Living with a disability, according to some, is not the easiest thing in the world. Living with a disability means struggling with one or more parts of life. In some cases, it means hospital visits and intensive examinations. There are also a great deal of trips to the doctor and medications that have to be taken.
One of the most difficult disabilities is limited mobility. This is a disability that favors the elderly and those that are infirm. It is well known that the elderly suffer from some form of limited mobility. Fortunately, there is now equipment to help deal with the issue.
There are some statistics surrounding limited mobility in the elderly population in America. They are in the following section.
- Approximately 53 million Americans live with a disability, and according to a recent study, the most common disability is associated with limited mobility.
- Every 11 seconds, an older adult is treated in the emergency room for a fall.
- Among older adults, over 50% of all falls take place at home.
- Every year, over two million senior citizens visit the emergency room for injuries caused by a fall.
- Each year, nearly 235,000 people experience injuries in the bathroom, according to the CDC.
There are many issues with limited mobility and a serious one is the fall. With limited mobility, it is easier to fall and not be able to correct balance during a fall, leading to an injury. There are many types of injuries that can happen, and many of them result in an elderly person going to the hospital.
In older bodies, a fall can be serious, even life-threatening. That is why some elderly people and their families are choosing to purchase mobility assisting equipment to help out with the limited mobility of the elderly person. This mobility assisting equipment ranges in type and price.
There are some statistics that show just how devoted some family members are to helping their elderly family member get around and avoid falls. They are in the following section and cover numerous topics.
- Approximately 6.8 million Americans use assistive devices to aid their mobility.
- According to AARP and the National Conference of State Legislatures, 90% of people over the age of 65 want to live in their home as long as they can.
- According to HomeAdvisor’s 2016 Aging in Place Report, 48% of homeowners over age 55 say the bathroom is the top area in the home that they have considered modifying for aging in place.
- According to HomeAdvisor’s 2016 Aging in Place Report, home service professionals say the top aging-in-place projects they?ve been hired to do include installing grab bars (71%) and adding entryway wheelchair ramps (54%).
There are many places where family members might try to modify in order to help their elderly family member get around more easily. The bathroom is the most popular place, which is where most falls occur. And there are options for those looking to modify more parts of the house.
Some of the equipment that an elderly person could use in order to get around and not fall are the mobility scooter, the medical lift chair, the medical lift recliners, the outdoor handicap ramps, the modular wheelchair ramp, the fitted stairlift, the electric wheelchair, electric wheelchair lifts, elderly lift assist devices, and more.
The medical lift recliners are an option for families where the elderly person likes to lay down and watch television a great deal. Medical lift recliners have the option of tilting up and down to enable an elderly person to have an easier time getting in and out of the recliner.
Medical lift recliners are just one of the options available to the elderly and their families. Having appropriate measures for wheelchairs can help out a great deal for the elderly, if they are in a wheelchair. This include having areas where there are no objects in way of the wheelchair, having wheelchair ramps, and more.
Electric scooters or mobility scooters are helpful for the elderly person that has trouble walking and getting around. The electric scooters or mobility scooters can give someone a little extra speed, which can help in social situations. There are different models for different kinds of scooters.
A final option is the cane. The cane is a small object but can help a great deal with getting around and balancing.