Technology can pick up where the body leaves off.
There is an abundance of devices and gadgets a senior citizen can harness to accommodate their aging process while helping maintain control of their lives.
Often the problem is finding what items exist and how to obtain them. But obtaining that information very likely could be as simple as a toll-free call to the Illinois Assistive Technology Project: 800-852-5110.
“We tell people that if they think there might be something to help them do something–if they find themselves saying. `Gosh, I wish there was something to let me do this easier’–it probably exists,” said Wilhelmina Gunther, the agency’s executive director.
“And if it does exist, we can find it.”
Searching for Med-Time
By the time Sherry Parks of Sandwich called Assistive Technology, she had been riding the frustration train for days.
“I was looking for a particular machine I knew about called Med-Time,” Parks said.
The machine timed the dispersal of up to a month’s worth of pills by correct dosage. Parks thought it would be perfect for a 79-year-old relative. Unfortunately, the model she saw was marked only with a name and serial number.
Parks started her quest with the social worker at the police department where she works. That led to the first in a chain of fruitless phone calls.
Along the way she talked to people who thought the machine sounded like a fine product but had no clue how to obtain one.
The right number
Finally, she got the number for Assistive Technology and spoke to Sherry Edwards, director of information and assistance.
“She said to me, `It sounds like a great machine. I don’t know where to find it, but I will find out and get back to you,'” Parks said. “Well, she called me back within the hour with the information.
“I have to tell you, that made me feel kind of amazed because I had been working for days making all those phone calls trying to find it.”
Parks called the manufacturer and was able to order the machine; she received it within three days.
This is the 12th year the federally funded not-for-profit agency has been providing its services.
The agency’s basic function is to match adaptive technology with those who need it, from children on up. This tip-of-the-technology iceberg, located in Springfield serves all of Illinois.
Many of the most popular devices are displayed at the agency so that people and other agencies can get a firsthand look at them.
“We promote people trying out a device first so they will know what they are buying,” Gunther said.
Here are some of the popular items currently on display:
– A closed-circuit television unit will magnify a document and then display it on a television monitor.
“We also have portable versions that you can take when you travel and hook them up to a television in a hotel room or a relative’s house,” Gunther said.
– A seat-lift cushion that uses pneumatic arms to assist a person going from a seated to standing position.
– A group of alert items, such as flashing lights, that let people with hearing problems know someone is calling on the phone or ringing the doorbell.
– Specially configured kitchen utensils that are easier to grip by those with arthritis and similar limitations.
– A talking microwave oven. “These speak out what your buttons are,” Gunther explained. “They were designed for blind individuals, but they certainly can be beneficial to seniors who are losing their sight.”
Some items also are available for loan — and that does not necessarily mean a trip to the Assistive Technology office.
“If somebody calls and says they have a child with a disability and they want to try some adaptive toys and switches to see what kind of movement and action they can get from that child, we’ll pack them up and ship them off,” Gunther said.
The loan period currently is two weeks.
Road trips
The staff also goes on the road, often to senior-citizen centers or organizations.
“We take our little toys and goodies with us and do exhibits and workshops,” Gunther said.
Sometimes, they advise, the solution is new perspective, not technology.
“The answer doesn’t always have to be high tech. There are a lot of common-sense approaches to helping seniors remain independent,” Gunther said.
“For instance, if lifting a gallon of milk is getting difficult, we can recommend handles that make it easier. But maybe, instead of buying a gallon of milk, it might work out better to buy two half-gallons.
“And as for climbing up on a step stool to reach an upper shelf, perhaps it is time to switch everything down to the lower shelves and forget the upper shelves.”
For those unwilling to say goodbye to using upper shelves, a “reacher”–basically an arm extension with a a gripping mechanism–can be purchased for around $15, Gunther said.
Still, one of the biggest barriers to linking seniors to useful technology can be their attitude.
“Seniors typically don’t want to view themselves as individuals with disabilities,” Gunther said.
“They view themselves as older Americans — and that’s fine — I support that wholeheartedly.
“But the thing is that the technology is universal — it doesn’t matter if you’re an older American or a person with a disability.
“If there’s an item out there that’s going to help you do something easier, why not take advantage of it?”
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For more information on the Illinois Assistive Technology Project, call 800-852-5110. The Web site is www.iltech.org; it provides information on adaptive technology devices as well as a list of the items available for inspection and loan. The Assistive Technology Demonstration and Loan Center is at 1 W. Old State Capitol Plaza, Suite 100, Springfield, IL 62701.
The Med-Time automatic medication dispenser may be viewed and ordered through Epill.com (among other vendors), at its Web site epill.com or by phoning 800-549-0095. The $249.50 price includes shipping.
