During spring break – technical aids for seniors are gaining popularity – Health, beauty

As the days get longer, the beginning of spring invites you to change your usual winter recreation places and spend more time outdoors. However, for seniors with limited mobility, going outside can be especially challenging. The technical aids available today have gained more and more popularity because they not only provide seniors with the support they need for a safer and more independent everyday life, but also promote the emotional well-being and social engagement they need.

Independence at any age

We perform a number of functions and actions automatically on a daily basis, and only when we lose the ability to perform one of them freely do we encounter difficulties. For example, when we break our leg, we evaluate the accessibility of the environment that we encounter every day, moving around the city, using public transport, visiting shops or cultural places. Suddenly we have to accept help from those around us, which can make us feel uncomfortable or angry that we have lost the ability to function independently.

When reaching senior age, daily activities can be facilitated by family or a support person, however, one should always consider that a dignified old age will involve maintaining a measure of independence. This is where various technical aids come to the rescue – devices that facilitate a person’s ability to move, take care of themselves and spend their free time to the fullest.

Opportunities to regain independence

Technical aids are divided according to their purpose of use – movement, self-care, communication, household and room adaptation aids, surdo-technical and tiflo-technical aids. The most well-known of the devices are certainly orthoses, crutches, canes or wheelchairs, which are responsible for mobility and are the main support for seniors to go outside the limits of their living space.

Lesser known devices are those designed to help with self-care. Activities such as going to the toilet, washing or dressing, which are quite intimate processes, can cause difficulties for seniors. These activities have to be done several times a day, which takes a lot of time, but with the help of assistive devices, the senior could do them independently, gaining more independence. The ability to be independent brings joy, it can be well observed in children who are enthusiastically learning new skills, but positive emotions allow you to look at the world in a brighter light, and this is also very important at any age.

One of the most common illnesses in Latvia, which is faced by about 70% of people aged 65 and older, is a stroke.¹ It is just one of the diseases that can significantly change the ability of seniors to get along not only with their loved ones, but also with the people around them. Here we can also mention senile dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. Alternative communication aids come to the rescue of these people, which are able to offer more and more advantages with the development of technology. Such, for example, is the unique device Tobii Dynavox, which not only helps to communicate with loved ones and express your feelings, but also to control even a computer and access all its functions using just a glance.

“The best-known alternative communication solutions in everyday life are sign language, gestures, picture and letter communication boards and graphic symbols, however, for people who are deprived of both speech and movement, the use of these solutions is limited and it is especially difficult to form a full-fledged communication with the surrounding world . In such cases, artificial intelligence communication devices such as TOBII Dynavox can help, covering a wide spectrum of different techniques and supporting or replacing spoken language. For example, the equipment is already available at the national rehabilitation center Vaivari after a referral from a neurologist, providing a significant development for the introduction of alternative communication in Latvia,” says Sigita Kalniņa, product specialist of Arbor Medical Corporation in Latvia.

Safety above all

It is understood that the use of technical aids is not only an excellent support, but a certain guarantee of safety. Seniors who begin to experience muscle weakness and difficulty moving walk by holding on to walls and leaning against household objects. Such movement is not always safe. In addition, going to the fresh air, to the store or to the post office is difficult. Often, people do not even realize that the environment around them can be arranged in such a way that everyday life is more comfortable. Support person and family play a big role here. If you notice that it has become difficult for a loved one to move, it would be advisable to consult an occupational therapist, who will not only recommend the most suitable aids for outdoor spaces, but will also help you understand how to adapt and make the home environment more comfortable.

Fear of the unknown

An interesting fact, recognized by many health care professionals whose daily work is related to seniors – often there are already various technical aids in people’s living areas, but they are not used. This may be due to a lack of information about how the device should be used correctly, to prejudices or stereotypes about the use of devices, or they may simply not be suitable for a particular person’s needs.

Therefore, when choosing technical aids, you should definitely first talk to the user, help them understand the benefits and, together with the occupational therapist, choose the most suitable one of all. Age does not have to be an obstacle to an independent, comfortable and safe life, it brings with it challenges, but some of them are definitely surmountable.

https://stat.gov.lv/lv/statistikas-temas/iedzivotaji/iedzivotaju-skaits/preses-relizes/8938-seniori-latvija-2021-gada?themeCode=MB

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