Patti Pilat Buono

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Products To Help You Do The Job

I’ve compiled a short list of “must have” products that I have found to be invaluable to those of us doing The Job.

Over the years, I have learned the hard-earned lesson that convenience is almost always worth the money, and that anything that saves me time I can use on my own family is money well spent. We talk a lot on this blog about self-care, and having the important and useful products I’m discussing today can easily be considered a form of self-care, as they will benefit you and contribute to your well-being.

So, buckle up, buttercup and get that AmEx gold card all warmed up! Here we go~

Adaptive Footwear

Pop had the diabetes, so he was entitled to special sneakers once a year through Medicare. If that is your loved one, I strongly recommend that you utilize this benefit to the fullest, since Pop had great, supportive footwear for no cost.

Most seniors, however, require footwear that is both supportive and very easy to get on and off. Bending down to tie shoes can lower blood pressure to a dangerous degree, so look for products like these that minimize the awkwardness and difficulty.

Good Clothing Choices

There is no doubt about it, you need to respect the style and personality of your loved one. However…you need to take into consideration their abilities, and the convenience of their caregivers at the same time.

In order to merge the two, I recommend having them help you as much as possible to choose their wardrobe. Help them look more towards clothing without difficult buttons or fasteners that arthritis might make difficult. Don’t allow them any tight-necked garments that might pull off their glasses or get caught on something. To assist them in continuing to dress themselves, avoid tight clothing, particularly pants, when toileting becomes more urgent and frequent.

Seating Alternative

It is extremely frustrating for your elderly loved one to not be able to get out of a chair. While I am usually a fan of having familiar items in their room to make them comfortable, this is one area that I think you should purchase a new item: A lift recliner.

This extremely useful product will easily make it possible for your loved one to rise from a seated position on their own. Newer versions also come with both heating elements and even massage options. Equipped with cup holders, and even a small pocket to store that Reader’s Digest or remote control, this product will help you leave your loved one in their own room with confidence that they can entertain themselves comfortably for hours.

Not Your Mother’s Walker…

Pop had a travel walker, with no storage or seat, but really good for airports. Mom’s walker has both a seat and a storage bin, which is a huge improvement and very useful for her. But, it isn’t really made for her to sit in it—it isn’t comfortable at all, plus it seats her facing backwards, with her legs blocking me as I try to awkwardly push her.

Enter the modern walker, which is significantly easier to operate as a wheelchair on a moment’s notice. If your loved one is in the difficult position where they want to keep walking as much as possible, but sometimes finds themselves stuck somewhere without the energy to keep walking, you really need to look into this new product.

A Few Things Around Their House

Below are just a few things I’ve found to be invaluable to senior citizens to help them maintain their independence, giving me some time “off”.

Getting them a tool to help them grab things from shelves can come in handy for many different things. Pop had a similar gadget to help him put on his socks when he couldn’t bend over! It’s definitely a multi use tool.
Making sure they are safe in the bathroom is extremely important. That’s why I recommend you really invest in a strong shower mat for your loved one. This is an easy product to find and put in place—do it today for your peace of mind.
It gets harder and harder for your loved one to open bottles—whether it’s pickles or the medication! Getting a strong gripper to open bottles and cans will come in very handy for them, adding to their independence and helping them keep strength in their hands.
Managing pills, particularly if the dosage changes, can be a very difficult thing for your loved one to navigate. It is extremely important that we make this task as effortless as possible, so the elderly will have the best chance to maintain their medication intake without missing doses, or taking too many. Here are two of the most important things you need to get: the pill box, and the pill cutter.
As the eyesight continues to drop, and losing the glasses becomes more and more common, a good product for the elderly might be something to magnify what they are looking at! Consider a portable magnifying glass, but also look into a magnifying lamp, which will give them added support to minimize eye strain.

Personal Alert System

My mother-in-law had this around her neck, even though she was living with one of her daughters at the time. I support this 100%, and think that your elderly loved one needs a personal alert system no matter where they are living. With the dementia, obviously, you run a greater risk of them activating the alert system not realizing what it is, but even that is unimportant when weighed against their safety.

Even if you are the 24/7 caregiver, there are times you are not in the same room—maybe not even in the house—so consider this product a necessity.

Honorable Mention…

The single greatest product I have found that brings joy and relaxation to Mom is the picture frame. I literally just framed a picture and brought it to her this morning, and she lit up like Christmas morning. Filling picture frames gives them an open window into not just the present, but the past as well. It can give their mind wings to travel through the memories that are now locked inside of them and can’t come to the surface anymore.

And sometimes, if you bring the right picture, maybe they can see the future, and know that everyone will be just fine. That’s what I did.

Keep Looking!

I hope you have found one or two things in this blog that will make your life—and the life of your loved one—just a little bit easier. We are struggling with so many things that are now out of our control, that getting a few key pieces that will make things more simple for our loved one is worth the price.

I’m looking forward to hearing from you about different products that you’ve found to make things better and more convenient as you continue to give care to your loved one from your own home.

Keep fighting the good fight. I’m right there with you!

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR READING THIS FAR!!!

Wow! You made it! Thank you for reading all about more eldercare products!

Hey, since you’re here! You may as well check out tax season for the elderly, here, or if you’ve read that, check out eldercare Easter, here! Or maybe you want to hear more about Pop, here. Or, check out our other topics here! Either way, I appreciate you!

Please leave a COMMENT about any tips you may have!! Or comment with YOUR story! Any dementia stories? Let me know!

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