Daily living aids

Maintaining independence in your home often involves finding solutions to everyday challenges that arise with age.

Reduced mobility, dexterity, vision, or hearing can make tasks like dressing, bathing, cooking, and managing medications complicated. This can lead to reliance on others, frustration, and even safety hazards.

Common scenarios and concerns	Lifestyle and equipment options to help you
Difficulty with everyday tasks: Reduced mobility, dexterity, or vision can make everyday tasks like dressing, bathing, and cooking challenging. This can lead to increased reliance on others, frustration, and potential safety hazards.	Reaching aids: Extend your reach for grasping objects located high or low. Dressing aids: Assist with putting on and taking off clothing. Bath and shower aids: Enhance safety and independence during bathing routines. Kitchen aids: Make meal preparation and cooking easier and safer.
Difficulties managing medication: Remembering medication schedules and taking them correctly can be challenging. This can lead to missed or incorrect doses, potential health complications, and increased anxiety.	Pill organisers: Weekly or daily pill containers help you stay organised and avoid missed doses. Medication reminder alarms: Alert you electronically or verbally when it's time to take medication.
Challenges with communication or hearing: Hearing loss or speech difficulties can impact communication and social interaction. This can lead to social isolation, frustration, and potential safety concerns.	Amplified phones: Increase phone volume for improved hearing during calls. Assistive listening devices: Enhance sound clarity in various listening environments. Communication aids: Utilise picture cards, writing tablets, or speech-generating devices to facilitate communication.

Common scenarios and concerns

Lifestyle and equipment options to help you

Difficulty with everyday tasks: Reduced mobility, dexterity, or vision can make everyday tasks like dressing, bathing, and cooking challenging.

This can lead to increased reliance on others, frustration, and potential safety hazards.

Reaching aids: Extend your reach for grasping objects located high or low.

Dressing aids: Assist with putting on and taking off clothing.

Bath and shower aids: Enhance safety and independence during bathing routines.

Kitchen aids: Make meal preparation and cooking easier and safer.

Difficulties managing medication: Remembering medication schedules and taking them correctly can be challenging.

This can lead to missed or incorrect doses, potential health complications, and increased anxiety.

Pill organisers: Weekly or daily pill containers help you stay organised and avoid missed doses.

Medication reminder alarms: Alert you electronically or verbally when it's time to take medication.

Challenges with communication or hearing: Hearing loss or speech difficulties can impact communication and social interaction.

This can lead to social isolation, frustration, and potential safety concerns.

Amplified phones: Increase phone volume for improved hearing during calls.

Assistive listening devices: Enhance sound clarity in various listening environments.

Communication aids: Utilise picture cards, writing tablets, or speech-generating devices to facilitate communication.

Common challenges faced in daily living

Here are some everyday tasks that can become difficult with age:

Dressing: Limited dexterity or range of motion can make putting on and taking off clothes challenging.
Bathing and showering: Entering and exiting the bathtub or shower, maintaining balance, and washing different body parts can be difficult without assistance.
Cooking: Reaching for ingredients, using utensils, and operating appliances can become challenging due to reduced mobility or dexterity.
Managing medication: Remembering medication schedules, opening pill bottles, and taking the correct dosage can be difficult.
Communication: Hearing loss or speech difficulties can hinder communication and social interaction.

Aids for dressing and grooming

Reaching aids: Extend your reach for grasping objects located high or low on shelves or cabinets.
Sock and stocking aids: Assist with putting on and taking off socks and stockings without bending or straining.
Long-handled shoehorn: Helps put on shoes without bending down.
Dressers and button aids: Make dressing easier by helping with zippers, buttons, and shoelaces.

Aids for bathing and showering

Bath seats or benches: Provide a stable and comfortable seat within the shower or bath, promoting safe and independent bathing.
Grab bars: Installed in the shower, bathtub, and near the toilet, they offer support and stability for transfers and prevent falls.
Hand-held showerheads: Offer greater control and flexibility compared to fixed showerheads, making it easier to bathe different body parts.
Bath sponges with long handles: Allow you to wash hard-to-reach areas without excessive bending or stretching.

Aids for kitchen activities

Rocking knife sets: Help maintain a stable grip while cutting food.
Jar openers: Assist with opening tight jar lids without straining your hands.
Pot and pan grippers: Provide a secure grip on hot pots and pans, preventing burns.
Weighted utensils: Help individuals with tremors or hand weakness maintain control while eating.

Aids for medication management

Weekly or daily pill organisers: Compartmentalised containers help you organise and keep track of your medication schedule, reducing the risk of missed doses.
Automatic pill dispensers: Electronically dispense medication at programmed times, ensuring you don't miss a dose, especially helpful for individuals with memory concerns.
Medication reminder alarms: Alert you electronically or verbally when it's time to take medication, providing an extra layer of reminder and reducing the risk of forgetting.

Aids for communication

Amplified phones: Increase phone volume for improved hearing during calls.
Assistive listening devices: Enhance sound clarity in various listening environments, such as lectures, meetings, or watching television.
Communication aids: Utilise picture cards, writing tablets, or speech-generating devices to facilitate communication, especially for individuals with speech difficulties or aphasia.

Additional things to consider

Consult with an occupational therapist: An occupational therapist can assess your specific needs and recommend suitable daily living aids to enhance your independence and safety in your home environment.
Focus on user-friendly features: Choose aids that are easy to use and operate independently, promoting your self-sufficiency.
Prioritise safety: Ensure proper installation and training on using any assistive devices, especially those involving weight-bearing support or electrical components.
Regular maintenance: Maintain your daily living aids according to the manufacturer's instructions to ensure their functionality and safety.

Where to buy equipment to help you complete your daily tasks

Plymouth City Council, NHS Devon, and Livewell Southwest have jointly commissioned NRS Healthcare to deliver the Safe+Well service, and they have over 2,500 daily living aids that you can purchase by mail order, telephone, or online.

View the Plymouth Safe+Well website

NRS has a dedicated phone line with a trained team of specialists who can answer any questions you might have. Just call 0345 6461860.

Other places to buy equipment from:

Free assessment tool: Select the area of difficulty that is relevant to you. You will then be asked a few questions to guide you towards helpful daily living aids.
Free telephone advice line: Complete the online form, and we will contact you to arrange a convenient time to call.