The 5 Best Gadgets and Aids to Help
Improve Senior Quality of Life
We are lucky to live in a time when there are a lot of gadgets and technology that help us live our best lives. Senior citizens are some of the people that benefit the most from this increase in technological advances. There are apps that help to keep healthy and make life more convenient. There are also items that help with mobility issues.
In short, there are a lot of products that will help us when we reach retirement age so we can fully enjoy our twilight years. It’s a good idea to do some research into areas where you may need some help to be able to find the right product to solve your problems. In this article, we will go over several of the most useful products that will help you live your best life.
1. Adjustable Beds
There are so many benefits of adjustable beds that it is strange to consider how little they’re used. Seniors should consider one since the best adjustable beds will improve your sleep hygiene greatly.
Sleep is improved for several reasons. The most obvious is that you can adjust the best height for your back. By customizing the bed to suit your exact ergonomics, you will be able to fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer.
If you have back issues, you can wake up after a night’s sleep and go through your day with less pain. Edema or swelling of the feet is a very common problem for seniors which is virtually eliminated by the ability to prop up your feet at night.
If you are a snorer, you can prop up the head of the bed and alleviate the cause of the snoring so you can sleep more deeply.
2. Bidets
Another household item that should be used by a much larger part of the population and not just seniors is bidets. They are particularly beneficial for seniors since they don’t require any reaching and twisting like having to use toilet paper. There are versions that attach directly to the toilet, so a jet of water is used to clean up. With the press of a button, the water is sprayed directly.
There are electric versions which will also use warm air to dry so you don’t need to use toilet paper or cloth at all.
The best part is that they also save money so those on a fixed income will benefit from the savings by not needing to buy toilet paper any longer.
3. Medical Alerts
Medical alerts have been around for a long time. However, there have been some serious updates since the technology for them has improved. These are now so smart that even a fall can be detected by the device without the person needing to press a button.
If the person is conscious but not able to reach the button they can even be activated by voice so there is no situation in which help won’t be summoned.
They are connected to an emergency service center so help will arrive quickly if an issue is detected. They are also connected by an app to a loved one so if there is an alert they will also be notified immediately.
Any senior living on their own should have one of these. The peace of mind alone is worth every penny.
4. Health and Fitness Tracker
One of the biggest obstacles to staying healthy for a senior is to keep active. Since the aches and pains start accumulating, it is easy to slow down and decide not to do much. This is a recipe for more aches and pains and even some health issues as a result. It’s vitally important for senior citizens to stay active and not submit to the temptation to just sit around.
Having a tracking device is a great way to make sure that you’re staying as active as possible. They act as a sort of digital coach that will help you reach your fitness goals. They track your exercise and heart rate to make sure that you are doing the activities necessary for your age.
They can even help with sleep and other vital signs. They can understand when you are waking up at night or not getting enough sleep. This will help you have the energy needed to make sure that you can be active as you want to be.
5. Make Your Home Smart
Convenience is great when you get older. It’s even better when this convenience can save you money and keep you safe. This is where smart homes come into play. There are many upgrades to your house that can be done with devices that make your home smart.
For instance, smart thermostats are great for keeping the house at the ideal temperature without wasting energy. Since they are smart, they can keep track of which rooms you use the most and during which times of the day. They will heat only those rooms you choose, and during the times you schedule to make sure you aren’t wasting energy heating rooms that sit empty all day.
These thermostats are even able to connect to local weather apps so they can understand if there is a change of weather that would require a change to your heating or cooling needs without you needing to adjust the settings manually.
Smart security is also a very good thing to have when you are older. Since seniors are targets of thieves, having a doorbell camera that links to your smartphone is ideal. This way you will get an alert when motion is detected. You are then able to look on the phone and see who is at the door before you answer it.
You’ll also be able to see when you have a package delivered so you can bring it in right away to avoid it being stolen. If you also have smart locks, you can unlock the door for the delivery person to place the package in the house and then lock the door after them all while being remote.
