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Seniors Living Independently

  • 2024-09-30
  • Reading time: 9 min.
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Revolutionary Mobility Aid for Seniors Living Independently

The U.S. population is aging at an unprecedented rate. According to figures compiled by the U.S. Census Bureau, 56 million Americans are 65 and over, representing nearly 20% of the total population.1

Based on a 2021 AARP survey, roughly 8 in 10 seniors want to remain in their current homes for as long as possible.2This trend is driven by various factors, including emotional attachment to their homes, familiar surroundings, and a sense of independence and control over their lives.

While aging in place is an admirable goal, most older adults eventually require assistance to maintain their independence. Some turn to informal or professional caregivers to assist them around the home, while others rely on ms walking aids, arthritis assistive devices, aging in place products and other mobility aids designed for independent living for the elderly. Thankfully, newer innovations, including various products for elderly living alone, are now available that can help seniors living independently manage age-related challenges more effectively.

Seniors Living Independently Face these Challenges

While aging in place offers numerous benefits, seniors living independently often face age-related challenges that can disrupt their daily routine and interfere with their ability to perform essential tasks and activities. These challenges include:

  • Reduced Muscle Strength: Muscle mass naturally decreases with age, leading to reduced strength and mobility. These changes can impact daily activities, such as getting in and out of chairs, transporting groceries, and lifting household items, posing challenges for independent living senior individuals with mobility issues.
  • Balance Issues: Seniors living independently may experience balance and coordination issues due to age-related changes in the inner ear, eyes, and muscles. As a result, the risk of injurious falls increases, a factor that can have serious consequences for older adults.3
  • Chronic Health Conditions: Many seniors live with chronic conditions like arthritis, osteoporosis, and cardiovascular disease which can limit mobility and their ability to perform routine tasks, further emphasizing the need for support for seniors living independently.
  • Low Energy Levels: Feeling tired is a common sign of growing older. The human body requires 7 to 8 hours of restful sleep each day to properly recharge and repair itself. Many seniors don’t sleep like they should, further depleting their already low energy levels.4

As the average senior reaches their 70s and 80s, these age-related challenges become more pronounced, making it more difficult for them to maintain their independence and quality of life. For those living alone, mobility limitations can make it exceedingly harder to perform daily activities like cooking, doing laundry, or getting dressed, underlining the importance of safety for elderly living alone.

Many elderly individuals rely on assistive devices, including walkers and canes, to navigate their homes and perform normal, everyday activities. However, there is a growing demand for innovative devices for seniors living alone that offer greater independence and safety, enhancing assistance for elderly living at home.

VELA Chairs: Highly Mobile Assistive Devices for Seniors Living Alone

While traditional assistive devices like canes and walkers have their merits, they also come with limitations. Seniors with low energy, reduced muscle strength, or balance issues often struggle to perform their daily routines using a cane or walker because they are uncomfortable, hard to maneuver, and a trip-and-fall hazard.

Uniquely designed with independent living disability users in mind, including seniors who live alone, a VELA Independence Chair can be a real game-changer when used as a mobility device to complete normal, everyday tasks inside the home. This makes it an excellent example of products for elderly living alone, offering them a higher degree of independence.

For example, the VELA Chair’s four smooth-running wheels allow a user to push or “walk” themselves around while remaining seated, conserving precious energy and relieving stress off achy joints and weak muscles, making it an ideal solution for independent living senior users. A VELA Chair is also compact enough to be used in most living spaces, making it easy to transition from one room to another without worrying about damaging your furniture or door frames.

Once you’ve arrived at your destination, simply set the handbrake to lock the wheels securely in place. While safely supporting your body weight, the chair’s sturdy armrests can then be used to relieve tired arms while watching TV, reading a book, or conversing with houseguests, helping to facilitate independent living for the elderly.

A VELA Chair allows seniors living independently to confidently get around their homes with minimal effort, making it one of the best assistive devices for seniors living alone who struggle with age-related challenges that keep them from being self-reliant.

VELA Chairs: Ergonomic Mobility Products for Elderly Individuals Living Alone

When you’re elderly, living alone often requires the ability to find ways to keep your aging body comfortable throughout the day. Something as simple as sitting in a chair or walking from one room to another can be an excruciatingly painful experience when you have arthritis, peripheral vascular disease, or a neurodegenerative disorder.

A VELA Chair is designed with built-in ergonomic support, making it an uber-comfortable option for getting from Point A to Point B while seated. The chair’s foam-padded seat, armrests, and backrest conform to your body and gently hug its contours, providing optimal comfort and support in all the right places.

With a VELA Chair, you’ll be able to remain seated at the dinner table and interact with loved ones long after dessert is served. As a highly versatile and exceptionally comfortable mobility aid for elderly individuals living alone, a VELA Chair can easily double as a TV viewing chair, office chair with locking wheels, dining chair for elderly, and more, making it a standout among products for elderly living alone.

Sit-to-Stand Assistance for Elderly Users Living at Home

Age-related changes like diminished muscle strength, dizziness, and poor balance can make transitioning from a seated to standing position difficult and dangerous for many seniors. As a very reliable sit-to-stand aid, a VELA Chair is equipped with a state-of-the-art electric lift that can be used to raise and lower the seat at the touch of a button.

Using your VELA Chair to sit down or stand is as simple as 1, 2, 3:

First, lock the wheels using the sturdy handbrake.

Next, press the button to raise the seat, as this will elevate the chair and help you stand up.

Lastly, gently place your feet on the floor to regain your balance and rise to a standing position. Use the sturdy armrests to support your body, as needed.

In addition to supporting sit-to-stand transitions, the VELA Chair’s innovative electric lift feature allows you to perform various activities around the home without ever having to get up, making it an essential tool for those focusing on independent living senior lifestyles. For instance, you can lower the chair to unload the bottom dishwasher drawer or raise the chair to reach items on upper cabinet shelves. To ensure your safety and security, always confirm the wheels are properly locked before starting an activity.

Which mobility assistance chair from VELA is right for you? Try Our Chair finder here.

Enhanced Safety for Elderly Persons Living Alone

While traditional assistive devices like canes and walkers do provide some safety and stability while walking, they can be difficult to maneuver in tight spaces and unstable when sitting down, standing up, or reaching for items on higher surfaces – increasing one’s risk for an injurious fall.

As one of the best safety devices for seniors living alone, a VELA Chair will comfortably and securely support your body weight while standing, sitting, or reaching for items high and low. Once you’ve locked the wheels, the chair will not roll out from under you or tip over when you reposition your body.

Need to transfer from your VELA Chair to the couch, toilet, or bed? No problem. After setting the brake, simply lower the armrest and gently slide your body off the seat onto another surface. As one of the most innovative products for elderly individuals living alone, a VELA Chair helps users be self-reliant so they can live life to the fullest!

Are you ready to take back control of your daily routine with an all-in-one VELA Chair?

Discover the Innovation with Our VELA Chair Collection