects close by. Whether you need a water bottle on hand to stay hydrated, keep the phone near you to stay in touch with loved ones, or don’t want to lose track of the book you’re reading, EZ-ACCESSORIES® can help with it all. Here is a list of just some of the accessories you can add to your mobility equipment:
- Dual or single oxygen carrier
- Walker basket liner
- Scooter basket liner
- Wheelchair pack
- Scooter pack
- Wheelchair underneath carrier
Bathroom Safety
Similar to getting dressed in the morning, maintaining independence for the bathroom routine is all about privacy. And regardless of your abilities, there is a higher chance of getting injured in the bathroom than anywhere else in the home. With slippery surfaces and so many obstacles in such a small space, it’s important for seniors to invest in bathroom safety solutions if they choose to stay at home.
One simple solution that’s proven very helpful for seniors is the TILT® Toilet Incline Lift. As core and lower extremity strength declines, it becomes difficult for an individual to sit down and stand up on their own. A toilet lift eliminates much of the strain and lack of stability this motion can cause when toileting by working with a person’s natural body movement to lift and lower them onto and off of the commode.
If an individual has assisted care in their home that performs hygienic processes, there are convenient bathroom devices that allow them to wash up in the comfort of their bed. Products such as a Hair Washing Basin and a Bedside Shower are great solutions that takes the strain off of the caregiver, preventing them from having to transfer the patient to the bathroom, which also helps to ensure the patient’s safety.
For more aids to daily living tips,read our blogs on Aging in Place Tips and How to Prevent Post‑Surgery Injuries with Access Solutions.
We’re also happy to help assist you with finding the right aids to daily living products for you or your loved one. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to our Customer Service team for guidance with selecting an EZ‑ACCESS product from above to order!
