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Home Medical Equipment

10 Best Home Healthcare Products for Seniors Living at Home

Many seniors choose to enjoy retirement in the comfort and familiarity of their own home. There are many physical, psychological, and cognitive benefits to aging in place, but older adults may need help to live safely and comfortably. Family members and professional caregivers play a critical role, but home healthcare products can make life easier for seniors and their support network. This article looks at ten home healthcare products for seniors you should know about. 

What Are the Needs of the Elderly Living Alone?

The needs of elderly people living independently in their own home depend on several factors: age, medical condition, cognitive abilities, and mobility, among others. There’s no one-size-fits-all solution. However, most seniors who choose to age in place benefit from the following:

  • A clutter-free home with minimal trip hazards. 
  • User-friendly environmental controls, including lights, heating, and air conditioning. 
  • The ability to quickly contact emergency services, caregivers, and loved ones. 
  • Assistance while moving around the house, especially while using the bathroom and showering. 
  • Furniture—including home hospital beds—that adapts to their needs and physical capabilities. 

Let’s explore ten healthcare products that make a home safer and more comfortable for older people. 

Innovative Products for the Elderly

Our first category covers innovative products that have come on the market in the last decade or so. They are not designed specifically for seniors, but they have capabilities that can improve an elderly person’s quality of life. 

Smart Speakers

Smart speakers are speakers equipped with voice-activated virtual assistants. They play music on command, but they pack in many other features useful to seniors, especially if they are used together with home automation accessories. For example, smart speakers can be used to control lights if bulbs and switches are part of a home automation network. They can  also control thermostats, curtains, and home hospital bed adjustments with the right set-up. 

The most popular smart speakers include Apple’s HomePod Mini, the Amazon Echo range, and Google Nest

Smart Doorbells

Smart doorbells include a Wifi-connected camera that lets seniors see who is at their door via an app on their phone. They also include microphones for two-way communication between the visitor and the resident. Smart doorbells are great for seniors who struggle to get up to answer the door. They play a safety role too, allowing seniors to verify the visitor’s identity before they open the door.  

Smartwatches and Medical Alert Systems

Smartwatches have many useful features for the elderly, including, depending on the model:

  • Health monitoring and medical alerts
  • Exercise tracking
  • Fall detection
  • Phone calls when a smartphone is out of reach. 

Many smartwatch models provide some or all of these features, including the Apple Watch, the Fitbit Sense, and the Samsung Galaxy Watch

Best Products for Seniors in the Bathroom

Contrary to popular belief, falls occur more often in the living room and bedroom than the bathroom and more often on the flat than when using stairs. That’s why it’s vital to consider risks throughout the home and not just the bathroom and stairs. However, bathrooms can be dangerous, especially for those with mobility and balance issues. 

Grab Rails

Grab rails by the bath, sink, and toilet give seniors something to hold on to while they move. They are particularly useful for older people with weakness in their legs, but they also help seniors to balance while moving from point to point. 

Non-Slip Shower and Bathmats

Even young and healthy people slip and fall while showering in a cubicle or getting out of a bath. Bathtubs and showertrays tend to be made of enamel or plastic, neither of which provide much friction. A non-slip mat can reduce the chance of slipping. They also prevent older people from slipping down into the bath and make it easier for them to get out.

Shower Chairs

Shower chairs are water-proof stools or chairs that allow older people to sit down while they shower. Reduced personal hygiene is a common issue for people with mobility issues and bodily weakness, especially if they have suffered a fall in the past. They are scared that showering exposes them to increased risk. Equipment like shower chairs, grab rails, and bathmats reduce the risk and help older people to feel safer as they bathe. 

Walk-in Bathtubs

A walk-in bathtub has a door in its side. Instead of climbing into a standard tub , the bather opens the door, gets in, and fills the tub. Walk-in bathtubs may be similar in shape to a standard tub or a vertical barrel-like design with a seat. To learn more about walk-in bathtubs read The Pros and Cons of Walk-in Tubs for Seniors.

Best Products for Seniors in the Bedroom

In the previous section, we wrote that the living room is where most falls occur. In fact, the bedroom comes a very close second: 31% in the living room and 30% in the bedroom. There are several reasons bedroom rank so high: 

  • They tend to become cluttered with clothes, shoes, slippers, and other trip hazards.
  • Seniors are more likely to move around in the dark or disoriented after waking. 
  • Getting into and out of bed is physically demanding, and it is not uncommon for older people with physical or cognitive issues to fall out of bed. 

To round out our exploration of home healthcare products for seniors, let’s look at products that can make the bedroom a safer place. 

Adjustable Beds

Adjustable beds, also known as home hospital beds, provide a range of features that are not available on standard consumer beds. Most importantly for seniors living at home, adjustable beds can raise or lower for easy access. A bed that is too high or too low may lead to falls and injuries, but a bed like the Supernal Hi-Low can adjust its height between 10.5″ and 20.5″, making it easier for older people and wheelchair users to transfer to their bed. 

Height adjustments are just the start of what the best home hospital beds can do. A five-function adjustable bed like the Supernal 5 also features head and foot adjustments as well as tilt adjustments for the Trendelenburg and Reverse Trendelenburg position—all configured via an easy-to-use remote control. 

A Supportive Mattress

Standard consumer mattresses may not be ideal for older people, especially if they are bedridden or spend long periods in bed. Pressure ulcers are a serious health concern, and consumer mattresses are not designed to reduce the risk of bedsores or heal existing pressure sores. Additionally, consumer mattresses are not flexible enough to be used with a home hospital bed’s adjustments.

Alternatives to consumer mattresses include:

  • Hospital bed mattresses designed for use with an adjustable bed. The Transfer Master Supernal Sleep System offers two types of  foam mattress designed to evenly distribute pressure and prevent the formation of pressure sores. Both include border edge protection, a stiffened edge zone that provides extra support and helps to stop seniors falling out of bed. 
  • Pressure relief mattresses combine memory foam with air-filled pockets that can be independently adjusted to redistribute the mattress’s pressure on the body. Pressure relief mattresses are an excellent option for seniors at risk of pressure sores or with existing pressure ulcers. 

Wheelchair Transfer Board

Many of the healthcare products we’ve discussed are useful for all seniors, but we’re rounding off the list with one designed specifically for wheelchair users. A wheelchair transfer board is a stiff board that bridges the gap between a wheelchair and a height-adjustable bed. It helps wheelchair users to slide from one to the other without standing up.

How To Find The Best Home Hospital Bed

As you can see, there are many healthcare products to make life easier for seniors living at home, from high-tech speakers to adjustable beds to walk-in baths. If you would like help to find the right hospital bed and hospital bed mattress for your situation, don’t hesitate to contact our friendly team of adjustable bed specialists. 

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About Transfer Master

Transfer Master has built electric adjustable hospital beds for the home and medical facility since 1993. We started with a simple goal that hospital beds should allow wheelchair users to transfer independently in and out of bed. Thirty years later, our customers are still at the center of everything we do. You’ll feel the difference.