The Most Useful Gadgets for Healthy Aging
No matter your age, everyone can benefit from a helpful gadget to make their life easier. Whether itās something as simple as a jar opener or a button hook, these simple things can drastically improve your time spent on the activity and decrease the frustration you experience. Who doesnāt want that? After sharing this post with so many helpful finds last year, I wanted to do another post with other items you all recommended. Iām sharing some of the most useful gadgets for healthy aging Iāve found! Even if you don’t need these items yourself, I bet you know someone who does.
Here are a few other blog posts with more practical finds that you may find helpful:
The Most Useful Gadgets for Healthy Aging
1. Foldable and Adjustable Walking Stick
This collapsible walking stick folds into four sections, making it easy and convenient to put into your purse, car, or suitcase. You can also adjust it from 32 to 37 inches (in one-inch increments) to make sure you have the perfect height. I loved this engraved gold version, but it also comes in a sleek black or charcoal. This is certainly more attractive than the one my husband uses when his knee acts up.
2. Leg and Foot Massager with Heat
This heated foot and leg compression massager helps improve circulation and relieve swelling, fatigue, and pain. They also have another version that goes over the knee to include your thigh. Because this uses compression, you should check with your doctor if you have any medical issues.
3. Pill Popper Memory Aid
I use this 7-day pill organizer with my supplements and prescriptions so I can see whether I took mine or not. If you only take a few medications daily, it’s often difficult to remember if you’ve taken your pill or capsule for the day. This pill popper memory aid tool goes around the rim of your medication bottle to help you track your daily dose.
4. Sock Aid Sock Helper
Bending over to put on socks can be a challenge if you have a sore, achy back, are recovering from a knee or hip replacement, or have limited mobility. The Sock Aid is genius and honestly something anyone could use. This would also be great for any pregnant women you may know!
5. Memory Foam Foot Rest
If you spend a lot of your day sitting, this memory foam cushion provides the perfect footrest. It helps to improve posture and provides back pain relief and leg and hip support. You can adjust the height by removing the base. This is also great for petite people. My feet don’t touch the ground when I sit on the couch, so I use a similar one in front of my spot on the couch.
6. Button Hook with Zipper Pull
Fastening buttons and pulling zippers are two more tasks that can grow increasingly difficult as we age, especially with arthritic fingers! This handy tool helps you to get your clothing fastened pretty quickly.
7. Slice Box Cutter and Utility Knife
Everyone needs one of these Slice utility knives. If you have a porch full of Amazon packages like I do, this makes opening them a breeze!
8. Hand Grip Strengthener
These finger strengthener gadgets are a great at-home physical therapy tool for those with rheumatoid arthritis, arthritis, carpal tunnel, tendonitis, tennis elbow, those who are recovering from a stroke, and so much more. Each color is a different resistance level, allowing you to choose the perfect strength for you.
9. Squatty Potty Toilet Stool
If you haven’t heard of a Squatty Potty, you might want to click on the link and learn about them. Several readers have recommended them, and it’s one of those things that you think is crazy…until you get it. Let’s just say it makes life easier whenever nature calls!
Shop More Useful Gadgets for Healthy Aging:
What else could you add to this list?
Hi, Jennifer and Company: This little gadget is a real help when it comes to getting out of a car and is available on amazon and titled: “Car Handle Assist for Elderly Car Door Handle Car Door Latch Handle for Seniors and Handicapped Blue.” My husband is much more mobile and very happy with this removable, transferable little invention!
Itās sounds wonderful. Thank you for sharing it Nan.
Great ideas, which reminds me, Iāve been meaning to find one of those tools that helps you put on a bracelet!
Jennifer, I just opened your gadget suggestions, and I quickly ordered a folding walking stick. It should be on its way prior to my trip to the UK where I have several excursions planned. Since my feet can be difficultā¦ a royal painā¦this can be really helpful for some of the walksā¦ eg. up a hilly walkway through the gardens to Agatha Christieās summer home , Greenway, near Dartmouth. My regular walking poles do not collapse the same way, so this should be better for travelling š§³ Cheers
Have a wonderful trip, Cath!! Are you on a tour?
I am on another PONANT small ship cruise ( max 160 passengers).
Boarding on the Thames next to Tower Bridge ( Tower of
London) and sailing along the Channel, stopping at several interesting places ( as above) , Scilly Isles, Dublin and Belfast before arriving near Glasgow and my Scottish cousins. No solo supplement, early booking bonus , and loyalty perksā¦ could not resist! And London for a few days beforehand. š
It sounds so fantastic!! Have a fabulous time…how could you not?
It is safest to not leave the kitchen when the microwave oven is running. I also check to make sure I didnāt accidentally double tap a number. I have done this in the past. These are great aides for those of us who need them as we age. I have instability when out in open spaces and canāt use a cane because of my deformed fingers from arthritis. I use a rollator with a seat when I get tired walking and there is a storage compartment under the seat. It has large wheels and brakes and is easy to push. I feel very stable with it and itās name is Charlie.
I love that you named Charlie! He sounds invaluable for your stability and peace of mind.
Our adult kids howled when we told them about our Squatty Potty. Then we had them watch the unicorn video (and they howled some more). At least one has now bought their own. Thanks for sharing the message. Colons of the world will thank you too.
They are great!!
I’ve always used lists so nothing new there. although they are more important now. I use the list/notes section on my phone to keep track of things. Big thumbs up for a magnifying glass!
I agree about the magnifying glass. Some of the print these days is so faint and small that no one can read them without help.
These are great tools for us who need a bit of help.
These are great options to help us navigate through the basic everyday tasks. I love my hand grabbers. I can use them in the house to reach a high shelf or pick up twigs in my yard. I also keep a pad of paper and pen on my kitchen counter. I write notes of reminder to myself and lists for shopping. It really eases the anxiety of worry that I may forget the simplest things. I also have a small magnifying glass by my chair.
For me, this is just accepting the fact that nothing stays the same forever. If thereās a simpler, easier way to navigate through this time, then hip, hip, hooray!
Trying to plan ahead, we’re replacing all the doorknobs in our home with the lever type, supposedly easier for aging in place with arthritic hands. Annoyingly, I’ve discovered my cat can open all these doors now. Grrr.
Lol! Cats are pretty smart. We used to have a cat who could jump up and open our lever door handle to the bedroom.
I haven’t seen most of these helpful tools. How amazing!! I have arthritis in my hands and that zipper and button pull would really help. Thanks for the great info.
Great ideas Jennifer. I’ve found bump dots to be very useful. If your eyesight is not that great and you have difficulty reading text on appliances, you can stick these little rubber dots on the places you use often. For example, on my microwave I use the beverage button often and used to get the glasses on to read where to press. Now I just feel for the dot. Also great for other kitchen appliances as well as my computer keyboard. Sometimes I can’t find the return or delete key quickly, now I have a dot on it and know where it is without looking for it.
Deb, please be extra careful with the microwave if you can’t read the control panel. My parents’ upstairs neighbor in their senior living community caused a fire in her apartment when she mistakenly pressed 55 minutes instead of 5 minutes and went to take a shower. Thankfully no one was injured, but my parents’ apartment and all their possessions were destroyed by the sprinkler system.
Thatās great advice. We just replaced our microwave because it started sparking and smoking. First time thatās ever happened to us.
What a great idea, Deb. Thanks for sharing!