Assistive technology (AT) is any service or tool that helps older adults or persons with disabilities perform activities that might otherwise be difficult or impossible. For older adults, such technology may be a walker to improve mobility or an amplification device to make sounds easier to hear. It could also include a magnifying glass for someone who has poor vision or a scooter that makes it possible for someone to travel over distances that are too far to walk. In short, AT is anything that aids continued participation in daily activities.
What Are Examples of Assistive Technology for Aging in Place?
AT allows many people to live independently and comfortably without long-term nursing or home health care. For some, it is critical to the ability to perform simple activities of daily living, such as bathing.
Older adults should carefully evaluate their needs before purchasing AT. Using AT may change the mix of services that they require or affect the way that those services are provided. Needs assessment and planning are very important.
Assistive Technology Needs Assessment and Planning
Usually, a needs assessment is most effective when done by a team working with the older adult in a place where the AT will be used. For example, someone who has trouble communicating or hearing might consult his or her doctor, an audiology specialist, a speech-language therapist, and family and friends. Together, they can identify precise challenges and help select the most effective devices available at the lowest cost. A professional member of the team, such as the audiology specialist, can also arrange for any training needed to use the equipment.
When considering AT, it is useful to consider high-tech and low-tech solutions. Older adults should also think about how their needs might change over time. High-tech devices tend to be more expensive but may address many different needs. Low-tech equipment is usually less expensive but also less adaptable.
Paying for Assistive Technologies
Right now, no single private insurance plan or public program will pay for all types of AT under any circumstances. However, Medicare Part B could cover up to 80% of the cost, if the items are durable medical equipment – devices that are “primarily and customarily used to serve a medical purpose, and generally are not useful to a person in the absence of illness or injury.” Contact Medicare to determine whether a particular type of AT is covered.
Subsidy programs provide some types of AT at a reduced cost or for free. Many businesses and nonprofit groups offer discounts, grants, or rebates to get consumers to try a specific product. Older adults should be cautious about participating in subsidy programs run by businesses with commercial interests in the product or service because of the potential for fraud.
Most states have at least one agency that deals specifically with AT issues. The Assistive Technology Act (Tech Act) provides funds for the development of statewide consumer information and training programs.
Some Area Agencies on Aging (AAA) have programs or links to services that assist older people obtain low-cost assistive technology.
Local civic, faith-based, and veterans’ organizations as well as senior centers may also be able to refer you to AT resources.
Why Do the Elderly Need an Assistive Device?
Assistive devices make life easier, especially for an elderly person with mobility and other health issues. The devices provide support in doing simple actions to improve quality of life. They include talking, hearing, eating, walking, and other tasks they are having a difficult time doing.
An assistive device can help seniors in many ways. These devices range from simple walking canes, pill dispensers, or grab bars to more complex technologies, such as wheelchairs, scooters or voice amplifiers.
You will understand the big changes these devices can bring to the lives of older people once you have seen they are no longer struggling to do what they want. The bodies of our senior family members will inevitably get weaker over time and impair their ability to live independently. But it also feels good how a device can aid them and make them feel better and more independent.
Assistive devices aid seniors in making it easier and possible to perform certain actions despite their mobility issues. One of the saddest things for a loved one to witness is how the elderly lose their confidence and happiness as they age.
You can get many types of assistive devices to stop the struggle and help a loved one feel independent and happier despite their mobility concerns.
List of the Most Helpful Assistive Devices for the Elderly
Here are the most useful assistive devices that can help seniors with mobility concerns. It’s best to always be on the lookout for innovative assistive technology to help elderly loved ones do a range of tasks, relieve them from stress, and feel happier about life.
The following will ensure daily activities of the elderly are managed without worrying too much about their safety in the house or if they’d suffer from accidents:
1. Walkers or Canes
Most seniors over the age of 60 struggle to walk on their own. Fortunately, there are a number of walking devices, such as canes or walkers, which make it simpler.
When the elderly walk on uneven ground, canes help them balance and sustain their standing position. They also give them something to lean against when they require help standing up from a chair, getting in and out of a car, and availing of senior-friendly transport services.
Walkers provide excellent support, making it simpler for the elderly with restricted mobility to maintain their balance. They are particularly useful for avoiding falls that might result in major injuries, including hip fractures or head traumas.
2. Wheelchairs
A wheelchair is an example of the most commonly used mobility device for seniors. This assistive technology comes in different types, such as manual and electric wheelchairs.
While it’s okay for seniors to use a manual wheelchair, you may want to get them the electric type if they have weak muscles. Electric wheelchairs are easier to operate and require less effort than standard ones. They come in various designs, from lightweight interior seats to robust outdoor chairs. They are meant to assist, especially when used in difficult terrains.
3. Standing Frame
This is useful for seniors who have suffered or are recuperating from various ailments. They include diabetes, stroke, Parkinson’s Disease, arthritis, and more.
This assistive technology aids seniors in sustaining their balance and lifting their weight when getting out of bed or sitting in a chair. You can get the device in varying heights, colors, and weights.
4. Mobility Scooter
The equipment is particularly excellent for those recovering from surgery or with arthritis. This assistive technology makes it simpler for users to run errands. They bridge gaps and distances, allowing them to travel to nearby places without getting tired easily. It also gives them the freedom to go to certain places without getting help from their caregivers.
5. Security Monitors and Alarms
You never know what accident can happen to elderly loved ones despite the presence of their caregivers. Having access to medical alert systems where you can check on them all the time feels comforting and reassuring. The systems will alert you if, for example, they fall off the mattress or slip into the toilet or bathroom while no one is looking.
6. Gait Belts
The device aids a person’s natural gait when they walk. It offers stability, especially to those recovering from hip surgery or ailments affecting their ability to move.
This assistive technology is commonly used with other mobility equipment and tools, such as crutches and walkers. Patients can also use gait belts to climb stairs or walk along rough roads.
You can get the device in adjustable models or fully assembled. It is better to get the adjustable type if you are unsure of the patient’s body size.
Moreso, you can get the material with added features that help the user gain more stability. They include padded back straps and wide waistbands. These features transfer weight evenly over the user’s pelvis while avoiding pressure areas around the hips or abdomen.
7. Toilet Aid Devices
Several devices are available nowadays that can assist patients in using the toilet. One, they can have elevated toilets or raised toilet seats to easily access and use their bathroom or toilet without using other assistive devices.
Meanwhile, patients can also have bedside toilets in their rooms. They will make it easier to go whenever they want without asking anyone for assistance.
8. Safety Rails
The rails will support and guide patients in going to the bathroom or restroom. These rails will make it safer to use other assistive equipment, especially when the flooring is slippery or uneven.
9. Non-Slip Bathmat
You must place these materials near the tubs or showers when senior citizens or children are at home. They prevent accidents from happening, especially after showering. You can get these mats in a wide range of construction, sizes, and features.
10. Shower Chair
Many elderly patients prefer sitting to standing when using the shower room. It’s more comfortable and safer this way. Besides, a shower chair offers more stability, especially when rinsing, reaching for soap, or scrubbing the back.
This tool aids with stability and balance. It also minimizes slip-and-fall incidents. These accidents commonly happen to patients suffering from weak bones and muscles.
11. Bed Risers
The tool is handy for seniors who have difficulty getting up from lying. They can also be helpful to houses with raised floors, like cement blocks or wood flooring.
12. Bed Rails
The rails will ensure the safety of patients confined in their beds due to severe mobility problems. The rails will keep them from falling out of the mattress. They can also use the rails as support when they want to reach out or change their position.
13. Quilt Holders
A quilt holder comes in handy when moving. The handles of quilted holders are attached to the long edge at either end, and loops are stitched into one side of each handle across its width. Loops are stitched into the edge of each handle on the opposite end to give the material a grip.
14. Sock Aids
These handy tools provide simple solutions for the elderly, making it easy for them to slip onto their socks without bending over.
15. Eating Aid Devices
The elderly can use eating devices, usually given to children or hospital patients, to assist them when eating. They include feeding trays and cutlery with suction cups on the handles.
16. Lift Devices
Aging people will benefit from using lift devices from time to time. It is best to get them handy, so they can use the materials whenever needed. These tools include reacher grabbers, slings, and lift harnesses.
17. Assistive Technology Devices
You can teach your elderly kin how to use certain gadgets, especially in emergencies. These gadgets, including a large-button phone, allow them to contact a doctor or occupational therapist when needed. They can also talk to you whenever they want to. Other technologies that can be helpful for older adults include tracking devices, magnifiers, and alarm systems.
18. Hearing Aids
Older people having a hard time hearing often feel irritable. They tend to shy away from other people, including their families because they don’t want them to feel burdened by their problem with hearing. You can buy hearing devices to help them deal with the problem to avoid such circumstances. Some products available include personal amplifiers, hearing aids, and cochlear implants.
19. Comfort Devices
You will be surprised at the many other products available to ensure the safety of elderly patients. You can get them zipper pulls, so they’ll find it easy to zip and unzip their clothes. You can also get a button hook, robot vacuums, a modified computer keyboard, and many more.
20. Pill Dispensers
Aside from keeping the patient’s medications properly stored, these dispensers will make it easier for them to remember if they have taken all the pills they need to take each day.
21. Stairlift
This is a good investment if you have a multi-story house with seniors living with you. This is installed on the stairs and can be adjusted according to the patient’s weight and body frame.
22. Bathtub Step Stool
You can place the stool near the tub to make it easier for the patient to step in and out. The material will help them move while preventing accidental slips or falls.
23. Bedside Step Stool
This tool will help a loved one easily get up and move from the bed. The stool has tall grab bars and can be adjusted to suit the body frame and height of the patient.
The Different Types of Assistive Technology & Devices
There are many examples of assistive devices that you can purchase to help your elderly relative around the house and ability to live independently for longer, allowing you to worry less.
Personal Alarms
These small wearable pendants mean that help is only a button press away, 24/7. Working with a central hub that lives next to your parents’ landline, personal alarms alert either you, a close chosen contact, or a monitoring team and allow you to talk directly to them, work out what is wrong, and get suitable help to them quickly. These are especially useful if an older person has had a fall and can’t get themselves up.
Telecare Systems
Personal Alarms are often included in telecare monitoring systems – digital activity monitoring using sensors throughout the home. Much like sensor burglar or car alarms, telecare monitoring systems only sound the alarm when they detect something out of the ordinary or wrong. If your parent doesn’t leave their bed in the morning or hasn’t shut the front door, a 24/7 monitoring team (or you via an app) is alerted and a neighbor might be asked to check up on them.
GPS Trackers
Much like personal alarms, and sometimes embedded in them, GPS trackers are worn on the body and do exactly what you expect them to do. These fobs and wristbands allow you to know where your parent is if they aren’t answering the phone or haven’t been home in a while. If you care for someone with dementia, who is prone to wandering, GPS trackers are a great, low-cost solution.
Home Safety and Security
There are lots of small gadgets and gizmos that can help make life a little easier and safer in the home – and most of them are fairly cheap! It may not be the ‘smart home of the future’ we were all promised but little individual devices can all help do their part to make the home a safer place to be for the elderly and help their carers to worry a little less. Smart doorbells and locks can improve the security of their homes, while also helping you to keep an eye on them and the people that might be visiting them. Smart lighting, specialist smoke and fire alarms, and water overflow sensors do their part to improve the safety of your parents’ home – helping them to live independently for longer.
Memory Aids
For many, forgetfulness is part of the natural aging process and does not necessarily have to be a symptom of dementia. The good news is there are many types of assistive technology designed to help remind your mum or dad to remember their keys, feed the cat, or that they need to take a pill. Memo reminders, automatic pill dispensers, and many other devices can all help take some of the stress away from needing to remember everything we need to in daily life.
Communication Aids
There are assistive device solutions to potential communication difficulties an older person may encounter. Accessible mobile phones can help keep older people connected to their friends and loved ones, reducing loneliness and isolation – unfortunately common among the elderly. For those living with a speech impairment, speech-generating devices can help give them a voice Visual Aids and Screen Readers.
Visual impairment should not stop the elderly from making use of some of the wonderful technology we have today, like computers, tablets, and smartphones. Assistive technology can help people who can’t or struggle to see to navigate these devices. Screen Readers read out what is on the screen of computers, smartphones, and tablets, helping the visually impaired to move around the device, select next actions, and access the internet. Most devices these days have screen reader options built into the accessibility controls, however, some other downloadable options might work better for you.
Funding for Assistive Technology
Some types of assistive technology can be supplied for free by your local authority as part of a care package. The main aim of local councils with social care is to help an elderly person to stay independent, at home, for longer and so assistive technology can be a relatively inexpensive way to aid this, often removing the need for a full-time caregiver.
To have access to funding help from your local council, your elderly relative will have to undergo a care needs assessment, to decide first whether they are eligible for help, secondly what can be done to help, and finally how much of the help the council can provide.
Once they have completed the needs assessment, a social worker can talk through the options they think might help your relative stay safe and independent, many of which might include assistive technology. These talks are meant to be discussions on what is best for your relative – so if you think that a particular assistive device might help, you can put it forward as an option.
If your elderly relative is registered as disabled or has a long-term health condition, where applicable, they can claim that the cost of VAT be removed from a range of assistive technology. This can add up to a substantial saving – so it is always worth checking if a product is available for VAT exemption.
Ethical Considerations with Assistive Technology for the Elderly
There are some reasons to consider that might mean assistive technology might not be suitable for your elderly relative. Some people will be worried or uncomfortable with the idea of digital monitoring and activity surveillance. While most assistive technology, like those using motion sensors, don’t actively record activity with video or send information to anyone, some telecare packages and smart doorbells do record and store video – which may be unsettling to some people. While these products have worked hard on maintaining privacy, this is certainly something to consider when looking into assistive tech, especially making sure your relatives are comfortable living with them.
Other questions that are important to ask when it comes to assistive devices are whether they overcomplicate the task they are trying to simplify for your elderly relative and whether they reduce social contact that your relative enjoys. For example, getting a digital pill dispenser might mean your parent doesn’t see a social care worker as often, or installing a telecare package might mean an elderly person needs fewer welfare visits from friends.
There are lots of variables to consider when choosing assistive technology, but when it is implemented correctly, it can help to make older people safer and happier.
Promedcare
Being a family-owned business, the owners of Promedcare are engaged in the day-to-day operations and get to know both clients and caregivers on a first-name basis. Having both owners and staff present vs. working remotely with our clients creates a feel of FAMILY and allows Promedcare to create an environment of care that reduces turnover and increases dedication to the brand. We provide 24/7 service with the ability to interact with Senior Management and the owners as needed.
Promedcare has evolved into a caring business that focuses on individuals’ specific needs and preferences. This type of care fosters independence, happiness, and a sense of familiarity by acknowledging older individuals’ desire to age in the comfort of their own homes.
For some, it’s to provide extensive ongoing care for an aging senior. For others, we offer a much-needed break or, respite care – such as a night out with a spouse, vacation, or simply a few hours of quiet time at home – for family members who provide regular care. We offer a wide range of care services customized for each individual client.
Promedcare services include Personal Care Services, Companion Care Services, Dementia / Alzheimer’s Care Services, and Respiratory Solutions.
Contact us today to see how Prodmedcare can help you!