Olivia Guilfoyle
Occupational Therapist, Homecare Medical
As we age, maintaining independence and comfort in daily life becomes increasingly important. Daily living aids can make a significant difference in achieving these goals.
Getting older is a fact of life, but ageing doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice your independence. Olivia Guilfoyle, Occupational Therapist at Homecare Medical recommends these top daily aids for offering support and bringing independence home.
Mobility aid and strong support
The Swivel Seat Cushion is a practical mobility aid for car, seat and bed transfers. It’s a portable textile turntable designed to make sitting and transferring easier and more comfortable. Excellent for Arthritis, leg or back pain.
The Handybar is a strong support to assist with car transfers. The user can get in and out of their car easily and comfortably with this device. It has a soft grip, non-slip handle for extra comfort and a strong forged steel shaft, which creates a safe, solid support handle when needed.
Health conditions such as Arthritis,
Parkinson’s disease or multiple sclerosis
can make it harder to perform fine motor tasks.
Helping you get dressed
Health conditions such as Arthritis, Parkinson’s disease or Multiple Sclerosis can make it harder to perform fine motor tasks like dressing. Buttons can become fiddly, and leaning over to pull on socks or shoes may become strenuous.
Some of the best living aids in this category, such as a shoe horn, a pick-up stick and sock aid are simple, affordable and effective. A shoe horn is great for anyone who doesn’t want to bend down to get their shoes on, for instance.
For putting socks on, consider a sock aid, which helps pull socks up onto your loved one’s feet, without them leaning over and struggling to pull them up. These affordable daily living aids are a small price to pay to help your loved one remain independent.
Reaching aids and appliances that can help
Leaning, bending and reaching are all actions that can become troublesome in later life. Changes in your balance or strength can make it harder for you to retrieve dropped objects or things from shelves. A great daily living aid is the Helping Hand or Easi-Reacher. Available in a range of lengths, this appliance is great for retrieving dropped items or can assist with dressing.
Bed transfers
Sometimes, with limited mobility, getting up from the bed edge to standing can be difficult. There are many solutions available when you experience these limitations to your independence, like using a bed lever, bed height raisers, a lifting pole or investing in a bed that can profile your loved one into a better position to help them transfer by themselves.
