My Cousin Kathie died at age 99. Her last few years were harder for her physically because she could not see well, could not raise her arms and she kept losing her grip on items.
Kathie’s caregiver tried to keep her daily life as normal as possible. Four simple changes made life easier for Kathie and her caregiver.[1]
- Color-code keys by painting them a different color. Use nail polish or acrylic paint. It is then easy to remember which key is for the garage and which is for the back door.
- If it is hard to hold on to a knife, fork, spoon or toothbrush, slip a sponge roller on the handle. Remember the pink sponge rollers the girls wore in their hair during the 50s and 60s? Buy some of those to help with gripping small handles.
- Kathie could no longer reach the bar to hang items in her closet. The caregiver just left empty hangers in the closet, and hung Kathie’s blouses and slacks on the corner of each hanger, bringing them down to an easy reach.
- The carpet next to Kathie’s chair was stained with spilled ice tea and coffee. An easy solution was to place about 4 rubber bands around the glass or cup, which allowed Kathie to have a firm grip.
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[1] “Caregiving Tips,” AARP Bulletin, November 2016, page 44.