Recognizing National Senior Citizens Day: Products and Innovations that Support Senior Independent Living

August 21st marked the celebration of National Senior Citizens Day. Created by presidential proclamation in 1988, this special day honors senior citizens and raises awareness about issues that affect senior citizens and their quality of life. The desire for independent living which becomes harder as people age is one of the major issues senior citizens face. To help seniors maintain their independence, brands are developing products and innovations that support this independence by making their lives easier and safer.

Today, thanks to improved living conditions, nutrition and healthcare people are living longer. In 2018, 52 million people age 65 and over lived in the United States, accounting for 16% of the total population. That number is projected to increase to 73 million, representing 21% of the total U.S. population by 2030.

Approximately 85% of adults 65 and older want to stay in their own home and community as they age. However, problems with mobility and dexterity can be a barrier to living independently at home.

Arthritis, which impacts 50% of adults 65 or older, makes simple day-to-day tasks like putting on shoes and socks, doing housework and opening jars, a struggle and even painful to accomplish.

Today, products are providing needed support to help seniors live independently. A wide range of products from voice assistant technology that can remind seniors to take medication, to reacher/grabber tools for seniors who have weak grip strength and/or limited mobility, to jar lid technology that allows seniors to easily open jars, are making daily tasks easier and helping seniors live self-reliant, independent lives.

We are supporting seniors by advancing jar lid technology to eliminate the challenge of opening a jar to fix a meal or prepare a snack. We developed the EEASY Lid to help anyone who struggles to open jars on a daily basis, including the many seniors who have difficulty gripping and opening jars because of conditions such as osteoarthritis. Opening a jar that has an EEASY Lid is as easy as a light button push to release the vacuum from the container which makes the lid a snap to remove.