6 Gadgets That Help Grandparents Live Independently

A study has proved that about 95% of the elders above the age of 75 want to maintain their independence and live alone; this could be the cause for worry for their children and grandchildren. We could make our grandparents home safe and more comfortable by investing in certain gadgets.  

A set of questions and gadgets that would prove useful:  

Do you worry that your grandparents cannot clean the house?

You could get your grandparents house cleaning robots of the iRobot family; it could be used to vacuum in between visits from the cleaner and helps restore the sense of dignity and control for your grandparents. The tiny, effective iRobot Roomba could clean almost anything with the push of a button, with the Scooba washing the floor on its own and the Looj, the rain-gutter cleaning robot helping to save a lot of money on cleaning.  

Do you worry that your grandparents will burn themselves cooking, leave the stove on and start a fire?

It is best for you to invest in The Safe-T-element Cooking System that consists of cover plates you can install on their existing stovetop burners; this device limits the heat and shuts off the stove if it reaches a certain temperature.

Are you worried your grandparents cannot reach you in an emergency? 

You should invest on a big button phone like Jitterbug that is specially designed for elders that fear complexity of cell phone and find it difficult to read small screens and manage small buttons.  An easy-open clamshell with extra-loud speakers, big backlit buttons, a bright screen and easy-to-read numbers, the Jitterbug One-Touch goes a step forward to make life simple for your grandparents with an economical service plan. They have 3 big impossible-to-miss buttons; one for 911; one for the operator, who will connect your grandparents to anyone they want to reach; and one preprogrammed to connect your grandparents to you or another family member.

Do you worry that your grandparents will let the shower get too hot and get burnt? 

You could shop online for a temperature-activated flow reducer; a screw on facet attachment that could prevent burns by shutting off the water from a sink or shower if it gets too hot.

Do you worry that your grandparents will fall and won’t be able to get up? 

Invest in a Personal Emergency Response System or PERS; in a form of a transmitter this device connects your grandparents to a 24 hour call center with the push of a button. It can be worn on a neck pendant or bracelet and sends a message to the call center through a receiver connected to your grandparent’s house phone line. Your grandparents could contact you or emergency personnel through the call center.

Do you worry that your hard-of-hearing grandparents would miss phone calls or leave visitors standing at the door?

You could go in for a doorbell-telephone flashing-light signaler for your grandparents; it enables a ringing doorbell or phone to trigger a flashing light to let them know they have a call or some visitors have arrived. You could easily purchase this device for the doorbell only or for the doorbell and phone.  

Let’s hope our grandparents are able to live comfortably and easily with these gadgets.  

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