




Did you know December and January are when gyms sell the most gym memberships? The most popular New Year resolutions are weight loss and to get in shape, and many of us (I know I have tried this) assume that buying the gym membership will be enough motivation. Sometimes it even works, but rarely for very long. Instead, here are some easy ways to get motivated to lose weight (and then stay motivated once you’ve started!):
As we age our risk of falling while doing everyday tasks increase and more falls occur in the bathroom than any other, but affordable bath safety products (i.e. grab bars, bath lifts, raised toilet seats, etc.) can help prevent falls and spare you the cost of an entire bathroom renovation. Bath lifts in particular continue to increase in popularity because they provide many of the same benefits as walk-in tubs at a fraction of the cost and without the installation issues.
Continuing on from my last blog of “kid tested, mother approved” must have back to school supplies, here are more of my favorite back to school items your kids will deem cool enough to use (and maybe even like – gasp!) that also have health benefits that aren’t so obvious your kids will reject them (unless you have teens, in which case pretty much anything you suggest is deemed automatically uncool for the mere fact that you suggested it).
Often we think of low vision to simply mean a need for glasses so low vision aids can seem unnecessary, but low vision isn’t a synonym for needing glasses. Low vision is “a visual impairment, not correctable by standard glasses, contact lenses, medicine, or surgery, that interferes with a person’s ability to perform everyday activities” (National Eye Institute). Vision is an integral part of our daily lives, and low vision aids such as portable video magnifiers help people with macular degeneration and other visual impairments maintain independent living.
Adjustable toilet seats are often only thought of for bariatrics, but anyone with mobility issues (including those with disabilities, illness, or the elderly) can benefit from a larger, stronger toilet seat. The Big John toilet seat is the most popular heavy duty toilet seat on the market, but the new Adjust For Comfort Toilet Seat has additional features above and beyond what the Big John offers, making it ideal for disabled, elderly, or bariatric people.
If you or someone you love has suffered sudden cardiac arrest then you know how scary and life threatening it is. The American Heart Association says currently only 5% of cardiac arrest victims are saved in the U.S each year but more lives could be saved if automated external defibrillators (AEDs) were more widely available. Any second a defibrillator could save your life – is there an aed near you?