12 Ideas For Senior Guests

When you’re celebrating the holidays at your home with out of town guests, having comfort aids for seniors can be even more meaningful than lavish decorations. Room by room, these additions can create a safe retreat and a more enjoyable stay for older relatives and family friends.

IN THE BATHROOM

Already the most dangerous room in the house, some simple bath safety products are great for preventing falls and making the bathroom more accessible. If the bathroom will be shared with others, look for comfort aids for seniors designed to fold up and be easily moved to the side for family members who don’t need to use them.

Shower Chairs & Bath Seats
Sitting in the tub or shower on a stool, bench or chair gives a sense of security to people who tire easily or feel unsteady on their feet. Options among these comfort aids for seniors range from a simple stool to models with a back, arms and cutouts for soap and a hand-held shower. Some include two legs that sit outside the tub, enabling the user to sit down on the outside edge and then swivel into the tub rather than stepping over the side. The deluxe bath bench from Drive Medical has a back, seat and legs that snap together easily. The aluminum frame is lightweight, durable and corrosion proof. And it comes in bright stylish colors like yellow and blue.

Hand-Held Showers
A hand-held showerhead is the perfect companion product to a shower seat, allowing the bather to direct the flow of water as needed. The Ergonomic Hand Held Shower Head By Guardian easily adapts to most existing shower arms and delivers a choice of standard or pulsating spray with an extra long 86" hose and a built-in water saver.

Raised Toilet Seats
One of the first mobility changes experienced by seniors is difficulty bending. A raised toilet seat makes it easier for seniors to sit down on and get up from the toilet. The raised toilet seat from Invacare provides 5.5” of added height in a comfortable, contoured composite seat that’s easy to clean.

Toilet Safety Frames
If balance is an issue, a toilet safety frame that wraps around your existing toilet offers support for getting up and down.  The toilet safety frame by Carex bolts securely to the toilet and is made of 1” anodized aluminum tubing with skid-resistant rubber tips. You can also get a raised toilet seat with arms that act as a safety frame to do both jobs.

Grab Bars
A permanent addition, these bars offer support when placed next to the toilet and shower or bath. The chrome plated grab bars from Lumex come in a variety of lengths and can be mounted vertically, horizontally or diagonally.

IN THE BEDROOM

Getting a good night’s sleep is important for seniors, and you can make sure your guest room is a safe haven.

Assist Rails
Seniors often need support getting in and out of bed with a support rail. The mobility rail by Stander includes two adjustable legs that extend to the floor for extra stability and an attached arm that provides support when standing up and moving to and away from the bed, plus it has an ergonomic rubber grip handle for comfort and support.

The Bed Rail Assist by Drive is an adjustable height home bed assist rail/handle that attaches to either side of the bed. It simply slides underneath the mattress and includes an added feature on the base bar: no-slip foam that helps hold the bar in place, plus legs that extend to the floor.

Mattress Cushioning
You don’t need to replace a guest room mattress if you can bolster its support with a mattress topper. The convoluted multi-zone 2” mattress overlay features a unique convoluted surface that supports the head and neck, torso, hips, legs and feet and distributes body weight evenly, reducing pressure.

Mattress Protection
Safeguard the integrity of your mattress with the zip and block anti-allergy mattress cover is constructed of a breathable, silky smooth microfiber fabric that offers completely undetectable protection against allergens, dust mites and bed bugs.

Waterproof bed pads protect against spills as well as any incontinence issues. You can choose from disposable or reusable pads that double up your mattress protection and, when placed over a bottom sheet, can limit the loads of laundry you’ll need to do. The SureCare Disposable Chux Underpad has embossed backing to make it stable for people who move around at night and a non-woven facing for greater comfort.

Bed Pillows and Foam Wedges
Supportive pillows make sleeping and sitting up in bed more comfortable. The dual position comfort wedge by Hermell Products is a uniquely designed foam wedge and pillow that supports and cradles the back, neck, shoulders and head. Use it horizontally as a bed wedge for sleeping to gently elevate the head for easier breathing. Use it in the upright position, vertically, to provide comfort and support while sitting.

DAILY LIVING AIDS

Put the “finishing touches” on your home with these much appreciated comfort aids for seniors.

Magnifying Lights
The lighted magnifying cordless go-anywhere lamp is the perfect magnifying light with 3X magnification and powerful 5X bifocal spot magnification. The large glass magnifying lens helps everyone see with ease and the bright white LEDs make for a long battery life (3 AA batteries not included).

Fun & Games
Having a deck of large face playing cards with high visibility markings lets those with a visual impairment get into the game. Add a clear plastic holder to make playing easier for those with stiffness in their hands.

Portable Tabletops
Another helpful innovation is a portable table with a support handle for getting on and off a sofa or an armchair.  The Assist-A-Tray is a stand that provides support plus a dual-pivoting tray that houses a cup holder and extended compartment, perfect for keeping handy items close by. Super grip feet ensure stability and protect the floor from damage. An overbed table is a similar design that keeps items in reach at bedside without having to lean over to reach a nightstand.