5 Tools For Senior Care You May Never Have Considered
Think of all the great tools that help your senior live an easier and more fulfilling life: walkers, mobility scooters, toilet seat risers, lift chairs, adjustable beds—the list goes on. But there are lots of other tools that could be incredibly helpful for the senior you’re caring for, which you may have never considered.
Here are 5 useful and unique tools that may be great for senior care. These tools could boost your parent’s or partner’s health, cognitive functions, and personal wellness!
1. Giant Remote
Lots of seniors love watching TV. Unfortunately, TV remotes can run a little small, which makes them easy to lose in between the couch cushions. Standard remotes also have very small buttons that may be difficult for your senior to press or read.
Consider getting your senior a giant remote. Giant remotes seem comically oversized at first glance, but they’re actually quite useful for many senior citizens. They have large buttons that are both easy to read and easy to press.
The trade-off with giant remotes is that there aren’t a large variety of buttons—but many seniors actually appreciate that fact. Chances are, your loved one doesn’t care much about accessing the deeper functions of a television set. Instead, they probably just want to watch their favorite channels or movies. If that’s how your senior likes to spend their afternoons, a giant remote might just be the perfect tool.
2. Holistic Tools
Holistic tools are great for any senior citizen who is passionate about holistic health (perhaps they were part of the Woodstock crowd). It’s not a bad thing to enable your senior to practice holistic health, so long as they don’t neglect tried-and-true traditional medicine. The great thing about holistic health is that it can get your senior to concentrate on and be aware of their own spiritual happiness.
There are lots of holistic health tools you can get for your senior, including essential oils, incense, sage, mortar and pestles, singing bowls, or an aura camera. Some of these items have soothing sounds or lovely scents that can purify the air. Others encourage your senior to think carefully about their moods and overall well-being.
3. Video Games
Video games might be great for your loved one—no, we’re not kidding. Various studies have suggested that video games can improve the cognitive abilities of senior citizens, especially functions like hand-eye coordination.
Typically, you might improve your hand-eye coordination by doing physical exercise, like sports or running. But these activities can be difficult for seniors. But seniors can play video games while they’re sitting down, as video games don’t require you to move your entire body.
Undoubtedly, sitting down for too many hours is bound to have some negative health effects. But playing video games for one or two hours per day can significantly improve a senior’s intellectual abilities. Games like “Brain Age” are specifically designed to improve cognitive functions for people of all ages. But there are all sorts of games seniors can play, from PlayStation 4 games to mobile games.
4. Medication Organizer (and alarm clock)
Many seniors take daily or weekly medication, whether they be vitamins or prescription drugs. Some seniors take a large amount of pills every day, and may find it difficult to keep track of all their medication. That’s where a simple medication organizer can come in handy.
Medication organizers can help your senior keep track of their daily and weekly doses of pills. When seniors struggle to account for all their medication, they might decide to stop taking their pills altogether. Get a medication organizer for your loved one so they’ll have more of a handle over their health.
5. Medical Alert System
If you haven’t gotten a medical alert system for your loved one, it should be one of your top considerations. Seniors can carry their medical alert system (basically a wrist band or clip) with them at all times. If they fall and can’t get back on their feet, they can use their medical alert system to call for emergency assistance.
You should consider one of these devices even if your elderly family member lives with you. If something were to happen to you that left you incapacitated, and if your senior was unable to reach a telephone, the medical alert system could be a critical or even life-saving solution.
Whether your loved one is able to live on their own, or if they need your daily care, any of these 5 tools could help boost your senior’s health and happiness!
