A young person who is healthy does not have any mobility issues and can effortlessly walk from one place to another. A person may not be well or may have suffered an injury, which can lead to temporary mobility problems, but on average young people do not develop any lifelong problem apart from a serious and threatening injury. However, elderly people suffer from mobility issues and feel pain when even moving a small distance. The bones and muscles of a person function efficiently in prime age, but slowly the reflexes and functioning start to slow down, and it is quite a challenge and struggle to move from one place to another.
You may have seen your grandparents having trouble going up or coming down the stairs. The trouble of moving may be due to some chronic illness such as arthritis, which is quite common in old age. The joint pain and swelling in muscles usually cause mobility problems in the elderly. The mobility issues may also be caused due to a lack of stamina or some other disorders and injuries to the back or leg muscles. Many of the elderly people live an independent life, but it becomes quite difficult for them to manage some of the daily routine tasks such as taking a bath, walking, going for grocery shopping, paying utility bills, clearing the bins, and even driving the car. The difficulty in physical activity is very much emphasized in the medical field, and all the doctors, research analysts, and technology experts collaborate to provide new and advanced solutions to help people with mobility issues.
The rapid technological innovation is delivering smart and cost-effective solutions in various aspects of human life, whether it is in the form of a smartphone, an electric car, or ease in making online payments. Well, the most popular trend these days is the introduction of smart mobility solutions for the elderly to help them carry out their routine tasks without any difficulty. There is a wide range of advanced mobility equipment that allows the elderly to walk around the home, go to the grocery, and climb the stairs without the risk of sustaining any injury of feeling pain.
The mobility issues impact the social, emotional, physical, and psychological abilities of the elderly as they feel lost and left out as they cannot function like other able-bodied people. Staying in one place makes the elderly a recluse and adds to their anxiety and depression and also can lead to urinary infections and other chronic issues. The types of smart mobility equipment that helps the elderly to move easily from one place to another include canes, access ramps, wheelchairs, scooters, walkers, stairlift, recliner chairs, and grab bars.
The canes and walkers have always been the staple devices and tools that the elderly keep and use. The canes and walkers are economical and handy and provide ease for those elderly suffering from lower back pain, joint pain, or other balance problems. Both the canes and walkers help the elderly to improve their balance and posture.
The stairlift has quickly become the most used and popular form of innovative mobility solution as a person climbs up and comes down from the stair multiple times during the day and night. For elderly people, it is quite a challenge to manage ascending and descending the chairs, but installing a stairlift will considerably help the elderly in your house to access the upper floor of the house and easily come down without any pain or effort. A stairlift is mostly installed with a motorized rail, and the elderly person sits in a seat that electronically pushes and down with a push of a button. The modern stairlifts come with a variety of options and can easily be installed on straight or curved staircases. The stairlifts can even be customized according to specifications of the stairs and to maintain the décor of the house.
Another common and fairly popular means of mobility for people with injury or illness is a ‘wheelchair,’ and modern wheelchairs are electrically powered and does not even require another person to push or move the wheelchair. The power wheelchairs are light, compact in design, and cost-effective.
The introduction of mobility friendly devices and equipment has provided ease and simplicity for not only the elders but anyone who has suffered an injury and has trouble moving from one place to another. The access ramps is another fantastic innovation that allows people with mobility issues to enter and exit the house easily. The access ramps allow the elderly to move using their wheelchair or walker. The latest access ramps come in modular design, which means the components can easily and quickly be installed and even relocate without any difficulty. The ramps are inclined slopes and make it easy for people on wheelchairs to enter and leave from the house.
The type of mobility solution you should get for your parent or grandparent depends on the type of ailment the elderly has and also on the design of your house and budget. Apart from the big and noticeable changes such as the stairlifts and access ramps, there are also minor but quite effective means that can help the elderly stay safe such as the grab bars, which can be installed in washrooms and prevent any slips and allow easy movement inside the washroom. The main objective of the mobility solutions is not only easy the movement from one place to another but also minimize the risk of injury and unfortunate accidents.
The recliner chair is another smart and innovative mobility solution that allows the elderly to move more easily and safely. The recliner chair has multiple options, and the sitting position can easily be adjusted to support the body posture of the elderly person. A mobility scooter is another equipment that is quite efficient and helps the elderly to commute and carry out their tasks without asking anyone easily. Mobility scooters are becoming popular and leading to lower anxiety and depression levels.
Author Bio:
Amanda Stuart writes regularly for online tech-magazine that informs people about all the latest and trending technological marvels. She recently wrote on growing mobility concerns among the elderly and how smart devices are making it easy to move from one place to another.
