Medical equipment that enable the aged to live independently

As you age, life ends up throwing a lot of curve balls at you making living alone without assistance a daunting task for many. Old age is more often coupled with several disabling health problems like arthritis, hearing loss, vision loss, and memory loss, all of which make the dream of living independently more and more difficult. However, there are quite a few medical equipment available today that help the elderly who wish to live on their own. I have discussed a few of those here.
Mobility aids: Many age related ailments like Parkinson’s, arthritis, and osteoporosis can cause severe mobility issues. Being able to move around is the most basic need of any individual, be it young or old. With the staggering advances made by medical technology, we have a full array of walking aids available in the market. They range from the quintessential canes to more sophisticated rollators and medical scooters. Each of the mobility aid has its own pros and cons. One must choose these depending on the level of disability, level of stability required, and the kind of activity desired.
Home safety devices: Getting into the bathtub, climbing the stairs, and maneuvering through floor carpets/mats – these are the tasks that we just take for granted in our daily life. However, for the aged with reduced stability and increased risk of injury, these can be highly intimidating. Installing medically-approved home safety device is prudent in a place where the aged live – whether alone or with assistance. Simple bathroom safety devices like grab bars, toilet handle bars, and bathtub bars, use of non-slip flooring, softened wall and furniture corners, and proper illumination can go a long way in preventing many dangerous accidents. In case of severely disabled elderly, medical equipment like bath safety transfer bench, all in one commode, fall alarms, and the like can be of great help.
Activity helpers: Other than overall stability, flexibility, and range of hand movements can at times get highly arrested due to ailments like arthritis. In severe cases, simple but essential tasks like dressing up, combing hair, hold a cup or spoon can become the most difficult jobs to get done. medical equipment like reachers, bendable cutlery sets, dressers, etc. come to the rescue these not only help the elderly to complete these daily tasks easily, but also help them maintain their dignity.
Hearing and vision aids: Hearing and vision loss are the most common accompaniments of old age. Both of these can severely affect the self confidence and self worth of the seniors. Not being able to hear an alarm or see the danger on time can at times be fatal. Many advances have been made to provide better hearing aid facility to the elderly that are not only functional but highly discreet, thus helping the user to feel the utmost confidence.
Medication helpers: Reduced dextricity, sight impairment, confusion, and forgetfulness, due to age, can result in non-adherence to the medication regimen. Moreover, an elderly might have to follow multiple medication regimes, which only adds to the confusion. For this purpose, several pill organizers (manual and electric), medication applicators, medication alarms, and more are available. They effectively assist patients in complying with the prescribed medications.
These are just a few of the medical equipment that are commonly used to help the elderly live independently. However, many more are available in the market. Each equipment has its own unique features, pros, and cons. Always do a thorough market research, analyze your need and wants, and compare these with your budget before purchasing one. Never forget to check if the products you are buying are FDA or any other authorized medical agency certified or not; check with your physician if the purchase is the right one to support your condition. Medical equipment thus bought will go a long way in supporting your independent lifestyle.