A university study identified some simple fixes to help active agers live independently.
Main point: “…In the study, researchers focused on three inexpensive, low-tech assistive devices: grab bars around the toilet and in the shower or tub area; a shower or tub seat; and a raised toilet or toilet seat.”
Nordic walkers who are in that aging track are among those who want to stay active and independent. The fixes discussed in the article are straightforward to implement.
More about it:
- Don’t put it off. “…many elderly Americans lack the basic self-care equipment that could enable them to live at home longer, postponing the need to move into residential care facilities.”
- Positive outcomes. “…these low-tech interventions meaningfully reduce injury, enable independence, preserve dignity and improve quality of life in older people suffering from irreversible disability for complex multifactorial reasons.”
- Adapt in order to overcome. “…many of us will get old and I believe, paradoxically, a fixed mindset that does not tolerate the adaptations that have to come with an aging body can make the experience of aging much worse.”
There are more details about the study in the linked article.
Takeaways:
- Putting these simple modifications in one’s home can work wonders.
- The benefits are more than physical accident-proofing.
- Adapting is change, and we need to be OK with that.