An assistive device can be a game changing acquisition for a loved one, especially if they have struggled with some sort of disability recently. Understanding what one of these devices is, and how they can help a loved one, is an important component of senior care. Here, I will give you a very brief introduction to assistive devices and illustrate a couple ways that they can help to improve your family’s quality of life.
A lot of seniors rely on assistive devices to help them complete their activities of daily living. For example, a cane or a walker can both be considered to be assistive devices. These are used to help people improve their mobility and maintain balance in a safer way. These are not the only types of these types of devices, though. An assistive device can also help with speech, such as a voice board. For example, if a loved one has suffered from a stroke and has not fully regained their ability to verbally communicate, one of these boards can help them to once again communicate effectively with others. This can be an electronic board, where a button is pushed and an electronic voice says the desired word or phrase. It doesn’t have to be electronic, though. These are often used in schools for kids who receive speech therapy. A child that struggles with certain words can instead point to a picture to communicate. These devices can be a great way to help kids and adults with needs improve communication–or another skill, if needed.
Other examples of assistive devices include things like shower chairs, remote controls with bigger buttons, or telephones that can convert speech to text to help those that are hard of hearing.
Assistive devices aren’t just for senior citizens. They are often used in schools to help students with physical disabilities overcome their difficulties so that they can receive the high quality education that everyone deserves. As you can see, they are not specific to any particular age group or population. Regardless of who is using it and what their needs are, the purpose is to make life better. It is meant to help them get through their days more easily. Whatever the device is for, the ultimate goal is to help your loved one make their life easier. These are designed to make tasks that were once difficult become a bit easier.
Senior care is a big topic, and assistive devices are just a tiny portion of this. We’re not experts on each part of this, but we can help with in-home care, if this will be of assistance to you and your family. We’d love to have a conversation with you regarding how this might improve your family’s quality of life. If you’d like to learn more, or if you have specific questions on what in-home senior care can do for you, please let us know. One of our professionals will be happy to sit down with you or have a video chat to address these concerns.
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