3 Hacks to Make Everyday Life Easier as a Senior

Certain everyday tasks and activities can become more challenging as we age. Painful chronic health conditions, cognitive decline, and limited mobility make it difficult for many seniors to complete household chores or run errands.

With over 14 million seniors living alone, independent older adults must overcome these daily obstacles. Thankfully, do-it-yourself (DIY) tricks can make life easier.

Use these three handy hacks to make your everyday life simpler and safer as an independent senior. 

1. Make Your Kitchen Easier to Navigate 

Some older adults may need help reaching items in their kitchen, especially if products are kept on high shelves or at the back of pantries. Seniors might also struggle to lift heavy loads or open jars and cans.

Get an extendable claw grabber to reach items in far-away places easily. This tool acts as an extension of your arm and can be used to snag bags, small boxes, plastic cups, and other kitchen staples.

Install a lazy Susan turntable in your shelf or pantry. Instead of keeping items stacked on top of each other, you can turn the lazy Susan to bring what you want to the front.

Keep rubber bands in a kitchen drawer to improve your grip on smooth, slippery items. Simply pop a rubber band on a cup or jar to make it easier to hold.

Drink with a straw? Add a straw clip or clothespin to keep it in place.

2. Manage and Organize Meds 

Many seniors take more than one type of daily medication. This makes managing meds difficult, especially for older adults with memory problems or dementia. Buy pill organizers to stay on top of all your medications. Pill organizers with seven labeled boxes for every day of the week work best. Every Sunday evening, add your daily meds to the organizer.

Keep the organizer in an area where it’s easy to see, like on your bathroom sink or the kitchen counter. Or, set a reminder on your phone to take your meds.

Need additional help? Visiting Angels’ Eagle, CO, caregivers, have you covered! Our caregivers can gently remind you to take your meds. They can also help you organize your pills. 

3. Cleaning Made Easy 

Another challenge many seniors face is their household chores. Kneeling to clean bathtubs, dusting high shelves, or maneuvering heavy vacuums can be difficult for older adults with chronic conditions.

A few quick cleaning hacks to try include:

• Use a duster with an extendable handle
• Keep your cleaning supplies in a rolling cart so you can easily bring them from room to room
• Use Press ‘N Seal wrap to keep crumbs and dust from collecting on fridge and pantry shelves
• Hiring an in-home caregiver to assist with housekeeping 

Visiting Angels Helps Make Life Easier 

Need a hand around the house? Visiting Angels’ caregivers can assist you with light housekeeping, medication management, personal care, meal planning and preparation, transportation, and more.

We’ll help make your life easier! To learn more, contact us today by calling 970-328-5526.