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Everyday routines

Everyday aids

Short guides to low-cost aids for reaching, dressing and other daily tasks. Compare the exact task, grip, size and storage before choosing a single item.

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A walnut dining table set for one with soup, a linen placemat and utensils with wide textured handles.

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EZPIK Classic Grabber, 40 in

For floor reach from a chair, folding

The 40 inch folding shaft reaches the floor from a chair without bending, then stows on a walker.
Check price on Amazon
Check first: Rated for 5 lb, so light items only; long tools need a steady grip.
Shortlisted

EZPIK Pro Grabber, 43 in

For seated reaching or taller users, magnetic tip

A long aluminum reacher whose magnetic tip rotates 90 degrees, suited to seated reaching or taller users.
Check price on Amazon
Check first: Rated for 5 lb, and 43 inches is longer than many people need indoors.

Affiliate links: we may earn a commission from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you. Prices are shown only on Amazon. Amazon.com (US listing). See the full comparison →

Continue with a useful guide

A walnut dining table set for one with soup, a linen placemat and utensils with wide textured handles.

Everyday aids

Adaptive utensils guide: easier-grip cutlery for weak or shaky hands

What adaptive utensils change, how wide, bendable, lightweight and weighted handles differ, how two sets compare, and how to set up the table so meals take less effort.

A small smart display with a softly glowing clock on a walnut bedside table beside a bronze lamp.

Everyday aids

Alexa for seniors: setting up an Echo Show for an older adult

What an Echo Show can and cannot do for an older adult living alone, how to set it up for them, and the privacy and screen-size checks to make first.

A sitting room with an ivory armchair and a cream corded telephone with oversized keys on a walnut table.

Everyday aids

Phone for elderly users: choosing a big button phone

How to choose a phone for an elderly relative: when a big button home phone makes more sense than a cell phone, what to check on buttons, display and ringer, and when hearing advice comes first.

A living room with an ivory armchair and a small white wireless call button on a walnut side table.

Everyday aids

Caregiver pager: choosing a wireless call button for the home

A caregiver pager is a wireless call button and a plug-in receiver that lets someone call for help from another room. This guide covers range, volume, pack contents and what a pager cannot do.

Folded dark knee-high compression stockings and a tape measure on a walnut bench by a made bed.

Everyday aids

Compression socks for women and men: pressure, size and fit

How to choose compression socks by pressure level, measured size, length and daily care, and when the pressure choice belongs with a clinician.

A large digital day clock with a softly glowing screen on a walnut table beside an ivory armchair.

Everyday aids

Digital calendar clock: choosing a day clock for the elderly

A digital calendar clock spells out the day, date and part of the day in large words. This guide covers what to check on the display, power and placement, and when to ask an occupational therapist.

A dark digital picture frame showing a soft landscape on a walnut side table beside an ivory armchair.

Everyday aids

Digital photo frame for grandparents: what to check before gifting

A Wi-Fi digital photo frame lets family send new photos to a grandparent's home without them touching a setting. This guide covers Wi-Fi, setup, screen size, placement and privacy.

A walnut dresser with a folded shirt, an ivory cardigan and a wire-loop button hook on top.

Everyday aids

Button hook dressing aid: buttons and zippers made easier

How a button hook works, who it helps, what to check in the handle and loop, and how two Vive button hooks compare. Also covers other dressing aids for elderly adults and simple clothing changes.

A recovery corner with a recliner, a walnut table holding water, a book and a call button, and a grabber.

Everyday aids

Gifts for someone after surgery: practical help for recovery at home

Practical gifts for someone after surgery that make the first weeks at home easier, with three items compared and the checks to make with their care team first.

A gift wrapped in ivory paper with a bronze ribbon on a walnut side table beside a reading chair.

Everyday aids

Gifts for grandparents and elderly parents that get used every day

How to choose practical gifts for grandparents and elderly parents, built around what they find harder now, with three everyday gifts compared on maker-published facts.

A folding reacher grabber against an ivory armchair with a dropped newspaper on the rug.

Everyday aids

Grabber tool guide: choosing a reacher grabber for home

How to choose a grabber tool for picking up light items without bending or climbing: length, claw and tip features, lifting limits, folding, and where a reacher does not help.

A stone kitchen counter with glass jars, a walnut board and a handheld jar opener on a non-slip pad.

Everyday aids

Jar opener for arthritis: grip, under-cabinet or electric?

How handheld, under-cabinet and electric jar openers differ in hand effort, how to measure your lids for fit, the OXO base-pad opener in detail and a step-by-step way to open a stuck lid with less force.

A sunlit entryway with a long dark shoe horn against a walnut bench and leather shoes on a mat.

Everyday aids

Long shoe horn: how long it should be and how to choose one

How to choose a long shoe horn that lets you put on shoes with little bending: length for your height and seat, stiffness, handle and hook, plus how to use one safely.

A reading corner with an ivory chair and a lighted page magnifier on an open book on a walnut table.

Everyday aids

Magnifying glass with light: choosing a lighted reading magnifier

How to choose a magnifying glass with light for reading: lens strength and size, handheld or stand, light and battery, a two-minute fit check at home, and when to see an eye care professional.

A stone bathroom counter with a hinged pill cutter, a glass of water and a closed weekly pill organizer.

Everyday aids

Pill cutter guide: splitting tablets safely and evenly

Which tablets can be split, what to look for in a pill cutter, how two Apothecary Products cutters compare, a step-by-step splitting method and fixes for uneven halves.

A walnut chair beside a bed with a flexible sock aid and its two cords laid out on the rug.

Everyday aids

Sock aid: how to use one to put on socks without bending

What a sock aid is, who it helps, how to use one step by step, and what to check before buying: shell flexibility, opening width, cord length and handle grip.

An ivory armchair facing a TV on a walnut console, over-ear headphones resting on its armrest.

Everyday aids

TV headphones for seniors: choosing a wireless set

Wireless TV headphones let one person set their own volume while others listen normally. This guide covers TV connections, comfort, battery and balance controls, and when to see an audiologist.

A sunlit wooden staircase with a slim dark stair tread on each step, an older adult climbing with one hand on the walnut rail.

Everyday aids

Stair treads for older adults: grip, visible edges and a secure fit

How grit tape, rubber treads and carpet stair treads differ, what to check on your stairs first, how three 3M Safety-Walk options compare, and how to fit them so they stay put.

A living room corner with a walnut armchair, a white foot spa of warm water on a folded towel and wool socks nearby.

Everyday aids

Foot spa guide: a warm, safe foot bath for tired feet at home

What a foot spa does, who should check with a doctor or podiatrist first, how a simple bubble foot spa and a heated foot bath with attachments compare, and how to set one up safely beside a chair.

Two older adults play cards at a walnut table by a window, their cards standing upright in wooden card holders beside cups of tea.

Everyday aids

Playing card holder guide: keep the game going when hands tire

How a playing card holder takes the grip out of card games, how standard and extra-wide wooden racks differ, how to match one to your games and table, and when an occupational therapist can help.

An older man at a walnut kitchen table with a small round pill crusher, a teaspoon, a bowl of applesauce and a glass of water.

Everyday aids

Pill crusher guide: which tablets can be crushed, and how to do it

How a pill crusher helps someone who struggles to swallow tablets, the questions to ask the pharmacist before crushing anything, what to check in a crusher, and how two simple Ezy Dose models compare.

An older woman at a walnut kitchen table holds a cup of tea beside a covered pill dispenser, a pharmacy bag and a handwritten list.

Everyday aids

Automatic pill dispenser guide: alarms, locks and who fills it

How an automatic pill dispenser works, which medicines a pharmacist may keep in their own pack, what to check before buying, and how a locked dispenser compares with a simple alarm pillbox or weekly organizer.

An older adult seen from behind types on a large-print keyboard with oversized yellow keys at a walnut desk by a sunlit window.

Everyday aids

Large print keyboard guide: easier typing for tired or low vision eyes

How a large print keyboard helps when the letters on the keys are hard to read, how large letters, large keys, colours and backlighting differ, why the country layout matters, and when to see an eye care professional.

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