Devices for Independent Living

If you or a loved one has a disability that makes it difficult to perform day-to-day tasks, you may find devices for independent living helpful. These could include mobility aids for those who have a hard time getting around, or products to adapt the home to the needs of someone with a disability.

Devices to Aid Walking

• People who have lost the ability to walk without support, or who find it difficult to get far by foot, may benefit from canes, crutches or walkers. These tools work by decreasing the stress on legs when moving around. When choosing which product is best for your needs, you may need to consider how badly the legs of the disabled person have been affected to decide how stable the tool needs to be. Canes may be better for those who need minimal help, while crutches offer more stability and walkers provide maximum support, while accounting for lost strength. If you are considering buying a walker, make sure the product is fitted to the user.

Mobility Aids

• For those who are finding it difficult to walk at all, a mobility aid that helps people move around without putting their feet on the ground may be the solution. These tools include mobility scooters and wheelchairs. Mobility scooters may be the best option for people who are able to lift themselves from a seated position, but wheelchairs are more suitable for those who can't. The most independence for people who use wheelchairs may be found on a motorized variety, which allows them to move around by themselves. However, for people with cognitive impairments or who cannot maneuver the products safely, a manual chair may be necessary. Those in manual chairs who are unable, through lack of physical strength or mental incapacity, to move around independently will need a caregiver to push their chair.

Home Adaptations

• Adaptations can be performed on a home to make it more accessible for people with disabilities. The kinds of independent living devices you need will vary according to the individual. People with mobility difficulties, such as those in wheelchairs, may need ramps to be installed outside of the home to help them enter and exit the house easily. Inside, those who have a hard time getting on to higher floors may benefit from a stair lift, while grab bars, a shower chair, hand-held shower heads and a bench to make it easy to get in and out of the bath may be needed in washrooms.

Devices for Day-to-Day Tasks

• There are many independent living devices that have been designed to make it easier to conduct the sort of everyday tasks that people with disabilities may find it difficult to perform such as feeding or dressing themselves. Special socks and pantyhose that are easy to pull on are available, as is silverware that improves a person's grip while eating. Elastic shoelaces, Velcro and zippers can all be used to the advantage of individuals with disabilities. People who have difficulty using their hands as well as they used to could benefit from reaching tools, using knives designed for one-handed cutting and jar openers.