Remaining Capable as We Age

As we get older, each of us experiences a gradual decline of physical strength, dexterity, flexibility and endurance. Many different things contribute to this natural process of aging. Some of these physical losses can cause difficulties in daily living.

Because everyone is different; no two people will age the same. Some may have hearing or vision loss while others may suffer from a decline in physical abilities.

Hearing loss is by far the most common disability among older people. As we age, we generally lose inner ear bone conductivity and nerve sensitivity. Many times, hearing ability, especially in the higher frequencies begins to decline gradually and background noises may interfere with our ability to hear a normal conversation. There are many hearing aids on the market today that can greatly improve the life of those with a hearing disability.

Older people have a higher rate of vision loss and blindness than any other age group. If you are 85 or older you may be among the one in 20 persons who are legally blind. After the age of 50 changes in vision accelerate and only increase in severity after the age of 65, one of which is Macular degeneration (Age-related macular degeneration, AMD) occuring on 2.1 percent of people in USA and affecting 14 percent of white Americans age 80 and older according to a statistic report in 2010.

AMD will not lead to complete blindness (details here), so for a aged peroson, there are many products and services available to enhance the lives of those suffering from vision loss. Some of these include mobility training, the use of CCTV's, hand-held and portable video magnifiers. There is another article indicating similar Low Vision Management for Elderly People.

Arthritis is one of the most common disabilities among older people. It can cause painful degeneration of the joints, and eventually severely restrict mobility. For persons with arthritis or other dexterity-limiting conditions; operating controls, buttons and switches are a challenge. While large button telephones, cell phones and remote controls have been on the market for some time, new technology is becoming more and more available.

One of the newest products to debut on the market is designed to help anyone who is visually impaired but also those who have dexterity limitations.

Zoomax is the first developer to present a device that offers both a high definition camera and a high definition screen, additionally, the newest hand-held portable video magnifier provides the first and only combined touch screen while keeping the tactile buttons. To learn more about this exciting new product click M5.