You might be surprised at the variety of equipment and devices that can help the frail or elderly continue to get the most out of life. Everything from talking clocks to full-scale home modifications helps to promote independence, so older people can remain safe and comfortable in their own homes or retirement homes. Mobility

• Replace stairs with ramps or lift devices.
• Install a shelf outside the front door.
• Install two peepholes in the front door to accommodate someone in a wheelchair as well as someone standing up.
• Install handrails, bath benches, grips, hand-held shower hoses and elevated toilet seats in the bathroom.
• Replace doorknobs with lever-style handles or buy lever adapters that can be clamped on round knobs.
• Purchase lift chairs and an adjustable bed.
• Convert light switches to make the lever longer and easier to grasp.

Eating and drinking

• Buy adaptive cooking utensils.
• Adaptive table service, including plate guards and silverware with easy-to-hold handles, can take some of the anxiety out of eating. So can a cup with two handles or a glass with ribbed surfaces.
• Straws also help.

Dressing

• Clothing that opens in front and uses Velcro closures allows people to dress themselves.
• A button valet to pull buttons through their buttonholes alleviates fumbling.
• Slip-on shoes with non-slip soles are easier to put on and cut down on falls.

Managing medications

• A programmable watch will alert the wearer to medication times. A pillbox with an alarm also might help.
• Organize medications for the entire week in a seven-day pill reminder box.

Telephone difficulties Determine eligibility for the California Telephone Access Program. This requires certification by a physician, audiologist, ophthalmologist or state rehabilitation counselor to document permanent or temporary impairment, including vision, motion, speech, hearing or cognitive problems. Equipment, such as an amplified phone, one with oversized numbers, one with photos or a speakerphone with a wireless remote, is available for free. For details, call the California Telephone Access Program, (800) 806-1191 (voice) or (800) 806-4474 (TTY), or visit the Web site ddtp.org/CTAP/. For hearing impairments

• Plug a special attachment into the phone jack to connect the telephone to a lamp. That way, the lamp will flash when the phone rings.
• Install a volume-control attachment on a telephone.
• Purchase a device that makes the lights flash when someone rings the doorbell.
• Mount a smoke detector that features an automatic flashing light and 85-decibel alarm.

For sight impairments

• Purchase a talking alarm clock that announces the time.
• Obtain a large-print attachment for push-button phones.
• Increase the size of the TV screen up to 50 percent with a television screen enlarger.

Security

• Install motion-sensitive security lights outside the home.
• Hang portable security alarms on the inside of exterior doors. The alarm sounds when there’s pressure on the door handle.
• Consider getting a personal emergency response system with an activator that can be worn and pushed during an emergency, especially when the telephone is out of reach. An alarm will alert someone at a central location.
• Buy an emergency light that goes on automatically during electrical outages.
• Install smoke detectors. People 55 and older who own their own home, condo, town house or mobile home can call the Burn Institute at (858) 541-2277 for a free smoke detector and installation if they don’t already have a working detector.

Accident prevention

• Make certain lighting is adequate throughout the home. A typical 60-year-old needs twice the level of light as a 20-year-old.
• Install light switches at both the top and bottom of stairs.
• Use night lights in hallways, bathrooms and bedrooms.
• Purchase a grasping device to reach high shelves.
• Install handrails on both sides of stairways.
• Use rubber stair treads to reduce slipping.
• Get rid of doormats and area rugs or secure them with double-sided carpet tape or self-stick carpet mesh.
• Make sure electrical cords are out of the line of traffic.
• Eliminate clutter and keep furniture in its accustomed place.
• Replace kitchen and bathroom faucet handles with controls that are designed for people with arthritis.
• Install anti-scald safety valves on shower heads and faucets.
• Use a mat or decals in tub.

Resources for adaptive devices include medical supply stores and the California Department of Rehabilitation. Other potential sources for medical equipment are national nonprofits concerned with particular conditions and diseases, such as the American Cancer Society.