Believe it or not, Father’s Day is right around the corner! If you’re still struggling to find an exciting gift that fits into today’s senior lifestyle, here are some gadget ideas for dads, granddads, and great-granddads. Today’s boomers are the first generation to grow old with technology. Technology gadgets can enhance the aging experience and make life easier for family (and professional) caregivers. Senior Planning Services has been serving the Santa Barbara community since 1989 and is proud to continue helping families with the challenges of aging – including offering this list of popular items they hope will help to inspire those looking for last minute gifts this week.
According to the United Nations, in the United States alone, more than one person in 10 is over 65. In 20 years, that will grow to 20 percent of the population. Engineers are beginning to think about what this means when designing new products. With a bevy of new gadgets aimed at the boomer generation, the future of consumer technology is being geared more and more toward the boomer generation.
“While many occasions, spending time together with senior loved ones is a time to put away the distractions of cell phones and video games,” said Suzanne McNeely, MSW, President and Founder, Senior Planning Services, “We do see in our home caregiving settings a very human benefit when items also help bring families closer together – when our youngest and eldest family members have a love of gadgets in common.”
RELAXING
E-Book Reader: Amazon Kindle or Barnes & Noble Nook—these popular eBook readers are portable enough to bring on any trip and suitable for reading in a variety of conditions.
Price: starting at about $139 for grayscale display, prices range per model
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/nook/index.asp
And if he already has a Kindle:
Kandle LED Book Light for the Amazon Kindle—attaches to eBooks and printed books without blocking the screen or pageclips and helps one read in low lighting or when you don’t want to disturb those around you.
Price: about $18.75
BookBuddy Book and Laptop Holder (from local Ventura company, Amanda Crawford Designs)—holds most any book with its pages open by a unique adjustable, ribbon-lock system. BookBuddy™ bookholder is completely adjustable to fit most books and is also equipped with a removable lap desk that easily attaches to offers the same features to a laptop computer.
Price: about $34.95
http://www.amandacrawforddesigns.com/index.php/products-fabrics.html
EXERCISING
Golf Ball Retriever by Backsaver—is a device that can be easily installed on any golf club and will reduce or get rid of the need to bend down on the green ever again. It is also good for rescuing balls from dense weeds, water hazards, and other hard to reach places.
Price: about $14.95
http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:T0nCdTNJR2YJ:www.grbacksaver.com/+THE+RETRIEVER+BY+BACKSAVER&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us&client=firefox-a&source=www.google.com
Wii Fit Plus motion controlled gaming console—combines fun and fitness into one product. It can change how you exercise, how you balance, and even how you move.
Price: Wii Console- about $151, Wii Fit Plus bundle with balance board- about $99.99 (Wii Fit Plus must be used in conjunction with Wii Console)
http://wiifit.com/
ENTERTAINING
Talking Wireless BBQ/Oven Thermometer–does not make you rely on your ability to read the display (even though the display is much bigger than most). It will speak the temperature of your dinner on demand.
Price: about $57.95
http://www.activeandable.com/productdetails.aspx?productid=1314&link=&group=&img=AA1117.jpg&category=4138
Automatic Electric Wine Opener—The simple, one-touch operation easily removes wine corks. It’s rechargeable—you can open 30 bottles on a single charge.
Price: about $39.95
http://www.brookstone.com/sl/reviews/36316-review-automatic-electric-wine-opener.html
“SURFING” (Internet Style)
iPad2—the new iPad offers two cameras for FaceTime and HD video recording. The dual-core A5 chip. The same 10-hour battery life as the original iPad and has a thinner, lighter design.
Price: about $499
http://www.apple.com/ipad/features/
Widescreen LCD Computer Screen—provides larger graphics to help make surfing easier.
Price: about $269.99 depending on screen size and other features
Here are some tech gadgets that offer greats and grands, who may need a little more assistance to help make day-to-day activities a little easier, a way to age more safely in a home environment:
Clarity’s C900: A mobile phone that has a hidden keypad with very large buttons, an amplified earpiece, and a panic button on the back that automatically dials five preprogrammed numbers when triggered.
Price: about $99.95
http://www.clarityproducts.com/products/listing/item3289.asp
Dakim Brain Fitness computer software offers mental workouts from a variety of games designed to keep seniors’ minds in shape.
Price: about $249
http://www.dakim.com