Dec 29, 2008 4:41 pm US/Eastern
Consumer Watch: Home Safety For The Elderly
NEW YORK (CBS) ―
Almost 40 percent of all U.S. workers care for an elderly parent, and with that care comes concern when they can't be around. But now there are products that can help keep elderly parents safe from home hazards.
Experts from the Good Housekeeping Institute went to New York's Carter Burden Center for the Aging, where residents tried out some of these new products. Some were also put to the test in the Institute's lab.
"Home fires are a leading cause of safety concerns for the elderly, and traditional cotton pot holders like these can ignite if left on an open burner," said product analyst Paul Hope.
Good Housekeeping put silicone pot holders made by Lamson and Goodnow to the test. "The elderly loved them because of their flexibility, and we also found that we were able to remove the hot, cast iron pan from the oven and hold it for a full sixty seconds before you were forced to set it down," Hope said.
A seven-day pill dispenser from Borin-Halbich has a lid that's easy for elderly and arthritic hands to open and close. "We tested this pill dispenser in our labs and we really liked it because it has a snap on lid that allows the pill boxes to be coupled together," said Charmaine Gillespie, test coordinator from the Institute.
Good Housekeeping also recommends the Cadex Medication Reminder Watch and Medical ID that promises to help people remember to take their medications up to 12 times a day.
Nearly 90 percent of adults over 50 say they want to remain in their own homes as long as they can. Scores of new products can help them do so from inflatable bathmats to protect from falls to door handles instead of door knobs to help compensate for loss of strength.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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