For many senior citizens, a decrease in mobility is one of the hardest things to adjust to in later life. Seniors who become less mobile are more prone to depression and other physical and psychological effects that are associated with a lack of exercise and fresh air. Fortunately, there is a range of accessories that you can buy and technologies that are now on the market, which are designed to help seniors to live a more mobile existence. Below are three of the most significant.
Smartphones
Modern smartphones truly are digital Swiss army knives. There are few things that modern smartphones can't do and few daily tasks that they cannot assist us with in some way. Of course, a smartphone in and of itself is not going to get an elderly person up and mobile. However, there are numerous features contained within a smartphone that make it the perfect companion for any elderly person who is struggling to maintain their mobility.
For example, the flashlight function in a smartphone can be a little lifesaver if someone becomes lost or stranded. If you get stuck in the middle of winter, where it gets dark pretty early, an otherwise perfectly serene and harmless part of the world can suddenly become fraught with danger. An otherwise tame road can suddenly become a veritable highway of death.
Not only can a smartphone illuminate the way, but it can also be used to summon taxis or even an Uber for the more tech-savvy senior citizen. In fact, it is hard to count the ways in which a smartphone can assist an elderly person in getting around, so the best proof is simply to get your senior citizen a smartphone of their own and show them how to use it.
Mobility Scooters
One of the most important innovations in helping old people to get around in recent years has to be the mobility scooter. Mobility scooters enable elderly people who would otherwise be completely confined to their homes with little to no hope of going outside unassisted. A mobility scooter can, therefore, be a life-changing addition to any elderly person’s home.
A mobility scooter isn't just a useful way for an elderly person to get from A to B. Seniors can also benefit from a mobility scooter because it enables them to access other forms of public transport. For example, many local community groups for senior citizens will utilize a bus or minivan as a form of transport. These are generally designed to accommodate mobility scooters, so a senior citizen with a mobility scooter can then access pretty much anywhere.
If the thought of loading a mobility scooter into the trunk of a vehicle sounds like a bit much for you, then you might be interested to know that the majority of them weigh less than 50 pounds. With a little help, a mobility scooter can easily be loaded into a standard car or van.
Walking Frame Accessories
A walking frame can make it easier for a senior to get down to the store, but it uses up both their hands and makes it difficult to also carry shopping. Fortunately, there is now a range of accessories available for walking Frames that enhance their functionality and, as in the example above, enable seniors to be more independent. There are also LED lights that attach to walking frames you can get, which are useful for elderly people who are worried about being caught in the dark.
If you know an elderly person who uses a walking frame to get around, it is worth seeing what accessories are available that might enable them to get more use out of their devices.
The right accessories can make a massive difference to a senior citizen's ability to get around and live an independent life. If there is a senior citizen in your life who you want to assist with their mobility, then when the three accessories listed above are a great place to start.
