Our jobs often eat away from the time we spend with our older relatives. Due to decreased body capabilities and alertness, older people can often find managing their daily activities difficult. Thanks to advancing technology, new products which can help are appearing on the market every day.
The biggest issue for the caregiver when they stay away is the safety of their elder dependents. Under stress older people can often lose the ability to communicate. Here is a list of some tech gifts that are not only easy to use, but would also help in reducing anxiety for everyone involved.
1. Senior Mobile Phones
There are a number of specialised mobile phones available which older people should consider. These phones are available in various models, with some basic features like enhanced sound system, large buttons (some are even Braille enabled) and with backlit numbers, an SOS button, Bluetooth, easy to navigate menus, and hearing aid compatibility.
For these essentials, these may cost a bit more than your average ‘brick phone’ available on the market.
2. Personal Alarm Service
You don’t want to rob older people of their dignity, nor compromise on their safety. A Personal Alarm system is a great way of ensuring that your older relatives can also access help if they are unwell or have a fall – even if you’re not at their house and they can’t make it to their mobile phone.
With an alarm your loved one will wear a pendant button around their neck or wrist. In an emergency they simply press the button on their pendant and an alert will be raised with the 24-hour Response Team. The highly-trained team assess the situation and will arrange for help, by calling emergency contacts (friends, family or neighbours) and the emergency services if they’re required.
An alarm will provide peace of mind for everybody.
3. Anti-Slip Shower Mat
Older people have very brittle bones thanks to depleting phosphorus and calcium, and you really don’t want your loved one to slip and lie unconscious while nobody is at home. An anti-slip shower mat is a very basic thing you can buy older people to prevent untoward and avoidable accidents in the bathroom. You can also arrange for additional support like assist bars, grab rails and shower stools.
4. Medical Reminders
Older people tend to go short on memory with increasing age. And even you would lose track now and then when you deal with a lot of medicines. Invariably, older people have to deal with a lot of plastic bottles of medicines and syrups to take care of their medical ailments. Before you choose a techie pill dispenser for them, understand the different types of plastic containers, and pick something relevant to your loved ones. This makes sure your folks won’t have trouble making their new tech gift work for them.
There is Reminder Rosie which allows the caregiver to record a voice message. MedMinder is a digital pill dispenser that comes with a flash, a pre-recorded message, and a call to the set number. All you need to do is to schedule the medical tray with the dispenser. Then there are Automatic Pill Dispensers.
5. Stovetop Protector
With shaking hands and failing eyesight, cooking becomes much more dangerous than it actually needs to be for older people. To prevent accidental flares and false alarms, you can easily install portable countertop burners on your parents’ stove and live worry-free as far as burn accidents are concerned.
Products like Self-T-Element stovetop protectors are really a nice way of showing your ageing loved ones how their safety is of utmost concern to you even when you are not present with them.
6. Portable Walking Chair
Don’t let arthritis take life away from your loved ones little by little. Worry not about discomfort during the next family outing with a portable walking chair. It folds up to form a walking stick and can be unfolded to form a walking chair or a stool.
Many companies like The Stadium Chair Company and Richell Pouchu offer such products. As the user can often take rest while walking, it allows for greater exertion with the utmost comfort.
7. House Cleaning Robot
Manual cleaning becomes an impossible task at one point, whether be it due to sickness, joint pain, or depression. Something as savvy as a house cleaning robot not only makes the task much easier for an older person, but it also motivates them to stay clean by giving them some control over their surroundings. Often designed for specific needs, they come in a range of prices.
Closing Thoughts on Tech Gifts
From mobile phones specially designed for older people to robotic vacuum cleaners, the options are varied and many. To get the best out of them, think carefully about the needs of the user and consult them as much as possible before placing the order. After all, it all comes down to how happy you can make your loved ones.
Personal Alarm Information
For more information about our life-saving personal alarm service, please get in touch with our friendly team on 0800 999 0400. Alternatively, complete our contact us form and we will get back to you as soon as possible.
-Kedy is an editor at The General Post and helping people to balance their life and work. He loves to write about various topics that motivate readers to chase the success. You can connect with him on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.
Note: This article was originally published on 17/01/2018 and updated on 16/08/2021 to reflect current information.
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