I’m not a big “gadget guy” (actually, I’m not a big guy, in general); true, I spend a disproportionate amount of my life on a computer worrying about e-mail, and TRUE: I’ve been brow-beaten into a “Blackberry” for my job, but I confess that I am barely competent to complete a phone call, text at roughly the rate of erosion and have an unfortunate tendency to forget to turn it on.
I apologize to the majority of my gender, but (a) the world seems to continue to turn without the aid of my 24-hour availability, and (b) I just am not enamored by machines nor, I’ve learned, are they particularly fond of me, but that’s a whine for another time.
Sometimes, though, it’s just kind of fun to know what’s out there, because sometimes those gadgets/devices/good ideas can make life a whole lot easier for human beings who could stand to have life made a bit easier – Or, for all the rest of us, for that matter (which is why, in the construction/modification business, it’s called “UNIVERSAL design).
Anyway, you know those little “panic-button gizmos” that you hang around your neck or wear as a bracelet have been around forever that allow you to get help if you’ve fallen or need assistance (generally referred to as “Personal Emergency Response Systems”)? Wonderful tools! Well, now, the “next generation” is beginning to hit the more public streets.
I’m looking at the product info for a model that will, certainly, provide the usual “panic button” functionality AND medication reminder AND two-way voice communication. It also has built-in motion sensors that will measure activity in the place so caregivers/family can know if the occupant seems to be OK – AND it will text said caregiver to report! You can add additional motion sensors and “biometric devices” that can remotely monitor blood pressure, glucose, weight and/or increased toileting and sleeplessness.
I realize that this might not be everybody’s “cup of tea,” given the frivolous demands of dignity and privacy; I also know that, for some, it works beautifully and allows people to stay where they want to be. The info I’m looking at says that, if you paid for the “whole nine yards,” you’d be paying $353 per month, plus taxes, shipping and whatever….hmm…
I know of folks on the east coast who do this and swear by it (and probably at it, at times), but if it lets you be where you want to be and lets the kids sleep at night, mine is not to question what constitutes “appropriate.”
How about some other just plain, old “cool” ideas that could help anyone navigate through life on a 3-dimensional planet? Like them, don’t like them – But they sure work for some…
*…like adding a motion sensor to an existing light fixture, so it will turn on automatically when someone enters a room? OK, well, whoever said that pets like the dark?
*…like adding a motion sensor to an existing light fixture, so it will turn on automatically when someone enters a room? OK, well, whoever said that pets like the dark?
* Or measuring cups and spoons with large numbers and color-coded? This one works.
* Or small tools, like scissors and nail clippers and pill cutters, etc. that have built-in magnifiers?
* A flashing light that draws attention to a ringing phone?
* Replacing a standard door hinge with an offset hinge that buys you an additional two inches of clearance without major hassle;
* You could slide a “sofa saver” under sagging cushions on a chair or sofa (or mattress!) that will help a provide a LOT more support when you’re getting up or down;
* Install a wall-mounted, extending magnifying mirror near the vanity to allow someone to sit while they do bathroom stuff;
* Replace round doorknobs with lever handles! I know you hear this all the time, but it really does make a difference – For everybody! Too pricey? OK, you can get lever adaptors that can be clamped onto round knobs;
* Replace standard, wall-mounted light switches with oversized rocker switches – MUCH easier. And you can get some that are illuminated in the dark. This one works.
* Cookware (+ lids) with ergonomically-shaped handles? You bet! Or how about pots and frying pans with TWO handles? Think about it.
* You know that flexible hose you’ve got on the sink? Use it to fill pots on the counter, so you’re not wrestling those things out of the sink;
* …or you could have side-mounted faucets on the sink?...well…
* You could buy a robotic vacuum cleaner! Well, you could – They’re actually quite common in some other countries;
* Lose your keys? Again? You can get a wireless key/object finder: Press a button on the locator and a device on the keys (or whatever) goes off. Lose the “finder?”…uh, well…Look in the robotic vacuum?
* Wear a timer around your neck to remind you to take meds or get the food out of the oven or…You’re not required to wear it to the luncheon.
* You can get heat-resistant, firm, comfortable grips that slip over the handles of saucepans and skillets – Boom! No pot holders!
* A rolling laundry basket?
I know: Everybody who is seriously involved with things like vision or hearing loss or “universal design” or arthritis or whatever else is laughing out loud right now at how “basic” all this stuff is – And they’re right: There is no substitute for going to the “pro’s” who deal with your particular concerns all day, every day to get the real scoop! This is just a list of things that caught my eye, aimed at people like me who are just trying to get to tomorrow with a modicum of grief and hassle.
So, if you cancelled the photographers from “Good Housekeeping” and knew the truth about all the things that drive your friends and neighbors nuts (but they won’t admit it anymore than you will), what could you change that would make life a little easier, a little less painful, a little less stressful and a little more…independent?
I thought so; me, too.
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