Assistive Devices To Help With Home Comfort

Advances in technology and assistive devices for seniors and those with limited mobility are allowing individuals to thrive. There are a range of products available to augment the senses, range of motion, and one’s comfort, especially for those that spend most of their time at home. These products include mobility, communication, hearing, and visual aids; diabetic equipment and supplies; respiratory equipment and supplies; oxygen therapy; prosthetics; braces, pumps, and compression garments. The Ontario Government has an Assistive Devices Program (ADP), making it easier for a wide range of people to access these aids. (Please note: there are several devices that are not covered by the program. ADP does not cover repairs and maintenance costs.)

Part of heightening home comfort is the choice to receive private, comprehensive, in-home health care services in the community. Those in the Toronto-area trust Integracare to attend to their loved ones and to offer advice and assistance in obtaining the right assistive devices. They sell and rent walkers, bath seats, commodes, wheelchairs, electric hospital beds, sell non-prescription pharmacy supplies, and more. Their Registered Nurses, Registered Practical Nurses, Registered Physiotherapists, and Personal Support Workers work collaboratively with clients, families, and community services, fostering independence, joyful living experiences and comfort for seniors. With the aid of trusted Caregivers plus government assistance, you can find the right assistive devices to suit your loved one’s needs and improve their quality of life
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Positioning devices like specially-designed back and head supports, cushions, powering tilting beds, and recliners make the bed more comfortable and improve the quality of sleep, which is a common problem for seniors. These devices also include pads that properly position limbs and keep them cushioned. They can make it easier to spend waking hours in bed or on the couch, so reading, watching TV, or conversing is more comfortable.  

An FM system for the hearing impaired is a transmitting microphone you can speak into and your family member receives the sound to either his or her ears or directly into a hearing aid. Cochlear implant replacement speech processors have internal and external components to allow the wearer to hear using a microphone, a speech processor, and a transmitter. Bone conduction implants or bone-anchored hearing aids work through sound vibrations transmitted through one’s own natural bone conduction. Speaking can be aided by voice prostheses, amplifiers, electrolarynxes, and speech-generating devices. Being better able to communicate with family members and friends in the home is important for feeling safe and for supporting good communication and relationships.

In addition to comfortable wheelchairs and walkers, specialized glasses, magnifiers, and other optical aids help with the ability to navigate one’s home more easily and engage with books and other visual entertainment. Audio players, CCTV- and computer-based reading and writing systems assist with electronic enhancement for reading books, the news, and family communiques. Braille typewriters and other manual braillers assist the visually-impaired with composing their own messages and letters.

Ask your loved one’s personal Nurse or Personal Support Worker about which assistive devices can ease their comfort and lifestyle at home. They can make recommendations tailored to his or her specific conditions and symptoms. Be sure to check if Ontario’s Assistive Devices Program can help with three-quarters of the cost.

This is a guest blog entry.