Useful gifts for those with low mobility

With the holidays coming up we wanted to offer a range of useful gifts that would be perfect to buy for anyone in your life who suffers from low mobility. It can sometimes be hard to find a gift that will not only be useful but practical for people in our lives, but this article lists some that we are sure will be well received by anyone.

Read on to discover some of the most useful gifts you can buy for someone with low mobility.

Smart home technology

One of the best assets anyone can have in the home is smart home technology. Giving you the power to control your home from your phone, smart home technology encompasses everything from smart speakers to digital doorbells, security equipment, heating controls and more.

For those with low mobility, having smart home technology can mean that you can control more of your home from your phone, or using your voice with a smart home speaker. Whether that’s being able to turn the lights off from bed at night-time or being able to answer the front door with your phone, eliminating these small trips can make a big difference to someone’s life.

Some examples of smart home technology that would make great gifts for someone with low mobility:

• Smart Speaker – A Smart Speaker like an Amazon Echo or Google Home can allow the owner to make calls, ask questions and even control other smart technology just using their voice.
• Digital Heating – Digital heating has come on leaps and bounds in recent years and now most systems will use machine learning to determine the owner’s heating pattern and can be operated by phone when a cold-spell sets in.
• Digital Doorbell – A digital doorbell with a camera can send an alert to the owner’s phone whenever the bell is rung, offer added security and also allow the owner to talk to whoever is at the front door through their phone.

Robot vacuum cleaner

A handy tool in any home, a robot vacuum can take the hard work out of housework and keep your floor clean with no effort at all. Able to manoeuvre your space by itself, a robot vacuum cleaner can get to work when needed and you won’t need to worry about carrying heavy vacuum cleaners around the house. Petra from A Mum Reviews suggested this to us, explaining: “They are such a helpful tool to help keep a house clean for someone with low mobility. They are a bit of fun too!”

Robotic Pets

Having a furry friend around the house can not only offer great companionship but can also give someone a new sense of purpose with something to look after every day. However, especially for those with low mobility, having an energetic pet around the house might pose a range of challenges and not be feasible.

For people in this position, Emma, a blogger from Lipgloss and Curves, recommended robotic pets. She explains: “I recommend a robotic companion animal which is lifelike but means you don't have the stress and costs of dealing with the real-life pet. The animals are made from real fur, they purr and have animal characteristics and movements. These allow people with restricted movements to be able to enjoy pets and have company without all of the hassle owning an animal brings.”

Bedside caddy

A bedside caddy is a small container that can clip on the edge of most beds, perfect for storage. It can hold everything from a mobile phone to the owner’s favourite book. Although a relatively small and cheap purchase, having a well-stocked bedside caddy can give the owner peace of mind that once they get into bed, they shouldn’t need to get up for anything during the night.

Low-effort kitchen appliances

Just like with smart home technology, there are plenty of kitchen appliances that can take the effort out of preparing food and drinks. For those who love cooking and baking but struggle to do so, these appliances can be the perfect gift.

Some examples of wonderful low-effort kitchen appliances that would make great gifts for someone with low mobility:

• Tipping kettle – A tipping kettle takes all of the strain out of making a brew by letting the user tip the kettle in its base, meaning it doesn’t need to be lifted from its place to pour.
• Slow cooker – A great appliance for any home, slow cookers can make light work of any meal and can be perfect for preparing warming dishes with ease.
• Rice cooker – Rice is a wonderful staple for a lot of meals and with a rice cooker, you are able to get perfect rice every time without the work.
• Blender – Whether it’s making a smoothie for breakfast or whipping up a quick soup on a cold day, a blender can be a great asset to any kitchen.

Automatic soap dispenser

Handwashing has been more important than ever recently and although it may not be the most creative gift, something practical like an automatic soap dispenser can make this small task not only easier but more hygienic. Instead of having you use a pump or block soap, and automatic dispenser is motion activated and will drop soap onto your hands when prompted. This means you don’t need to touch the dispenser itself so it’s more sanitary and doesn’t require the user to interact with it in any way to get the soap out.

Elasticated shoelaces

 A small and simple gift which can make a big difference for those who struggle with dexterity or their fine motor skills. Elasticated shoelaces can replace any usual shoelaces, don’t need tying and are flexible, allowing the user to slip any pair of shoes on and off, whilst maintaining the image of a shoelace.

Useful gifts for those with low mobility:

• Smart home technology
• Robot vacuum cleaner
• Robotic pets
• Bedside caddy
• Low-effort kitchen appliances
• Automatic soap dispenser
• Elasticated shoelaces

If you are looking to buy home stair lifts for yourself or a family member, the Handicare Stairlifts UK range can provide everything you are looking for.

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