A key component of life care planning is implementing technology that allows for the most independence, safety, and accessibility for a person in their home. Advancing technology is making it easier to control many aspects of a home from a smartphone, tablet, or with voice through products like Google Home or Alexa. In addition to smart devices, many assistive aides on the market don’t utilize technology.

New Mobility (2022) released an article listing “12 Products to Make Every Room in Your House More Accessible” those products include:

• Ecobee Smart Thermostat – a smart device that can adjust the temperature of a home with Alexa, a smartphone and is also a smart device that has remote sensors and will automatically adjust the temperature of a room
• Smart switches and plugs – many brands offer WIFI or Alexa enabled light switches, light bulbs and plugs
• Lutron Home System and Lighting – a completely wireless system that controls a home’s lights and blinds
• Smart garage door openers – making it easier to close a garage from a wheelchair using voice command or a smartphone
• Open Sesame – includes a remote that can be mounted to a wheelchair and allows a person to open their door without assistance
• T-Pull Door Closer – attaches to the center of any door and allows for an easy-to-grab “T” to help close a door from a wheelchair.
• Assisto Bathtub – accessible bathtub, ideal for transferring and has easy touch controls
• Sure Hands Ceiling Lifts – ceiling track lift options
• Modular Roll-In shower – come in five pieces and can be installed in one or two days, less expensive than a custom roll-in shower
• Side Door oven – downward opening ovens can be challenging to use in a wheelchair; an oven that opens to the side makes it easier to reach and use
• Pot Filler – a faucet placed directly above the stove to allow a pot to be filled on the stove instead of carrying it from the sink
• Active Hands Kitchen Pack – kitchen gadgets designed for cooks with limited hand function.

New Mobility (2022). 12 Products to Make Every Room in Your House More Accessible. Retrieved from https://newmobility.com/12-products-to-make-every-room-in-your-house-more-accessible/