There have been numerous newspaper articles on how the soaring gas prices are affecting the cost of living. This directly impacts our indigent groups such as senior citizens that live on limited income and are disabled. Seniors need to be creative with budgeting and come up with low cost daily living aids. I recently attended the conference “Aging Concerns Unite Us” in which I participated in a workshop on lifestyle adaptations that promote independence for senior citizens. The speaker was Eleanor Murray an occupational therapist for Clinton County Health Department. I will share with you some tips that can be useful for seniors that are experiencing problems with mobility. She spoke of different ways that space in the home can be modified.

For the kitchen area, make sure that your work space is close to the refrigerator and counters are close to the refrigerator. You can open drawers and put trays or cookies sheets to lower your work space to decrease the amount of time spent standing and do your food prep while sitting. Cooking meals in the microwave or using appliances such as an electric skillet or electric grill can reduce your risk of falling.

The bathroom can be made safer by purchasing a low cost, raised toilet seat. You can install grab bars where needed to help you get in and out of the tub. A shower chair can help also to decrease the time you are standing and is safer if have bouts of vertigo(dizziness) or if you have an unsteady gait. The use of a hand held shower head that has an on/off switch is helpful also.

The Living room: If you have limited mobility and spend most of your time in the living room, it is a good idea to set it up like a dorm room. You can have a small refrigerator for beverages or snacks and a small microwave that is within your reach. Another useful item is called a “reacher” that can be used to grab things that are on the floor or on high shelves.

Clothing: Purchase clothing that is easy to put on and take off such as elastic waist slacks and polo shirts. Women can use a housecoat or comfortable dress. You can purchase a sock/ stocking aid to help you put socks on.

These are just a few tips on how to make simple modifications that seniors can implement. It is important to seniors to remain independent in their own home. For additional resources on how to remain independent and to find some of the items I mentioned in this article you can also go to our website: http://www.rochestercdr.org/Resources.php