Life as a fifty-something woman has been full of surprises so far. I’m very much still coming into my own as both a person and business owner, and there are still a lot of things I want to achieve before I could even think about retiring!
But on the other hand, there’s no denying that my worsening eyesight and mildly arthritic hands are signs that my body isn’t as resilient as it once was. Getting older can make things more complicated, but there are plenty of ways to make things easier on ourselves!
And today’s post will help do just that, because I’ll be sharing 13 simple tips, products, and ideas that can help make like easier for those of us “older adults.” And if you have any of your own tips to contribute that aren’t listed here, please share them with the rest of us in a comment at the end of this post! :-)
Related: 7 Useful Products For People Who Are Always Losing Things
13 Things That Make Life Easier For Older Adults (50+)
1. Pillboxes
Using a good old-fashioned pillbox is an easy way to keep your medications organized. Many people like the simplicity of a weekly organizer with seven compartments, but that’s not your only option!
If you rely on your iPhone to keep yourself organized, check out the Pillboxie app for iOS. This digital pill organizer can send you personalized notifications when it’s time to take your meds, and it’s packed with useful features to help you manage and track your medications.
Related: 7 MORE Useful Things That Will Make Life Easier For Older Adults
2. Button Hook
Stiff hands and fingers can turn the simple act of getting dressed into a painful ordeal. If you could use a little assistance, check out this handy and affordable button hook tool!
Just slide the hook through your buttonhole and secure it over your button, then pull to slide the button through the buttonhole. The other end also has a useful hook you can use to pull zippers closed!
Related: Getting Older? These 7 Brilliant Tips Will Make It Easier
3. Microfiber Cleaning Slippers
Sweeping and mopping can cause anyone to break a sweat, but they can aggravate back pain in older adults. To help keep your hard floors clean longer, invest in a set of microfiber cleaning slippers!
While it might seem a bit silly, the microfiber “fingers” on the soles of these slippers will pick up dust, dirt, and hair as you go about your normal daily activities. Just toss them in the washer to clean them up, and your floors will stay cleaner with no extra effort on your part!
4. Key Finder
Sick of losing your car keys (and the accompanying panic that you’re slowly losing your mind?) Well, the good news is that “key finder” key rings are currently more affordable than ever!
Attach a key finder like this one to your car keys and download the associated smartphone app. From the app, you can ring the key finder or see where they are on a map to track down your keys in seconds!
More Ideas You'll Love
5. Rug Tape
I swear, the older I get, the more it feels like everything is a tripping hazard! The rugs in our living room were the worst culprits, at least until I installed some of this rug tape under the corners.
Thanks to this easy and inexpensive fix, the corners of our rugs now stay firmly in place at all times. No more tripping!
6. Large Print Keyboard
While almost everyone’s eyesight starts to suffer in their 50s, it rarely happens in the same way or at the same rate. And computer and smartphone screens can make seeing things even more difficult!
Luckily, there are all sorts of useful accessories out there that can make life easier for the visually impaired. For example, if your computer keyboard is giving you trouble, consider upgrading to this large print keyboard!
7. Jar Opener
Realizing you can’t open a jar on your own can be a very disheartening experience. If you frequently struggle with jars, consider investing in an easy-grip jar opener like this one.
You can use it for jars and lids of all sizes and makes it so much easier to pry open a stubborn jar lid. (Don’t want to buy another gadget? A rubber glove works pretty well for opening stubborn lids too!)
8. Bathtub Cleaning Hack
If you’re only armed with a scrub brush, cleaning a bathtub can require a lot of bending, kneeling, and reaching to get the job done. But I recently uncovered a brilliantly simple bathtub cleaning trick that can help you scrub your bathtub much more easily!
All you have to do is use a clean broom instead of a scrub brush to clean your tub. The long handle will allow you to scrub all the nooks and crannies with much less effort!
9. Alexa
Digital assistants like Alexa can be a huge help for older adults. From reminders about appointments to playing their favorite songs, Alexa can help older adults feel more self-sufficient!
Learn about 7 specific ways that Alexa can improve the lives of seniors by reading my Alexa blog post here.
More Ideas You'll Love
10. Neck Exercises
Aging involves a lot of change, but not all of the changes are easy to cope with. For me personally, I’ve had a particularly hard time coping with the way the skin on my neck has changed over time.
So I decided to write a post about it, and through my research, I learned about all sorts of tricks and tips that can keep your neck looking more youthful over time.
11. Smartphone Magnifier
Have trouble making out some tiny fine print, but you don’t have your reading glasses handy? Use your smartphone’s magnifier feature, which turns your phone’s camera into a magnifying glass.
- On iPhone, go to Settings > Accessibility, then tap Magnifier and turn it on. Once you have enabled Magnifier, you can add it to your Control Center for easy access.
- For Android phones, go to Settings > Accessibility > Magnification, then choose either Magnify with a triple-tap or Magnify with a shortcut.
12. Smarter Parking
And your smartphone’s camera can do much more than just magnify small print. Use your camera to take a picture of anything you might want to remember down the line, such as where you parked the car in a big parking structure.
When it’s time to return to your car, you can check the picture you took to find your car easily. It’s much easier than trying to remember it off the top of your head, for older adults and young folks alike!
13. Color Coded Keys
If all your keys look the same, it can be hard to figure out which one is which without trying them all. To save yourself time, use different nail polishes to color code the ends of your keys!
Use any color coding system that will help you remember which key is which. For instance, if your front door is painted yellow like mine, you could use yellow nail polish to identify your front door key!
If you’re in the 50+ crowd, share your tips and tricks with us in a comment below!
Yoga. 10 minutes a day! I’m amazed and delighted by the increase in flexibility and decreased pain. I found this on my 64th birthday and haven’t missed a day in over a year. (It’s free, online, and perfect for beginners: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NeEMs38YaBY.)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I love your Blog as do my sisters! We were recently talking about just these issues. Getting older ain’t for sissies! It would be great if you could do a post ref age related mobility issues. Having [more than my share of] arthritis I have much difficulty washing my lower legs, shaving and cleaning my feet as well as trimming toenails, etc. I tried using a back cleaning brush to clean my feet, but the bristles are way too soft. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.They sell a brush with a long handle on HSN. It comes with 2 loofahs,a bristle like brush and a pumice stone attachment.It’s battery operated and spins fast or slow. Great for the shower, for any age!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Awww! Thank you, Sylvia. :-) I am so glad that you and your sisters love my blog. Here is a great foot brush on Amazon.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Miracle Foot Brush with Pumice Stone
I type up a list of all the medications I take, including amount and how often they’re taken. I run them off on the copy machine and keep several in my wallet (they are small). Should anything happen to me, my husband knows where the list is. Also, when I get to the doctor’s office, I just pull one out and give it to them, so I don’t have to write them all on an application. It also helps the nurse immeasurably if she is entering your medications on a tablet. I also put the supplements I take on the back side. You can laminate the list.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I invariably leave paper shopping and to-do lists at home or end up leaving it in the car, so paper lists do not work for me. I tried Notes and Mirosoft OneNote, but did not care for them. Telling Siri to add to my list was a pain in the neck. I use Word every day and am very comfortable in it, so I decided to try that. I keep a running grocery list in a document. I list the stores I plan to go to and what I need below the store name. I add to it as I think of something else I need. Before I leave, I use my iPhone to snap a photo of my list. This method works extremely well for me. The trick is to find what works best for you.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.You should try “Our Groceries”. It’s one of the best apps I use. You can list different stores. I use one for “to do”, Christmas ideas. You can also list recipes with the ingredients so you know what to buy for each recipe. You’ll love it!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I forgot to add I can tell Alexa to “tell Our Groceries to add milk” & it will automatically add it to my grocery list. Also this app syncs with my husband’s phone & all my devices. When my husband goes to the store he can always see my lists
With regard to freezing things, I have a Foodsaver by Tilia (in fact I have the very first model they ever came out with in the 80s I believe – I swear by this product).. most of their models have jar attachments that you can fit to any wide mouth mason jar. So I’ll buy a gallon of milk and split it into 5 or 6 pint and a half size jars – then I take one out to thaw every other week or so – I rarely use it for anything else but drinking and of course, dunking cookies in
Please log in or create a free account to comment.To those not familiar with a Foodsaver it’s a vacuum packer. Because it draws the air out, I have cooked chicken, pork chops, etc. in my freezer that are 3-4 years old and taste as fresh as the day I cooked them. I think there must be a zillion uses for a Foodsaver. Maybe you and I could devote a video for its
usage, Jillee.
Just a note to say that if you need a button hook, you can make one yourself with a large size wire paper clip. Just bend away the smaller “hook” from the larger “hook” so that they are in line. You can then use either end as the hook to grab the button and pull it through the button hole. :)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.As a Physical Therapy Assistant the microfiber cleaning slippers concern me. I love your tips, am a member and read your blog daily, but these are a fall waiting to happen. Anyone with any balance problems at all could go down very easily in these. I have seen to many broken hips to not comment. Sorry to be a wet blanket!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I use a “Jarkey” to break the vacuum on sealed glass jars. They make opening them really easy. I’ve been using one for years and used to give them as gifts to elderly clients before I myself qualified for the “eldery” label. You can buy them on Amazon but as I don’t live in the USA can’t recommend any other outlet.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51hvhYTecCL._AC_UL160_.jpg
Thanks for sharing this Eve! :-)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.This jarkey really works! It’s been a lifesaver.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.You can also use a cheap metal “church key” type opener you can find at any grocery store. This is pointed on one end for puncturing can tops and the other is blunt for opening bottle caps. Turn upside down and slide the pointed end under the jar lid in a few places to pop the seal. If the lid is slim enough, the bottle opener end may work, gently pry up the lid in a few places to break the seal.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I use a note app on my phone for lists of all kinds, especially my grocery list. I never forget my shopping list this way, since I always have my phone with me. While shopping, I delete each item as I put it in my cart (buggy), so I can readily see which items I have left to buy.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I use an app on my phone called Shopping List. You can create lists for different stores, and when you add items you can also put them in categories (like produce, frozen foods, etc.) if you want. Once in the store, you can also add the quantity and price of the item, and there is a check box to keep track of what you’ve put in your cart and what you still need to get. I usually don’t delete the items, I just reorganize the list alphabetically when I’m done shopping. When I need an item again, I grab it and put it at the top of the list, and it is there with the previous price, so I always know if the price has gone up or down from the last time I bought it. I have lists for several different stores, both grocery and non-grocery, so I always have my lists with me when I go out and don’t have to search for scraps of paper in my purse or remember the list in my head!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I button all but the top 2 or 3 buttons on a shirt the first time I get a new shirt and leave them buttoned. It makes it easier to put on and launder.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.What a great idea! I’m going to do this. Thanks for the tip
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I take a picture of all my medicine bottles so I have the name of the med. the dose and how often to take it. This has helped when I have had to go to Urgent Care or ER. I was able to give them my meds and spell them correctly with right doses.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I also use an app. called ColorNote on my Smart Phone. It is a list that you can write out and it has several colors you can choose. I have my grocery list, Christmas List, Questions for Dr. All Birthdays, Things to Do and many more.
You just Backspace to erase. You can save as many list as you want.
I also take meds twice a day. I go to bed late and take my meds about 1 am so I take my other dose at 1pm. I set my phone alarm for 1pm so I don’t forget.
I love ColorNote, they even have a lock feature so you can store your passwords.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.For folks that aren’t tech savvy and can’t find the magnifier on your phone, there is another option. Simply use your phones camera to take a picture, bring the picture up to look at it and zoom in for the details!
These posts are all good but I’m not ready to admit I’m getting older!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.The phone magnifier will come in handy. Thanks!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I purchased a back lit keyboard for my desktop, less than $20. It has red, blue or purple light, or no light. Scroll thru with a touch of a key, stop when you get to the color you want. When I ordered it, I thought wow, purple would be nice….but I’ve found red is much better. I guess there is a reason red is used for dark areas like submarines etc. :-)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Finding your car? I found an app that I’ve been using called Car Finder on my Iphone, works great to find my car in a crowded parking area!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.If they can be trusted with pills and have a lot of them, get a white plastic devil egg plate. Label with a permanent marker the name of the pill and then load it up. Then there is no second guessing, “Did I take that morning pill or not.” An easy mistake to make as every day is the same. You may also want to take the pill bottles out of reach.
If they can’t be trusted with pills, Amazon sells pill containers where each opening has a timed open time. Some can be set up for a week.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Find your car by using the panic button on your fob. You can increase the range by putting the fob on your chin.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Jillee, this post was fantastic. I downloaded a magnifier app (which I didn’t even know existed) to my android phone and ordered the button hook tool from Amazon. While there, I found a 360 degree nail clipper that will be a game changer for me.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Another help to open lids is to wrap a rubber band around the sides of the lid/cap.
I think purchasing a keyboard that has larger keys is good if it is wireless. If it’s USB connected, it’s still difficult to ‘plug it in’ . So think of that before purchasing one of these keyboards.
In general, I liked the tips and feel some will be useful. Thank you.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.To make it easier getting out of a vehicle sit on a plastic bag. When it is time to “exit”just spin like you would normally do but the plastic between you and the car seat makes the spin much easier.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Great idea, Joan! Thanks for sharing! :-)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I found another way to locate my car, by using my maps. I mark my location as soon as I park and name it my car, When I am ready to locate my car, I open maps, look at favorites and follow the way to where I parked. This has helped me out several times.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Love all your posts and read them faithfully!
Thank you so much for the magnifying tip on the iPhone. That is going to be a life-saver for me. I had no idea that it was available.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.If you need to wear compression socks for ankle or leg swelling, here is a tip to putting them on. Place your hand inside of the sock and pitch the heel between your thumb and index finger. Now take your other hand and pull the sock inside out, while holding onto the heel. Now place your foot into the sock up to the heel and then pull the rest of the sock back up over your leg.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Having just had total hip replacement, I have become acquainted with a few tools that will likely remain useful even after I have fully recovered. They are long-handled shoehorn, elastic shoelaces, reacher (aka grabber), and sock aid. Also, those bed risers so popular in college dorm rooms are handy for raising the height of various things in my home: dressing table, craft table (less bending over), television, et al. I have 4 sets because they’re so available and inexpensive at garage sales and thrift stores.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I told my brother with an Apple watch that there is a setting on it for a “hard fall”. Once the watch detects you’ve fallen, it will send a text to a contact.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Also, I have a Google Home (like the Alexa), and found that if you need assistance, you can make calls with it. “hey Google, call Carly…”. I don’t believe you can directly call 911, but the option is there.
Wow, Chris! That Apple watch tip is fantastic, as well as the virtual assistant tip! Thanks for sharing! :-)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I saw a news program of a young man who was saved by this setting! He’d been hiking alone, fell off a cliff and broke his back, and the watch automatically sent “S.O.S.” saved his life! It is only available on the watch #4 and up, I believe.
I wear reading glasses for reading recipes, but found I was contantly removing them for tasks, then putting them back on again for checking recipe details. I have made large copies of all my recipes on 8×11 computer paper and inserted them in clear sleeves using a binder. I no longer require my readers for cooking and baking. I love my easy to read binder recipes!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.While awaiting my new glasses to be ready, I just used reading glasses for reading or using the computer. I can see well to drive or to see distances, thus, I used the reading glasses when needed and then stuck them on my head, when I did not need them but they were ready to use when needed.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I bought remotes for my lights from Amazon. I don’t like walking into a dark room because I tend to fall. With the remotes I can turn lights and fans (or anything else I set up) on and off from my bed or chair. Comes with 2 remotes and 5 plug adapters.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.All you need to do is turn the jar or bottle over and give the edge of the cap a firm tap on the unit, usually one will be enough to release the vacuum holding the lid tight but just turn it over and repeat if the cap is really stuck. Saves having to hold any knife by the blade.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.you can also run it under hot water a little bit.
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