Importance of Disability and Mobility Aids for the Elderly

For the human beings, old age is the period of life which is the predecessor of death. After enjoying all the stages to the fullest, humans slowly turn old. With the advancing age, the body tends to become weak, mobility gets compromised and there is a general feeling of helplessness for most of the elderly. It is a mental setback which tends to take place as one realises that movement has becomes restricted and it becomes difficult to do the daily chores quickly and effectively. This becomes all the more annoying if the body gets effected by some disease or meets an accident thus leading to any sort of disability. In such a situation, mobility aids come very handy as they provide the support and mechanism which is otherwise missing from the body.

There are various organisations specially dealing with the construction, maintenance and proper use of these aids. People who tend to look for these aids have to ensure that they buy and use those aids which have been recommended and prescribed by their doctors. These aids are of varied type and hence the best possible option has to be suggested by the medical practitioner who is well versed with the disability and the mobility lacunae.

The most commonly used aids for the elderly have definitely been the wheelchairs. These provide the elderly people with the freedom to move around easily and be comfortable in whatever work they want to do. Wheelchairs are both manually operated and can also be automatic. These also help in upward and downward movement which enables the person to lift and put things easily. Also these chairs are fitted with trays, on which the elders can carry their belongings easily from one place to another.

Walkers are other helpful mobility aids as they encourage the elderly to move freely in their surroundings. Various types of walkers are available which can be accessed as per the specific requirement arthritis products of the elderly people. Advanced walkers with frame and foldable walkers are helpful as they are also fitted with caddy which helps in taking things from one room to another. These aids also help the elderly to use the toilets easily. Many other varieties of toilet aids can also be bought which help the elderly in finishing their routine jobs.

Parallel bars are also a good device which provides ample support and balance to the elderly and the disabled to gain momentum while walking and help in maintaining a proper gait. These give a proper posture to the body while walking. Treadmills and certain robotic mobility training devices are also easily available which help the elderly people in providing substantial strength to the body thus giving the confidence to move around freely.

At any stage of life, humans do not like to be dependent on others for their movement. For the elderly it becomes even more difficult to accept as they have had a full life before them. Also the children tend to be busy in their own lives and are not able to provide the necessary input. At this stage, it becomes absolutely necessary to use these aids for their own personal benefit. This brings in a lot of confidence and helps the elderly to enjoy their remaining life to the hilt.

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