Independent Living for Seniors: Making Everyday Tasks Easier

Getting older can make things more complicated, but there are plenty of ways to alleviate some of the struggles while limiting the risk of accidents. Here are some tips to make day-to-day tasks a breeze.

1. Reaching items in the back of the fridge: It can be tricky for older adults to reach items way in the back of the fridge. To make it easier, try adding a lazy susan on the top shelf so they can rotate to find what they need.

2. Raised dot stickers to key phone and remote buttons: For seniors struggling with eyesight, add raised button stickers to phone buttons and TV remotes to help guide them to the buttons they need to press. You might want to highlight buttons such as “answer”. The same can be done for “on/off” and volume buttons to make them easier to find.

3. Rubber bands as cup grips: Simple rubber bands can be wrapped around cups and mugs to make them easier for arthritic hands to grip.

4. Prevent soap from falling to the shower floor: Every single person has experienced their soap slipping out of their hands and falling to the floor of the shower. To stop this from happening, grab an old pair of pantyhose and cut it at the top of one leg. Put the bar of soap into the foot and tie the top end to the shower head or handy grab bar.

5. Organize medication: A good old-fashioned pillbox is an easy way to keep your medicine organized. While the weekly planner is popular, that's not the only choice. You can also use your phone to download a digital pill organizer app to send personalized notifications when it's time to take a pill.

6. Button hooks: Stiff hands can turn the everyday task of getting dressed into a tough ordeal. You can purchase a button hook tool that slides through the buttonhole and secures over the button. Then it’s as easy as pulling to slide the button in. The other side often has a hook for zippers as well.

7. Key finder Attach a key finder to car keys and house keys to see where they are on a map to track down those lost keys in seconds.

8. Rug tape: Living room rugs can be the worst offender as far as tripping hazards go. Take some rug tape to the corners of the rug to alleviate this accident waiting to happen.

9. Jar opener: Easy-grip jar openers work on jars and lids of all sizes. They make it so much easier to pry open that stubborn lid. You can also use a rubber glove, but the tools sold for this are fairly affordable.

10. Arthritis friendly kettles: A kettle tipper is ideal for individuals with less hand strength. The “tilt & pour” frame means that boiling hot water can easily be poured without having to worry about picking the kettle up. It has a large opening that can be filled with a cup of water which will be lighter than carrying the kettle back and forth to the sink.