Whether you manage a hospital or care home in Ireland or you’re caring for a loved one at home, mobility aids for the elderly are essential for empowerment, providing a sense of independence, and increasing safety by reducing the risks of falling.
Every individual has different mobility needs, so there is never a one-size-fits-all solution and instead, it’s best to consider the choices available, such as scooters, wheelchairs, hoists, and other mobility aids from an established, reliable supplier such as O’Flynn Medical.
Mobility Scooters for Seniors
Portability is essential for the elderly and individuals with impaired mobility, especially for making journeys to the supermarket or to get fresh air outdoors. One of the most convenient methods of travelling moderate distances away from home or a care home is with a mobility scooter.
Portable scooters for seniors such as our Sterling S425 Scooter can reach speeds of 8mph, boasts a powerful 55Ah battery, and is fully road-legal, allowing seniors to zip around town and take care of errands. Not only is this obviously beneficial for practical reasons, but it’s also ideal for giving them greater independence.
Small mobility scooters such as our Sterling Sapphire 2 are amongst our lightest and most manoeuvrable scooters, offering the bare essentials compared to other transport chairs for the elderly. The scooter comes apart in 4 separate parts, can reach a maximum range of around 19 miles, and travels at a maximum velocity of 4mph.
Wheelchairs for Elderly
Encourage patients or loved ones to open up their world with the convenience of one of our many wheelchairs for the elderly. O’Flynn Medical has many different types of wheelchairs ranging from mobility chairs for seniors to electric chairs for seniors that are suitable for indoor and outdoor use, such as within a care home or hospital, private home, or along pavement and wheelchair-accessible ramps.
When shopping for a wheelchair for the elderly, it’s important to consider the specific needs of the individual that will be using it as well as the individual pushing it in transit. Both the handles as well as the seat should be reasonably comfortable and ergonomic, while the frame should be sturdy, safe, and capable of tight manoeuvres, particularly when needed in confined spaces or to navigate through tight corridors, for example.
Our Bariatric Eclips+ Wheelchair is a durable, lightweight wheelchair built of aluminium and featuring a strong fixed back and reinforced crossbar. This wheelchair is great for fast transport within a facility and/or outdoors thanks to its secure, quick-release rear wheels.
Likewise, the 708 Delight Self-Propelled Wheelchair is another fantastic mobility aid for the elderly thanks to its quick-release wheels, sturdy aluminium frame, and tight manoeuvrability perfect for hospitals and care homes as well as private homes. This particular model is built for optimal comfort thanks to its soft padding and foldable, ergonomic armrests.
Hoists for Elderly
Individuals with severe mobility constraints can be a challenge to safely transfer from one location to another, such as to or from a wheelchair, chair, bed, or shower commodes. Not only are mobility aids for elderly individuals essential for these transfer movements for their own safety, but they’re also essential for relieving the challenges that caregivers may face in assisting these individuals with these movements.
Hoists for the elderly are extremely reliable means of transferring patients or loved ones from one location to another since they do all of the heavy lifting by raising/lowering the individual to/from the desired location.
There are many exceptionally reliable person hoists available for hospitals and care homes as well as hoists for the elderly at home, so it’s worth the time to shop around for a person hoist that has the appropriate dimensions and weight capacities for the specific needs of your patient(s).
Our Invacare Birdie Evo greatly enhances patient safety and makes the task of transferring patients much easier on caregivers as it takes on the physically demanding task of raising/lowering the individual to/from their bed, commode, raised toilet seat, or wheelchair, for example. This model has a 180kg weight limit and 0.415m – 1.66m lifting range, making it a great all-around pick for private homes and care homes in Ireland.
Additional Mobility Aids
Perhaps the above mobility devices for the elderly are the first that come to mind, but there are plenty of other mobility aids that can greatly improve their ability to perform simple tasks and feel more independent.
Depending on the needs of the individual patient, a simple implement might be all that’s necessary to enhance their quality of life. When a wheelchair or mobility scooter isn’t absolutely necessary and the patient can still walk about freely, walking sticks can provide support. Our walking sticks are adjustable and built from sturdy aluminium whilst adding stability on all sorts of common surfaces.
Sometimes, movements that require awkward stretching or transferring from a seated position to a standing position can put strain on elderly patients or even pose a risk of falling. A simple reaching aid can be a convenient means of grabbing mail, housekeys, the television remote, and all other sorts of objects around the home with ease.
One last mobility aid that’s important to mention is outfitting your healthcare facility or home with grab rails. Simple rails placed strategically in places such as the bathroom and shower stall, along corridors, near steps, or other places where hazards of tripping, slipping, and falling may be present can greatly enhance safety and provide a place to rest temporarily.
How to Hire Mobility Aids
O’Flynn Medical has a wide range of products available for purchase, such as hospital beds for sale and all of the aforementioned mobility devices for seniors. For some products, the cost of purchase might simply not be justified depending on the needs of the individual, e.g. temporary stays.
For this reason, O’Flynn Medical has equipment hire solutions that can offer great value for the temporary use of medical-grade equipment. Our hospital bed rentals, for example, are a great option for seniors travelling around Ireland, trying out a product before deciding which to purchase, and to get high-quality equipment delivered to your location quickly.
Choose O’Flynn Medical for Mobility Aids for Seniors and More
Impaired mobility affects everyone differently, but everyone equally deserves to be able to move around freely and safely. Since one patient’s needs may differ drastically from another’s, the type of mobility aids that may be appropriate for one may not suffice for another.
It’s always worth shopping around for mobility devices for seniors that provide them with the maximum amount of comfort, security, and mobility, catered to their unique needs. Why not contact O’Flynn Medical today to learn more about our mobility devices for seniors and our other medical products for sale and rental in Ireland?