Four Practical and Fun Holiday Gifts for Seniors

The season of gift giving has arrived.  And if you have seniors in your life, you’re likely in a bit of a quandary.  After all, over the years they’ve accumulated all the goodies they need--and more!  They’re now in downsizing mode and, hopefully, de-cluttering their home.  So why would you want to buy them more stuff?

It’s time to think practically and to give gifts that will help to keep your Mom, Dad, favorite Aunt, or that special person you care for, safe and make life a little easier.  Here are four suggestions.

Three Bathtub Replacements for Senior Safety

My goal is to modify bathrooms to make them safe and accessible for seniors.  So I love to see a spacious bathroom with a 60”x 60” turning radius for a senior who is, or may one day be, moving around in a wheel chair.  But most bathrooms are just not big enough.

I’ve noticed, however, that there’s usually a bath, about 60” x 30,” that seniors no longer use.  They’re legitimately scared to climb over the edge to get in and out of it, knowing that one misstep can lead to a life-changing fall. Seniors want to know what they can do with that space to make it usable.

Here are three practical ideas for bathtub replacements.
  
1. The Walk-In-Bathtub

Some walk-in bathtubs fit into the same 30” x 60” footprint squandered by the obsolete bathtub.  There are also narrower, shorter models, 28” x 48”, which use a panel to fill in the gap, keeping remodeling costs to a minimum.   Not only does the walk-in bath tub provide a warm, relaxing, and luxurious in-home-spa experience, it’s also safe, accessible, therapeutic, and health-promoting.

Top Products for Living a Long Life at Home: the Seated Shower

I’ve found another have-to-have product for a long, safe life at home—the American Standard Seated Shower.

When you see the Seated Shower, you wonder why no one has created anything like it before.  Why? Because it takes the all the thinking out of retrofitting a shower for a senior who wants to live a long, happy life at home.  It’s a simple, one piece solution that looks beautiful too.  And, you can enjoy it at any age.

How to Overcome Mobility Challenges in the Bathroom

To keep people in their homes as they age, it’s often necessary remodeling a bathroom to accommodate mobility issues. If you’re about to launch into a bathroom remodeling project, consider these tips:

1. What’s the Problem?
Evaluate the person who is having difficulty getting around.  If they’re in a wheel chair or their medical condition could lead to further deterioration that might land them in a wheel chair, there are additional considerations.

Top Products to Make a Long Life at Home Easier: First in a Series

In my quest to help people live long, healthy lives at home I am always looking for cool new products that help them do just that. So I thought I would start a list of the top products.  Of course, I need your help too. So please respond to this blog with products you recommend.

One of my favorite products is the portable shower.  The soothing, refreshing feeling of a shower.   It’s a simple pleasure that’s out of reach for some people.  Maybe they can’t climb the stairs to the second floor shower because of surgery—a hip or knee replacement.   Maybe they have trouble accessing their current shower because it doesn’t accommodate a wheelchair.   The portable shower can help.