While it may be a gift, growing older isn’t always easy, especially when you consider the diminished dexterity, pain, and mobility issues that accompany tasks that were easily manageable a few years ago. Luckily, when everyday tasks appear to threaten your independent living, gadgets, innovative fashion, and a few DIY hacks can help you regain your sense of self. Whether you are aging and easing into retirement or simply looking for ways to help your aging loved ones lead more pain-free lives, here are three things that can help.
1. Orthotic Insoles
Just like other parts of our bodies change as we get older, our feet are also affected by these changes. One of the most common physical changes felt as we age is the development of foot problems that cause foot pain. Other health issues such as arthritis, varicose veins, and diabetes can also compound these issues.
Some common foot conditions we experience as we age include chronic heel pain, or plantar fasciitis, cracked heels, osteoarthritis, bunions, corns, and calluses, to mention a few. Chronic heel pain can make everyday activities, most of which require some form of movement, feel like a struggle. What’s more, if you have flat feet or the converse of these, overly arched feet, this can cause further heel inflammation.
Luckily, innovative companies like PowerStep are creating effective products to help with arch support, cushioning, motion control, and other common foot problems that seniors face. The Power Step insoles, for instance, offer excellent arch support by providing contoured orthotic insoles that provide anatomical arch support and alleviate stress and pressure on the joints and the bottom of the feet. PowerStep products are also padded with extra foam that offers great shock absorption and good support that adjusts to the individual’s arch type.
2. Pill Organizers
For seniors with ongoing medical conditions, proper pill management is crucial, especially if they’re living in retirement communities. To achieve a better quality of life, pill management is important because the incorrect use of medication can put their health at risk, or worse, send them to a hospital. This being said, prescription medication management products are a great way to make sure that the risk of an incorrect dosage is minimized.
Pillboxes are a great and inexpensive way to help you keep your medication organized. Besides being easily accessible at your local pharmacy, pillboxes are also available in different styles, and all you have to do is find one that matches your lifestyle. If you have an active lifestyle, you can get a pillbox with a pouch and fastener attached to it, so you can access your medication from wherever you are, without the inconvenience of lugging several pill bottles around with you.
3. Color-coded Keys
If you are tired of constantly looking for your keys, consider getting them color-coded. If you’re still adjusting to life in your independent living unit, for instance, it can be hard to remember all the different keys you have without trying them all. To help manage this, try getting some paint or nail polish to help you create a color-coding system for your chain of keys. If your main door is painted brown, for instance, use some brown paint/nail varnish and paint the main door key brown. This way, you’ll always remember that brown is equivalent to the main door.
Your retirement should give you a new lease on life, not frustrate you. Whether you’re looking for tips to help a loved one moving into an independent senior living community or looking for ways to add more ease to your own life, we hope these tips help the transition feel more manageable.
