The use of technology in everyday life has made certain routines much easier. Instead of holding open a cookbook while preparing a meal, a smart speaker can read a recipe to you step-by-step. Your car can automatically alert emergency services if you crash. Your smartwatch notices if you’ve fallen and alerts EMTs.
All of that technology is also changing the field of occupational therapy. It’s making it easier, and more fun, for older adults who need to recover from a stroke or other major health issue, to hold onto skills as mental acuity and fine motor skills diminish with conditions like Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s.
Check out some of the technology that is shaping the advancements in occupational therapy. How many of these could improve your mom’s daily life?
Hearing Aids
Technology is making hearing aids better than they’ve ever been. Plus, they’re now available over-the-counter which is helping prices drop.
In addition to hearing aids, some phones help people with hearing loss hear the caller. There are also phones with captions that make it easier for your mom to read what the caller is saying if she’s struggling to distinguish what that caller is saying.
Video Games
Video games are a helpful tool when it comes to improving hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills. The range of video games is impressive, too. It’s unlikely that you won’t find a game that appeals to your mom.
Is she an Agatha Christie fan? There are hidden object games that involve finding small items in an image and moving the mouse to click on them. Sherlock Holmes games work on comprehension and puzzle-solving skills.
She might enjoy word games and online crosswords to help with word identification and word recall. Many puzzle-solving games require timing and spatial reasoning that can benefit someone who is working on regaining or retaining the skills needed to complete tasks like tying shoes, buttoning a shirt, or using a doorknob.
Virtual Assistants
With smart speakers around your mom’s home, a virtual assistant is a game changer. She can ask her assistant to turn on or off the lights when she enters or leaves a room. Her virtual assistant can play the music she asks it to play, find a TV show or movie on her TV, start a major appliance, or make a phone call.
Her assistant reminds her of her daily appointments. It can also read the news and play games with your mom. It can remind her to take her medications and adjust the temperature in her home with a spoken command.
Visual Aids
Technology is improving the lives of people with vision impairments. There are glasses that are helping color-blind individuals see colors again. There are glasses with built-in computers that can magnify small print, making it easier to read. Text-to-speech is ideal for someone who struggles to read.
When your mom needs to retain or regain skills needed for daily living, talk to her doctor about occupational therapy. She’ll work with a therapist to help her find ways to complete things on her own. That improves her outlook as she doesn’t have to wait for someone to be available to help her.
If you or someone you know needs occupational therapy in St. Cloud, MN, contact Adara Home Health. We provide quality and affordable home care services for many fragile or senior members in the communities we serve. Call us at (888) 660-5772 for more information.