Importance of Independent Daily Living Aids in Australia

1. Importance of Independent Daily Living Aids in Australia Nowadays, people will have a longer life expectancy than in previous generations. For example, the ageing population is ever increasing, along with life expectancy. 9% of the population in Australia was aged 65 years and over. This proportion has increased by 18% in the year 2018. It is estimated that the number of elderly in Australia will double by the year 2030. The longer life spans are generally considered desirable, particular when healthy years of life are increased. With an aging population and longer life expectancy come to an increasing prevalence of chronic diseases and conditions, such as cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, lower back pain, and heart problems, associated with aging in Australia that can considerably reduce the quality of life. Aging and disability are increasingly viewed as a national problem in Australia that requires effective, practical, and scalable solutions. Activities of Daily Living (ADL) for Seniors and Disable People with Limited Mobility Basically, there are six daily living activities for seniors and people with disabilities, which are dressing, bathing, eating, getting to and from the bathroom, transferring from bed to chair, and continence. These tasks and activities have been excluded, further expanded or classified depending upon the researcher. It is essential to understand that continence is no longer measured in ADL as it is seen as a function that can exist with or without a physical disability or aging. Independent Daily Living Aids Independent daily living aids are products specifically designed to aid seniors and people with disability to do their ADL in and around their home without any help or

2. assistance of others. It is important to understand that they might need little assistance to use daily living aids effectively. Walking frames, walking sticks, raised lavatory seat, wheelchairs, crutches, bathroom rails, commodes, bathroom rails, non-slip bath mats, hearing aids, bath boards, and bed hoists can be classified as independent daily living aids. There is an important relationship between mobility and quality of life of older people in Australia. It is believed that enhancement of mobility in older people or a person with disability is the key to improve their quality of life and in turn, assist them in living in their own home independently. Majority of seniors and disabled people in Australia prefer to stay independent and live at their home for as long as possible. Therefore, it is crucial to find out how to best accommodate and assist them in maintaining quality of life and independence as well as easing human resources. Independent daily living aids can play a significant role in supporting the independence of older people and disabled people with limited mobility. There is a wide range of healthcare &mobility products available. Some are relatively inexpensive and can be independently purchased from well-reputed online stores in Australia. Others independent daily living aids can be complex and expensive, and require personalized fitting and instruction. You should consider the condition of the individuals before purchasing daily living aid that improves the capacity of independent living in older people and people with disability. Mobility Devices According to recent research carried out in Australia, it was reported that the independent daily living aids that were most common among the elderly of 75 years of age and above in Australia was walking cane, walking frames, and wheelchairs.

3. Older people living in low care residential settings were found to be the most common users of mobility aids in Australia. According to the same research, it was reported that older people who maintained a good sense of balance, less fear of falling and suffered from less pain relied less on walking aid for mobility.