Senior Living Aids and Assistive Technology Devices are highly essential to ensure an easy life for the seniors at the home. These devices provide assistance in accomplishing a task which the elderly people are unable to do on their own. Thus, they reduce their dependency on the caregivers all the time.
Such devices can be as simple as a key lever, or complicated and expensive such as stair elevators. It can be high tech in the form of
ambient assistive living technologies which are smart home devices that enables seniors to live more safely and securely in their homes. So, the exact requirement of the seniors needs to be gauged first to make the right investment in buying senior living aids. This will ensure the best fit and maximum support to the seniors.
Advantages of different types of senior living aids:
The assistive technology devices are the tools which help the seniors in going around, getting out of the bed or couch, getting dressed up eating, opening things, communicating with others with
smart watches, etc. In short, they will be independently able to do all such small day to day activities in which they needed help. We will see this in detail in the following section:
1. Reduced dependency on others:
Even at the older ages, they feel life to be easier for them because of such senior living aids. These products create a lot of difference between independent living and living with caregiver’s assistance. Digital medication and
drug dispensers ensure care-recipients adhere to their drug regimen with minimized involvement from care givers.
2.Ease of accessing the computer:
There are devices which makes it easy for the seniors to access the internet, use the computer screen, keyboard, etc. Modified keyboards and computer screen magnifiers are two such examples.
3. Operating electronic devices through voice:
For this, there are senior living aids known as adaptive switches which help the seniors easily operate the electronic devices with the help of their voice. This is referred to as voice activation. Computers, telephones, a/c units, wheelchairs are a few such devices falling under this category.
4. Activities related to personal care:
This includes dressing, washing as well as grooming for which various assistive technology devices have been made. This includes hairdryer holder, bed rails, bathtub transfer benches, to name a few.
5. Modifying home through devices:
The wheelchair ramp comes under this category which helps in home modification.
6.Ensuring mobility:
Certain devices help seniors in moving around easily. These are walkers, raised, toilet seats, walking cane, stair elevators and automatic seat assists
7. Communicating with others:
Thre are hearing aids, phones with large buttons and extra loudness, intercoms, simple cell phones, personal pagers, TV telecaption decoders, etc. that enable communication. They help in sending or receiving messages through visual and auditory means.
8. Devices for helping the disabled:
People who miss a certain part of their body can lead an easy life through the use of orthotic or prosthetic equipment. Such devices compensate the part which such people have lost.
Orthopedic
shoe insert is one such simple device. There are even complex ones such as titanium prosthetic arm which has a lot of parts.
Finding the right Senior living aids:
When you want to find some device for the seniors, it is essential to consult the professionals. They will help you in getting the right device. You also need to talk to your family and friends so that they can suggest devices which they have already used and found them beneficial. Since these people are close to you, they can also help you in selecting the right product for the seniors.
What do you need to know before getting Senior living aids?
According to the Administration on Aging(AOA), you need to consider certain questions before getting an assistive technology device. This will help you make sure that the device can cater to the changing requirements of the seniors.
To address the needs of seniors properly, you need to keep the following things in mind:
1. Find out if there is an advanced device that fulfills more than more requirement.
2. See if there is a good return policy for the assistive technology device you are getting. Opt for those that have a preview policy which lets you try the device and return it if it is not fulfilling your expectations.
3. Make a note of the number of needs that you think might change in the upcoming period. The minimum duration of 6 months has to be considered. It is better if you consider the change over the coming 6 years or even more.
4. Make sure that the assistive technology device is up-to-date so that it doesn’t become obsolete any sooner.
5. Carefully consider the things that the device can perform along with your involvement. See, if it requires you to help the seniors with their tasks more often even after providing them with such a device.
6. Search for the various assistive technology available for meeting your requirements. Make a comparison of these with the ones which you have already used before. This will help you in spotting those which can ensure maximum personal independence.
Payment for the Senior living aids:
If you are opting for the durable medical equipment or the assistive technology devices,
Medicare Part B will pay up to 80% of its expenses. This device which is going to be used in the home has to be ordered by the doctor, a nurse practitioner, physician assistant, or clinical nurse specialist. So when the hospital or nursing home assists, it will not come under this category.
It is also necessary that the devices must be reusable such as walkers, wheelchairs, etc. The Department of Veterans Affairs provides assistance in case you are a Veteran. Besides this, other ways of making payment for senior living aids include private health insurance or else out of pocket expenses. But you should know that the private insurance companies won’t pay for the expensive senior living aids such as motorized scooters.
