Sometimes called assistive devices, independent living aids, and adaptive equipment, assistive technology (AT) can help your loved one live more independently. Assistive technology may also make your job as a caregiver easier and more enjoyable.
If you’re caring for someone with dementia, you may be worried about his falling, wandering, or getting lost. Certain types of AT can help. A loved one with a physical or cognitive (thinking) impairment can use AT to make activities of daily living, such as dressing, bathing, grooming, eating, and toileting, a little easier.
Independent Living Aids
A wide variety of products and appliances help people perform “activities of daily living”–i.e., eating, food preparation, bathing, and dressing. Many of these items are available from drug stores and large retail stores:
- Kitchen items include easy-to-grip silverware, high-lipped dishes and plate guards, specialized cutting boards and utensils, self-opening scissors, reaching tools, jar openers, smart-phone applications for turning kitchen devices on and off.
- Bedroom items include bed bars, bedside organizers, reaching tools, various orthopedic support cushions, hip pads for fall protection, bedside commode, transfer board, night lights, applications that assist with turning lights on and off, and large-numeral alarm clocks.
- Bathroom items include full-length tub mats, bathtub and shower seats, transfer benches, toilet riser or raised commode, night lights, long-handled scrub brushes, shampoo basins, lotion applicators, colored tape, markers, handheld showerheads, and smart phone applications for hot water controls.
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