An assistive device is any tool, machine, or piece of equipment that can help a person with a disability, or difficulty, perform a task more easily. They are sometimes grouped under the title "assistive technology".
In the case of older people with limited mobility or other physical challenges, assistive devices may include a walker, a hearing aid, a telephone equipped with larger, easy-to-read numbers, foam holders to make cutlery easier to handle, or a plastic seat for the shower.
- Read more on how walkers might contribute to falls in the elderly
Source:
Assistive Devices. US National Institutes of Health Medline Public Information Sheet. Accessed October 30, 2012.
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/assistivedevices.html
Assistive Technology. US Department of Health and Human Services Public Information Sheet. Accessed October 30, 2012.
http://www.eldercare.gov/ELDERCARE.NET/Public/Resources/Factsheets/Assistive_Technology.aspx
