Top Gadgets For Elderly People

Gadgets for elderly people go so much further than stairlifts and wearable alarms; from smart technology to everyday helpful tools, there are some incredibly useful gadgets available for seniors.

The best gadgets for elderly people can:

• Improve safety
• Enable connections to prevent isolation
• Track health
• Remind seniors to take medication
• Help seniors to remain independent for longer

6 Of The Best Smart Gadgets For Elderly People

From smart watches to virtual home assistants, here are some of the best gadgets for elderly people available right now:

1. Virtual Home Assistants

Virtual home assistants, such as Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, can be a brilliant addition to your home. You’ll need a smart speaker like the Amazon Echo or Google Home to get started, and you’ll need to make sure the voice settings are activated. Smart speakers are usually small and neat-looking, so they won’t feel too intrusive in your home.

If you have other smart technology in your home, such as smart bulbs and smart plugs, you can connect your smart speaker to these. This will enable you to turn the lights on or off or even activate switches without having to get up, making these an ideal gadget if you have limited mobility or don’t want to be bending down to turn off switches too often. If you’re unsure how to sync all of the tech, there are plenty of guides online, or ask a loved one for help.

Once you’re confident using your virtual home assistant, you can use it to:

• Schedule medical appointments
• Set alarms
• Add to your shopping list
• Play music
• Set reminders

2. Smart Watches

Smart watches aren’t just for busy businessmen or fitness fanatics; many smart watches have handy health tracking features that make them a brilliant gadget for elderly people. As they’re worn just like a traditional watch, they don’t get in the way and won’t feel intrusive. 

Recommended smart watches for seniors include the FitBit Blaze, which is water-resistant and has 5 days of battery life, an in-built GPS tracker, heart rate monitoring, sleep tracking, and it’s water-resistant.

The Samsung Galaxy Watch 3 is another good option for elderly people, as it has in-built fall detection, and can also monitor your heart rate, sleep quality, stress levels, and how many steps you do in a day.

In fact, a study carried out by US organisation AARP in 2015 found that 45% of people aged 50 and over reported increased motivation for healthier living habits after spending just six weeks using a wearable activity or sleep tracker, suggesting that these can have long-term benefits.

3. Doorbell Cameras

Doorbell video cameras are an incredibly handy smart gadget for elderly people, allowing you to:

• See who’s at your door before answering it
• Communicate with the postman to tell them where to leave a parcel if you can’t get to the door
• Let a loved one know you’re okay if you can’t make it to the door quickly
• Depending on the range of your smart doorbell, you may even be able to see who’s at your door when you’re out and about
• Improve how safe and secure you feel at home

Good doorbell cameras for elderly people include:

• The Ring Doorbell, which connects to a smartphone or tablet, allowing you to see who’s pressing your doorbell, wherever you are. Ring Doorbells are available as battery-powered or wired options, with the wired doorbell providing continual coverage for greater peace of mind
• The Arlo Essential Video Wire-Free Doorbell, which connects to your Wi-Fi and has a 180° viewing angle
• The Google Nest Video Doorbell, which features night vision and can send smart alerts direct to a phone, helping you to keep your home safe even when you’re out and about

4. GPS Tracker

A GPS tracker is an especially useful gadget for elderly people living with dementia. GPS trackers can take the form of wristbands or watch-like accessories, while there are also small devices that can attach to a keyring or belt, like this Dementia GPS Keyring Tracker.

The GPS technology of the TS10 Care Tracker can sync with a loved one’s smartphone, allowing them to keep track of any wandering to ensure safety. 

If you’re becoming worried that it’s no longer safe for a loved one with dementia to live alone, speak to your GP or explore our dementia care services.

5. Robot Vacuum Cleaner

Robot vacuum cleaners can help to make household chores a lot easier if your strength and mobility are limited. Robot vacuums are incredibly low-maintenance; you simply need to make sure they’re charged and programmed to clean in the areas you want them to.

You can sync most robot vacuum cleaners with your virtual home assistant, with models such as the iRobot Roomba vacuums and Shark Robot IQ Self-Empty Vacuum Cleaner both compatible.

6. Robot Lawn Mower

Similarly to smart vacuum cleaners, robot lawn mowers can take a physical household task off your hands. You can even programme a smart lawn mower to mow your lawn in satisfying stripes, potentially much neater than you’re able to achieve yourself.

There are many different robot lawn mower models available, depending on your needs. Before choosing a smart lawn mower, consider:

• How much grass you’ll need it to mow and how often
• How long the model takes to charge
• What kind of incline the lawn mower can manage
• The type of terrain the robot lawn mower can deal with 

If it’s a relatively small patch of grass that you need to maintain, a model at the lower end of the price range you can expect to pay for a robot lawn mower (around the £250-£300 mark) like may be suitable; the Mac Allister Cordless Robotic Lawn Mower falls into this category.

If you’d prefer one of the latest models on the market, opt for something like the Bosch Indego S 500, which you can expect to cost around the £700 mark. 

10 Of The Most Useful Everyday Gadgets For Elderly People

Not all gadgets for elderly people are high-tech; from button hooks to jar lid removers, some are incredibly simple, but can still transform everyday tasks.

1. Jar Lid Remover

Jar lid removers typically cost under £20 and can make opening jars so much easier, helping to prevent you injuring yourself if you don’t have as much strength as you once did. 

These handy gadgets for elderly people resemble tin openers, with the main part gripping around the jar lid, while you pull on the handle to open the jar. This one from Lakeland is a good example.

2. Key Turner

Key turners cost just a couple of pounds, but they can be incredibly useful for people with reduced grip or shaking fingers. They’re usually rubber fobs that can fit over the head of a key to make them easier to hold, allowing you to get indoors and out of the cold much quicker and easier. These winged key fobs are a great option.

3. Door Knob Turner

Door knob turners are another handy gadget that makes it easier to open doors. These usually take the form of an extended handle that fits over a door knob, so you simply pull the handle to get inside instead of turning the knob. There’s a choice of different options available at the Complete Care Shop.

4. Button Hook

Button hooks are another handy gadget for elderly people with a reduced grip or arthritic fingers. They simply slide into a buttonhole, allowing you to hook it over the button in one simple move. These little gadgets are very cheap and can also be useful for people with reduced eyesight. 

5. Zip Pull

Zip pulls usually take the form of a toggle attached to a small hook that can fit onto a zip, giving you an extra helping hand with getting dressed. Keep a stock of zip pulls by buying them in bulk – Essential Aids has a handy pack of 6.

6. Bra Fastening Aid

You can also get bra fastening aids that allow you to fasten your bra with just one hand. Gadgets like the Bra Angel Dressing Aid are designed to keep your bra steady while you fasten the clasp, which can be incredibly helpful if you have unsteady fingers.

7. E-reader

If you feel that your eyes are straining when you’re reading or you’re finding yourself struggling more when you hold a book, an e-reader could be just what you need. 

By downloading e-books onto a Kindle or Amazon Fire, you’ll be able to make the text a size that suits you, and you’ll benefit from the backlight, which can be much kinder to your eyes while you’re reading. 

Get a stand for your e-reader and you won’t even have to hold it with one hand – you’ll simply have to gently swipe the screen whenever you want to turn a page.

8. Screen Reader

Screen readers are another wonderfully handy gadget for elderly people, especially those with reduced eyesight. A screen reader can make it easier for you to cope with screen brightness and hard-to-read text, helping you to interpret important information more easily. The Dolphin Screen Reader is a great option that’s used by many people with visual impairments. 

9. Sock Aids

Sock and stocking aids work in a similar way to shoe horns, making it easier for you to put on your socks comfortably if you struggle with bending down. Sock aids are typically priced around £10-£15. This sock and stocking aid from Millercare is an affordable, easy-to-use option.

10. Long-Handled Aids

Investing in a long-handled hairbrush or shoe horn can make it easier for you to perform everyday tasks by yourself, helping you to remain independent for longer. Complete Care Shop stocks long-handled hairbrushes and long-handled shoe horns.

Assisted Living Gadgets For Elderly People

Assisted living gadgets can help to support independent living for longer, with examples including:

• Stairlifts
• Bath rails
• Shower rails
• Baths that open at the side
• Adjustable chairs that can move from a sitting position to standing
• Wearable or home alarms that can alert loved ones or carers to falls

However, there may come a time when independent living is no longer possible, and residential care is the best next step. At New Care, we can support your family with this transition, making the move to full-time care as seamless as possible.

Find a care home near you, or contact us if you have any questions about our care services – we’ll be more than happy to help.