I wish I had a remote I could use in my room to turn my mothers tv off when she falls asleep at volume 75. Actually how about a remote I could use anywhere to fix her tv when she randomly pushes buttons & upsets the menu.
I also wish I could remote control the clocks in her room & kitchen. Make them say later at bedtime & earlier in the morning. She’d/I’d stay in bed longer if the clock said 6:30 instead of 8:30.
Things that would make life a bit easier...
Marie Callenders, my favorite.
Yes, lots of salt, but portion conrrol.
Just put them in the microwave.
www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p2380057.m570.l1313.TR11.TRC1.A0.H0.Xportable+bidet.TRS0&_nkw=portable+bidet&_sacat=0
I would be happy with The Really Smart TV - each time there's a segment about a new diet, or the food last month was a death sentence now being benefitial airs, it changes to a 10-minute kitten video.
It would probablly stop my mother changing her dietary habits according what she watches.
"I saw this documentary about people eating just fruits, I will do that."
"Mom, you're diabetic."
"But fruits are healthy, I saw on TV."
"Mom, fruits are pure sugar. You can eat a few per day, but..."
"No, there are people who..."
NOISY ENVIRONMENT OFF SWITCH (assuming that's what you meant) would be a white noise generator. Downtown Columbus, OH Lazarus started using them in the early 60's in their 40 foot wide no doors or windows street level entrance. It was amazing! Outside noise was almost unbearable but walk through their invisible white noise wall and everything outside went completely silent. Google "white noise generator" and see sites like this: https://mynoise.net/NoiseMachines/whiteNoiseGenerator.php
Inventors' Digest Magazine thinks toilet paper might be the most indispensable invention ever. https://www.inventorsdigest.com/articles/useful-invention-toilet-paper/?fbclid=IwAR3_ii-NW7SJRxjVSx2C2JSpJZMuEj6ELMuX1zCAQ-YXlTVaYymMq1wR-2s
I wish it existed!
https://www.cnet.com/news/snl-saturday-night-live-parody-ad-amazon-echo-for-old-people-senior-citizens/
REVERSE BLANKET: 18 years ago, I invented a reverse microwave function to quickly cool or freeze food in the same microwave oven. Google "cooling blanket" and you'll find that you could have been a millionaire! Example: https://gravityblankets.com/products/gravity-cooling-blanket I know how to make one that'll give you frost bite. :)
AIR BED: In 2011 I spent 7 months in Oregon finishing a prototype. I bought an air bed, something I never thought I would sleep on. It turned out to be the most comfortable bed I've ever slept on (adjustable firmness), waterproof, VERY light weight, and thus very easy sheet changing. I bought a raised air mattress so I wouldn't need a frame - this one: www.amazon.com/Intex-Supreme-Raised-Mattress-Built
THE CLOCK: I don't think you mentioned if your mother is capable of getting herself out of bed and into a walker or wheel chair. Or, if she's even capable of sitting up in bed on her own. It might make a difference on how to solve the clock problem.
JuliaRose, a crank at the top of the bed sounds great for positioning.
Sendhelp, yes just dreaming but really I hadn’t considered moral or ethical implications. I guess I was focused on necessity being the mother of invention.
How about a cooling blanket for the summer? The reverse of an electric blanket in winter?
Methink I will write to the mattress companies and ask them to make the box spring thicker and the mattress thinner. My gosh, if my Mom was still alive today, she would be quite frustrated as she liked tight corners on her bedding.
I ran across these handy things that actually lift the corner if the mattress to assist with changing the sheets!
https://www.agingcare.com/products/magic-mattress-lift-204734.htm
What a great thread!
Will be thinking about this....but for now here's this:
I have been controlling Tweety bird's bedtime by changing the lighting, curtains and shades, and music. He gets in bed by himself when conditions are right.
If you can put the clock in a more remote place so Mom cannot view it from her bed, that may help. If she asks what time it is.....tell her anything you need to.
Such as, "I think it is very late...I'll go find out...in the meantime, here is your bedtime cookie." (or meds?). Maybe when you come back, she will be asleep,
you may be wishing.
Disclaimer: Keep in mind the elder's rights and dignity. There are moral and ethical obligations when attempting to control another human being's concept of
1) Time 2) Food and drink 3) Sleep/wake by meds, etc. unless it is entirely for their own benefit.
But we can dream and fantasize, right?
(not really an invention, but an intervention).
AgingCare has a link to some:
https://www.agingcare.com/products/smart-sheet-440839.htm
but there are many other styles available.
FOR TV SOUND, if she doesn't care for wireless earphones or ear buds, you can always use wireless directional speakers. She can listen loud and you wont be able to hear it unless your sitting next to her. Watch speaker demo on this page: https://ultrasonic-audio.com/products/acouspade-directional-speaker/
FOR TV REMOTE CONTROL through interior walls, you must use either Bluetooth or WIFI from a device designed for this. Example: https://www.amazon.com/Logitech-Harmony-Elite-Remote-Control/dp/B014PDFP9S?psc=1&SubscriptionId=AKIAINYWQL7SPW7D7JCA&tag=aboutcom02lifewire-20&linkCode=sp1&camp=2025&creative=165953&creativeASIN=B014PDFP9S&ascsubtag=4138565%7Cgoogle.com%7C%7C%7C36%2C70%2C10%2C74%2C37%2C29%2C77%2C46%7C1%7C
CURRENT REMOTE CONTROLS use (IR) Infra-Red (light) that, like a flashlight, can NOT penetrate walls. However, you can use small make-up mirrors to redirect YOUR duplicate remote control infra-red 'light' (for her TV) down a hallway from mirror to mirror (2~3 mirror max) until the last mirror shines into her TV room. To test her TV Infra-Red light sensitivity, point her remote (with fresh batteries) to any wall or spot on the ceiling in her TV room as if it were a diffusing mirror and it should still control her TV just fine... unless the tiny red dot sensor lens on the front of her TV is dirty. Think of it like a bright flashlight that emits invisible light.
FOR A CLOCK. I'm not sure how long that might fool her. I'm a chronic workaholic night-owl so, I use a Melatonin sleep aid supplement and the 'sounds to sleep by' channel on cable TV (whatever she thinks might work). There are even devices and apps dedicated to sleep sounds and emission of specific light frequencies that induce sleep and THEN emit wake up frequency light when appropriate.
Makes me wish I had kept my old mattress.