Ideal technology for older people. Skin care in old age: recommendations from experts Skin problems in old age

We are all accustomed to the fact that gadget manufacturers consider relatively young people aged 20-45, and often teenagers and children, their target audience. The former, in principle, are the most solvent part of the population, while the parents pay for the latter.

However, properly constructed scientific and technological progress should not only satisfy the need for entertainment and endlessly improve everyday comfort. He has another task - solving specific life problems of people from certain social categories. In this article, as an example, we will look at modern technical and software developments created to simplify the lives of representatives of the older generation.

Anti-fall belt

For an elderly person, a fall often results in a serious injury, which leaves the person unable to move for a long time and requires a long recovery. Fractures of the femoral neck are very common - after them, the ability to walk independently, with the most positive outcome, returns only after a few months.

In Israel, there is a company called Hip-Hope Technologies, which has invented a special device that protects the pelvic and hip bones during falls. The development is made in the form of a belt with many sensors. If the belt sensors detect the beginning of a fall, then two large airbags are fired, turning into protective bolsters for the hips.

The activation of the belt is monitored by an application on the smartphone, and a corresponding message is sent to pre-specified numbers. There is also a button on the belt with which an elderly person can call for help at any time if the need arises. Tests have shown that the belt reduces the risk of fractures and severe bone bruises from falls by 90 percent.

Robot nurses

Japan is known as a country of high technology, long-lived people and human loneliness. It is logical that this is where the production of robots helping the elderly is most actively developing. In particular, robotic nurses are being introduced in Japan to care for the elderly 24/7. The most famous models here are Robear and RIBA. They are capable of:

• lift the patient and transfer him to another bed;
• help a person sit in a wheelchair;
• sit up or get out of bed completely;
• take some tests and send them to the doctor.

Other robot models are helping Japanese retirees with a variety of everyday tasks. For example, they act as assistants when shopping in stores or as guides who can lead a person by the hand.

Smart insoles

Family members of elderly people suffering from problems with memory and spatial orientation are afraid that they will forget the way home and will not be able to explain to others where they live. To solve this problem, GTX Group has created special shoe insoles that are equipped with a GPS sensor and SIM card. They track a person’s movements using satellite geolocation and signals from cell towers. To operate the device, you need to periodically charge the battery. The insoles are suitable for most shoe models.

The movements and specific location of a person are tracked using a special application. The developer cites unobtrusive tracking as one of the advantages, since the device remains invisible. The commercial notes the usefulness of insoles not only for the elderly, but also for children, tracking whose movements is no less important for many parents.

Watching from a distance

If an elderly person lives separately, then relatives need to monitor how he spends his day. The Lively system can help with this, the main element of which is a “smart” watch that is constantly on the owner’s hand. They track your daily steps and provide messages to prevent you from missing medication. The watch has an alarm button, when pressed, the operator calls the person back and finds out what kind of help he needs.

The system includes several sensors that monitor selected key parameters of a pensioner’s activity:

• opening the refrigerator and doors in the apartment;
• opening the first aid kit;
• movement around the home (motion sensor).

When receiving an SMS message or e-mail through the application of several numbers, family members can track the activity of the old man and promptly identify disruptions in his usual schedule.

Sound recognition for the hearing impaired

AbiliSense from Israel has developed an application for people with hearing loss using sound recognition technology. This special software literally replaces people's ears. Of course, it is not able to recognize all existing sounds, but it can really do a lot, which makes the life of a person with disabilities easier and safer.

The application constantly analyzes the audio stream and, when it recognizes something familiar, sends a message to a smartphone or other device. The signal can be transmitted by vibration, text or icon. Most of the sounds that people need to respond to on a daily basis are perfectly capable of being recognized by technology. For example, the application can easily distinguish a doorbell from a fire alarm.

The grandparents' house is remembered by their grandchildren with the aromas of pies and strawberry jam... But time passes, the grandchildren grow up, and the grandparents grow old. And now there are completely different smells in their house, unpleasant.

Those over sixty need to pay increased attention to hygiene issues. Unfortunately, many old people do not really like to wash themselves. And there is an explanation for this. Over the years, the skin becomes thinner, and the secretion of fatty lubricant decreases. Because of this, the skin becomes dry and very sensitive, so washing often brings discomfort. In addition, water and soap wash away the protective lipid film from the skin, so after a bath it becomes tight and painful.

Many older people (especially men) develop ichthyosis - increased peeling of the skin, as well as senile itching, usually in the genitals and anus.

But still, you shouldn’t forget about hygiene. It’s just that water procedures need to be carried out differently than in youth:
It is better to abandon the bath and replace it with a shower. It is enough to take a shower every other day, because over the years the sweat glands no longer work as actively. For washing, you should not use soap, but gel creams with a neutral pH - they preserve the lipid layer. Moreover, with these products it is enough to wash only the folds of the arms and legs, folds of the skin and genitals. The rest of the body can simply be washed with water.
After the water procedure, be sure to thoroughly dry the skin, blotting it, especially in the bends of the arms and legs. If the skin is too dry, you need to lubricate it with moisturizing cream or body lotion (any cosmetics for dry sensitive skin are suitable).
Bathtubs for older people should be equipped with handrails and a rubber mat placed at the bottom to prevent slipping. A compromise option is a sitz bath or shower.
The water should not be either hot or too cool, so as not to injure the skin of an elderly person.
Washing with warm water should be done daily and after each bowel movement. To avoid itching of the genitals, you should wear only cotton or linen underwear and change it daily, avoid overheating the body during sleep, and exclude spicy foods and smoked foods from food.
If it is difficult to shower, you can wipe your body with sanitary napkins soaked in natural emollient and anti-inflammatory extracts (wipes for babies are suitable). It also doesn’t hurt to use intimate hygiene products (deodorants, eau de toilette), but they should only be applied to clean and dry skin.
To cope with the problem of increased dry skin, it is important for older people not only to properly care for it, but also to take B vitamins (found in meat and cereals) and fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E. However, to select their dose, you need to consult a doctor, because both a deficiency and an excess of these substances are dangerous for the body of an older person.

Taking care of your two

Bad foot odor often occurs in young people, but if an older person neglects hygiene, then his socks, naturally, will not smell like roses. Proper care of this part of the body is of particular importance for older people. Neglecting foot hygiene can lead to discomfort and pain, and in more serious cases, the inability to walk without assistance.

The main risk is fungal infections. To prevent them, you need to thoroughly wash and dry your feet every day. It is recommended to use talc or powder to treat the spaces between the toes, as well as foot cream to prevent drying of the skin and the appearance of difficult-to-heal cracks.
People with excessive sweating should avoid synthetics and wear shoes, socks, and tights made from natural materials. To reduce sweating, you should immerse your feet in a warm solution of strong brewed tea or a decoction of oak bark for 15 minutes twice a day. To eliminate unpleasant odor, you can wash your feet 3-4 times a week in warm water with a weak solution of vinegar (1 teaspoon of 3% vinegar per 2 liters of water).

It is difficult for older people to cut their toenails on their own; family members should help with this. This is very important, because improper trimming of nails can lead to them growing into the skin.

Home, beloved home

Not only the body can smell unpleasant, but also everything that surrounds an elderly person: old trash, things that have not been ventilated for a long time, house dust, which, by the way, is largely formed from dead skin particles. The keratinized scales are torn off and get stuck in the folds of clothes in older people, settle on bedspreads and upholstered furniture, and get stuck in the pile of carpets. Since it is difficult for old people to clean themselves (especially to carry out wet cleaning), as well as to often change, wash and iron their clothes and bed linen, a stagnant smell appears in the house. Younger relatives should take on cleaning responsibilities.

To scent a room, it is better to use aromatic essences of essential oils and oriental incense rather than air fresheners. In the cabinets you can place sachets with herbs, pieces of aromatic soap, and cut citrus peels.

The market for wearable medical devices is becoming one offastest growing in the consumer electronics segment. This is due to the increasing role of older users in the economy and concern for improving their quality of life. "Snob" studied this and other types of modern gadgets that are difficult for older people to do without

Photo: Getty Images

Most gadget manufacturers see their main target audience as people under 30, technologically advanced and ready to experiment with new devices and technologies, but older people are often an equally, if not more attractive target audience.

For example, in the United States, as of 2017, 15.9% of the population was aged 65 or above and, according to the country's Department of Health, this figure will rise to 21.7% by 2040. In Russia, people aged 65 years and older make up 14.4% of the population, or more than 21 million people. This is almost a quarter of the population, however, in order to win the attention of this audience, manufacturers have to look for fundamentally new approaches to developing gadgets.

1. Smart modules for familiar devices

The most obvious trick for manufacturers is to add a “smart” prefix to devices that older people are already familiar with, such as pill containers. Such devices connect via Bluetooth to a smartphone and monitor the frequency of taking medications and can signal either the owner himself or his doctor or relatives about a missed medication. One of the most famous manufacturers is an American company Tricella, her smart pill container sells for $59 on Amazon.

Another American company AdhereTech offers a smart pill bottle that, in addition to monitoring when medications are taken, can measure the number of pills left to avoid cases where the drug suddenly runs out or the patient takes too much medication, which could cause an overdose. AdhereTech works directly with clinics and pharmaceutical companies, without offering its devices at retail.

Startup Abiogenix created his own smart case for pills, which, among other things, can be remotely blocked if the patient abuses the medicine. The development is promising, but it is still far from mass sales.

In the same category are devices for measuring blood pressure and electronic glucometers that connect to a smartphone and allow you to plot changes in pressure and blood sugar levels, or signal sudden changes and even send an alarm to the doctor if the readings reach alarming levels.

One of the first smart glucose meters was presented back in 2013 by a major manufacturer of medical gadgets, iHealth Labs, at the CES exhibition in Las Vegas. Subsequently, a stake in the company was bought by one of the largest smartphone manufacturers, Xiaomi - now the iHealth Labs smart glucometer is sold at a price of about $40.

Smart blood pressure monitors, for example, a device from a medical equipment manufacturer Medisana, can not only keep measurement statistics on a smartphone, but also send data to the “cloud”, and also allow them to be processed using special applications that provide advice on maintaining health. The cost of the device in Russia is about 7 thousand rubles; there are simpler and cheaper models, for example, from Xiaomi for 2,700 rubles.

2. “Grannyphones”

Telephones for the elderly are the oldest segment of this market, long ago mastered by manufacturers and given the unofficial name “granny phones.”

One of the most famous brands on the Russian market - Fly Ezzy, a series of phones with a minimum of functions, huge physical buttons and a separate panic button, after pressing which the subscriber is automatically contacted with a pre-defined number. Other popular series are Ginzzu, Alcatel Tiger and others. Such devices cost no more than 2 thousand rubles and, as a rule, are quite reliable, mainly due to the simplicity of their design. However, you can just as successfully use an old push-button phone as a “granny phone.” Nokia.

There are smartphone models specially created for older people, for example, a model popular in some European countries Jitterbug Smart, but such devices are not available in most Russian cellular networks, and there is no particular point in buying such a device either, since many smartphones, for example the Samsung Galaxy S8, have an easy mode function that increases the size of icons and fonts and removes advanced functions, leaving only basic functionality.

In Russia, there were several projects to create specialized devices that took into account the characteristics of older people: fine motor impairment, cognitive limitations, etc. For example, the tablet project "Pony" for the elderly, initiated by the Vladimir IT company “Inreco LAN”; however, the prospects for the project are unclear.

3. Watches with additional functions

A fairly large number of manufacturers offer smartwatches aimed at pensioners: such devices usually have a larger screen and larger icons, as well as a physical panic button on the case.

Among the most famous projects is the model Omate Wherecom S3 from the Chinese company Omate, originally specializing in children's smart watches. Unfortunately, such watches cannot do anything special except count the pulse, sound an alarm and notify an elderly person about their location, and the size of the dial in any case will become a problem for people with impaired vision, so it is advisable to purchase such a device for $150 or more remains at the discretion of the potential owner.

The device project looks somewhat more promising Tempo American company CarePredict. Tempo is a wrist device without a screen that has two-way voice communication that can be activated by the owner or the person whose smartphone is stored in the device's memory, but this is not the main function of Tempo. The device is equipped with several sensors that, in addition to the standard pulse count, are able to determine what a person is doing: whether he is brushing his teeth, lying, sitting, eating or drinking.

CarePredict has developed a complex system of behavioral patterns based on a neural network that studies a person’s habits and is able to independently determine if his behavior becomes suspicious. For example, according to the authors of the project, the system is able to determine that a person is unwell, often before he himself realizes it. The base price of the device is $160.

For older people who are not alien to considerations of prestige when choosing devices, the Swiss Limmex offers a wristwatch with a panic button and location detection, made in the tradition of Swiss watch design, for $400 and up.

4. Gadgets for monitoring individual symptoms

Another important category of devices for the elderly is focused only on solving certain problems that are common to many, but not all, elderly people. For example, an American company Lift Labs designed a spoon for people suffering from Parkinson's disease.

The device detects hand tremors using an accelerometer and compensates for it using a special electrical device. In September 2014, Lift Labs was purchased by Google and is now part of Google X's special projects department; the spoon itself can be purchased online for about $200.

5. Smart home technologies

The American company HoneyCo offers smart home technologies for consumers who are not always confident in using their smartphone, primarily for older people who have decided to live independently and not move to a nursing home or to live with relatives.

Smart House HoneyCo uses a system of a large number of sensors connected to all household appliances; this system monitors all events occurring in the house and sounds an alarm if something deviates from pre-set scenarios. For example, the homeowner's children may receive an alarm if the kitchen stove is left on for longer than a specified time, a door or window is left unlocked overnight, or if the homeowner remains inactive for more than a specified period of time.

6. Exoskeletons

A separate direction in the development of gadgets for older people is serious and expensive devices that have not yet been used in mass practice, but in the future they can radically change the way people with disabilities will live and feel. For example, which will allow any person to lift weights greater than their own weight and overcome distances that are inaccessible even to trained athletes.

For example, the exoskeleton project of a Russian company is a project Exoatlet— is currently at the stage of clinical trials. At the end of 2015, the company managed to attract 16 million rubles, the investors were Moscow Seed Fund and RVC Biofund.

The so-called smell of old age is caused by the production of a special substance in the body, and this is 2-nonenal. It is produced after 30 years. And the potential for acquiring an “old” smell appears in every person over 40 years old, as experts assure.

To avoid exuding a musty, herbaceous, “granny” scent, women (who are more concerned about how they smell) just need to adhere to some simple rules, which should now be listed.

Let fresh air into your life

This is important because it cannot harbor mold, bacteria, or pathogens that create odors.

But older people are often afraid of getting sick, and therefore neglect this rule. Well, you can just dress warmer.

Clean your house regularly

Dust, mold, accidentally spilled liquids, stagnant smell from once cooked food, unwashed, literally rotting dishes... You can’t live in such an environment! Many people don’t know, but the body absorbs odors perfectly. Remember what you smell like when you spend two hours in the kitchen preparing dinner? That's right, this food. Here's the proof.

It is important to live clean. If it is difficult for you to clean up on your own, then involve relatives or friends in this. Or hire someone who will clean the house once a week.

Change your clothes more often

Adults are not as active as young people, and therefore do not sweat much. But this is not a reason to think that something you wore a couple of days ago is clean just because it hasn’t gotten dirty yet.

It's harmful to the skin. Clothes must be changed every day. Besides, a closet full of dirty things smells terrible. By storing such clothes and unventilated shoes in it, a person provides microbes with an excellent environment for active reproduction.

Take care of your mouth

And be sure to clean your dentures. But the main attention should be paid to the oral cavity.

As you age, you produce less saliva to clear it of bacteria and food particles. If your mouth becomes dry, your breathing will be affected. And older people also sleep, as a rule, with it slightly open, which is why everything inside also dries out.

The main rules: regularly and thoroughly brush your teeth and dentures. Otherwise, you will have to deal not only with a bad smell, but also with infections caused by retained food particles.

Drink plenty of water

Because she is the source of life. Elderly people should not be allowed to become dehydrated.

8 glasses a day are enough if a person leads a normal, inactive lifestyle.

This amount is enough to prevent the skin from peeling and developing a terrible odor. And if a person does not drink a lot, it will come from everything - from his body, from urine, from his mouth, etc.

Shower regularly

Unfortunately, many people think that they need to wash themselves if they have recently gone out somewhere. But cleanliness is the most important factor necessary to comply regardless of anything.

Regular bathing helps cleanse the skin and open the pores on the body, which allows the skin to “breathe” and remove sweat and dirt from it. And the use of good hygiene products effectively eliminates unpleasant odors.

Get rid of unnecessary things

Many people have a love for accumulating all sorts of rubbish. You need to understand: unnecessary, unnecessary things are dust collectors and sources of pathogenic microflora! You should not store anything at home, on the balcony or in the pantry that has not been used for a long time. It will not be needed, as we used to think. If for years it lay unnecessary, the same will happen in the next decades.

And those things that are really needed from time to time must be stored correctly. Preferably in airtight bags and not in residential areas. And in all cabinets, drawers and shelves where something is stored, it is advisable to place lavender branches or other “accessories” that perfectly neutralize odors.

Even the most experienced people in life come a time when they have to turn to the younger generation for help. This often happens when our grandparents encounter technology. And of course, very funny incidents often happen to them. Perhaps there was something similar in your family.

1. Old habits

smartphone
Here's another great example of how difficult it is for older people to use modern gadgets. This guy's 90-year-old Japanese grandmother apparently wasn't told about the phone's zoom feature. To be fair, there are not many similar functions for reading text messages. As a result, the grandmother got out of the situation “the old fashioned way.”

2. Simplicity is the key to success

TV remote
Manufacturers seem to take it for granted that users want a lot of options and features on their devices. For older generations, this can be very difficult and confusing. The next item on the list of technology for seniors is a prime example of how some try to make life easier when using gadgets.

This guy's grandmother complained that her remote control was very confusing and had too many buttons. In truth, this is true, because how many buttons on the remote control does each person use... Therefore, the loving grandson decided to “simplify” the remote control for his grandmother.

3. Strange photo

smartphone
To be fair, it should be noted that such a mistake is easy to make, at least the first time. If a person picks up a smartphone for the first time, he may well accidentally cover the camera lens with his finger.

4. Mail

Email
This is a fantastic example of how new technologies intersect with old ones. An elderly woman, having purchased a new phone, decided to take a selfie and send it to her granddaughter. But no one expected how she would do it. After taking a selfie, the woman printed the photo and sent it in an envelope by regular mail.

5. Manners are paramount

Google
This user's grandmother is undoubtedly one of the most polite people you can find on the Internet. She even politely asks Google to translate Roman numerals into Latin and thanks the search engine for this. Google needs to change its search algorithms to reward this kind of politeness from its users. This will probably go a long way in improving the manners of many on the internet.

6. 3D is never too much!

3D glasses
Some people don't like 3D technology, while others can't imagine watching a movie not in 3D. The next grandmother is a shining example of how the older generation can actively embrace innovation.

7. Broken clock on your phone

telephone
One guy's grandmother asked him to help fix her phone because "the clock on the outside screen always shows the wrong time." At first glance, it was not difficult to guess that a protective film with an image of a dial was glued to the screen. Naturally, almost everyone has made similar mistakes in the past, so the grandmother is quite understandable.

8. Hello!

calculator
Another example raises an interesting question about modern smartphone models. Are their designs actually influenced by engineering calculators? This similarity between these gadgets easily explains the confusion of this guy’s grandfather, who decided to call using a calculator.

9. Favorite sites

Internet
This young man's grandmother is quite internet savvy. She meticulously writes down her favorite sites in a notebook. Moreover, it records not just the site itself, but the entire address bar up to a specific link. In any case, such tenacity is admirable.

10. “Werewolf” mouse

computer mouse
The young guy was shocked when his grandfather asked him to explain why the cursor on his computer was moving in the wrong direction when he moved the mouse. Everything turned out to be very simple - he positioned the mouse vertically at 180°.

BONUS

However, grandmothers also always have something to tell their grandchildren. After all, there is, at a minimum, .