Perhaps the hardest single thing about getting older is a loss of independence. A person who is getting older and has certain medical problems may have to give up driving, which is a hard blow to take. Additionally, physical routines like climbing stairs, or even getting up out of a chair can become difficult or impossible. Fortunately, there are now a number of household devices that can prolong an elderly or disabled person's independence for as long as possible. Chairs that assist a person in standing up are available starting at prices around $600. Scooters and wheelchairs make it easier to move about than walking on unsteady feet.



One of the greatest products designed to preserve independence in the elderly or disabled is the stair lift, which transports a person from the bottom of a staircase to the top and vice versa. Stair lifts come in two or three different types. Some are chairs attached to an aluminum track that is mounted directly onto the treads of a staircase, while others work on a rack and pinion system, and still others operate on a modified conveyor belt housed alongside the stair banister.

A stair lift can bring great peace of mind into a home whether the elderly or disabled person lives there alone or with others. The tracks are only a few inches wide, and the chair itself folds up flat against the wall when the lift is not in use, leaving the staircase perfectly usable by everyone else in the household.

One of the best things about living in an age of advanced technology is that devices appear that can be used to help people live as independently as possible. Whether it is a stair lift or a cell phone, the elderly, the disabled, and their families can greatly benefit from such assistive devices. The things that make everyday life easier for non-disabled people often allow greater independence for those whose independence is limited by age, injury, or disease. A simple blood glucose meter, doorways wide enough to accommodate a wheelchair or walker, comfortable shoes, and laptop computers give people who have physical limitations the ability to move about and communicate more easily. Often just the ability to quickly and easily communicate with loved ones is a great boost to the disabled person's morale.

Stair lifts, home elevators, and dumbwaiters ensure that the entire house is accessible. Stair lifts install in only a couple of hours (longer with winding staircases), and their effect on everyday life can be profound. Without the burden of carrying a person up or down the stairs, caregivers are less likely to feel resentful and put-upon. The disabled person feels like less of a burden to family and other loved ones, and with improved morale, a person's overall health can improve.

As we get older, many of us feel as if one by one we're giving up everything that was once dear to us: friends and family members who have died, eyesight that has deteriorated enough to make reading and television watching difficult, hearing loss, and loss of mobility. The hardest thing to lose is independence of daily living, but with modern devices like stair lifts and lift chairs, independence can be maintained for much longer, improving the quality of life for the disabled person and everyone else in his or her life.