Aids for Daily Living & Independent Living Aids

Daily living aids, also known as independent living aids, are functional devices, equipment, products and technology designed to assist the elderly and disabled with everyday activities. Aids for daily living range in use from eating and drinking to dressing, bathing, mobility, hearing and visual impairment, home organization, writing, communication and emergency assistance. Helpful products for independent living include reachers, dressing sticks, magnifiers, medical emergency alert devices, large format clocks, watches and timers, canes and walkers, bedside accessories, and many other aids for around the house or in the office.

A dressing stick is a must-have for anyone who has difficulty bending or has a temporary or permanent limited range of motion. These inexpensive dressing aids are essentially long wooden dowels with hooks on either end that can be used in multiple ways to put on or take off shirts, jackets, pants and socks.

Pants or Jeans:
To put on pants while in a sitting position, use the opposite end of the dressing stick by placing the larger hook inside the belt loop and lowering the pants to the floor; slide your feet in the pant legs one at a time and use the stick to maneuver them up until you can reach them. Stand up to complete the process. To remove pants, simply reverse the process.

Socks:
While a sock aid is the most effective way to put on socks, the dressing stick will easily help take them off. To remove socks, sit on the end of a bed or chair and place the small hook at the top of the sock; gently slide the stick down your leg until completely removed. Use the hook to pick up the sock from the ground.

Jackets or Button-up Shirts:
To put on a jacket or shirt, slide your arm into the sleeve and use the stick to maneuver the opposite sleeve behind your back to where you can comfortably get your other arm in place. Use the hook to pull the shirt or jacket on your shoulders. If you have trouble zipping your jacket, connect the zipper and use the small hook to pull it up. To remove a jacket or shirt, simply use the larger hook on the dressing stick to push the sleeve down your arm until it is removed. Repeat on the other side.

In short, yes. Assistive technology is a broader category incorporating devices, products, equipment and software to help people with disabilities by helping improve functional capability. Assistive devices may include walkers, wheelchairs, hearing aids, and speech recognition software. The main point is that these products are inclusive of both mainstream technology and those created specifically for the temporarily or permanently disabled or impaired.

Adaptive devices are a subcategory of assistive technology. These independent living aids encompass all items designed to make everyday activities efficient and self-care achievable. Examples of adaptive equipment are dressing aids, eating and drinking aids, or bathing and toileting aids.

Reachers are assistive devices used by people with a variety of temporary impairments or permanent disabilities to access items out of reach. Reachers come in a variety of lengths, some telescopic, and with different types of grabbers like non-slip rubber or suction cup jaws. Optional accessories like reacher clips for walkers and wheelchairs and different features like folding shafts, rotating jaws, trigger handles and forearm supports are available to suit most needs. A quality reacher like the TelescoPik Reacher incorporates many of these options and allows individuals with arthritis, post-surgical joint replacement, spinal injuries and more easy access to items overhead or on the floor.