As a person ages, things change. Your body, your health, your ability do do things, your memory, your financial situation or your daily life. Face it! Everything changes! Actually your life changes from day one but when you get to a certain age life starts changing fast. My own life started changing as soon as I reached the magic age of fifty. If I had to pinpoint when I started noticing the aging process it was that year. It is not bad or something to get upset about. Just the life cycle. It will happen to everyone soon enough.
Since moving to my apartment six years ago I have embraced my own aging process. Accepted it and tried to make it easier which I could not do in my previous home. I hear people worrying about not being able to age in place in their present homes. They are scared to make the change and don't know what to do about it. I am fortunate to have made the change and moved into an apartment set up for that purpose. I call it "disabled friendly" and it is.
Ten Items I Use:
There are still aids you can use wherever you live to help you do whatever you need to do. This is a list of ten items I have found that help me almost daily. There are many more than these but for me these are the ones I use now.
1. Back Scratcher
A back scratcher with a long handle can be used for more than scratching. It is handy for rubbing a pain in your feet or elsewhere. I carry mine on my walker so I have immediate access to it.
2. Picker Upper
The picker upper I have belonged to my mother and when I brought it home after she had died I kept it for sentimental reasons. Now I use it for things I cannot reach. It is very handy for me now.
3. Shoe Horn
I have a shoe horn with a long handle and I use it daily for putting my shoes on. I cannot reach my feet easily and this shoe horn is a necessary for putting my shoes on.
4. Eye Glass Cleaner
I have to clean my glasses every morning. They get spotted up and for my safety I need to know where I am going. I have a spray cleaner and an eye glass cloth used for that purpose that the eye doctor gave me. Life is easier when you can see clearly. Don't want to fall!
5. Jar Opener
I cannot tell you how valuable I find the jar opener. I get frustrated with not being as strong as I used to be. I definitely need this tool to open jars.
6. Cups with Lids
I drink a lot of water and electrolytes so have a cup near me most of the day. I have noticed that I spill things more often than I used to. Don't know if that is an aging thing or what but having cups with lids helps. I have not found a coffee cup I like with a lid since I prefer ceramic coffee cups not steel or plastic.
7. Tray Table
I confess......I eat in front of my computer. Since my table is set up for my computer equipment that was the only place to eat. Now I have an adjustable tray table that is light and easy to move around my apartment. I move it to my computer chair and face away from the computer when I am eating. I like it better for eating my meals.
8. Portable Table
The portable table is a lot larger than the tray table. It folds up flat to fit behind a door. I can set it up in a minute. Mostly I use it for projects I am working on. Or if I am hosting a coffee hour with my friends in my apartment. I could put a table cloth over it and serve a meal on it if I chose to do so.
9. Walkers
I actually own four walkers. Two rollator types, with wheels and a seat. One stationary one that has four legs. The stationary one is handy inside my apartment not so much for walking, but I can lean on it while doing something. Also good for getting out of a chair or bed. The ones with wheels I use for walking all the time now. The fourth one is designed for going up and down stairs.
10. Toilet Seat Riser
No comments:
Post a Comment