Growing old is part of life, whether we like it or not. And the older we get, the frailer our bodies become. Not only our body becomes feeble, but also our brain gets slower, and our senses duller. So, by the time we’re in our 80s, even performing the simplest everyday tasks becomes a difficult or even impossible chore.
While there’s nothing we can do to prevent the ageing process, thanks to today’s advancements, there are many ways that elderly people can function independently and enjoy an improved quality of life. If you already have an elderly individual in your family, or are responsible of taking care of one, then you might already need to look into the various assisted living aids available on the market. The purpose of these aids is to help people with reduced motor skills successfully overcome various daily challenges.
Due to their lack of strength and a decreased sense of grip, the elderly might experience problems using standard kitchen and dining utensils. Proper dining tools that are much lighter to hold and modified to enable an easier grip can help elderly enjoy their meals independently. Scoop dishes, and non-spill cups can help people with reduced motor skills to remain clean and preserve their dignity. There are also specialized opening tools that can help people with arthritis open sealed jars without twisting and straining.
People with impaired balanced might find it difficult to get dressed or put on shoes. Reachers, dressing sticks, button hooks, long handled shoe horns, sock aids, leg straps, and elastic shoe laces are some of the most popular assisted living aids for helping people to get dressed by themselves. Something as simple as Velcro straps on clothes can reduce the effort it takes for people to put on and take off their clothes, and allow them to preserve their privacy.
If a person finds it difficult to move around, it’s very important to make proper adaptations to their surroundings. Installing grab rails along the length of the walls and around key areas can give the elderly something to hold on for support and allow them to walk around safely. Glowing tape around the corners of the room and lighting switches can help the elderly to orientate better in the dark. There are also many aids designed to deal with memory impairment, like for instance automatic calendars and clocks, noticeboards with reminders, and even automatic pill dispensers programmed to track dosing and alert people whenever it’s time to take their medication.
Like we said, nothing can reverse the effects of time, but all of these aids can surely make a noticeable difference in the quality of life – one way or another.
