Written and maintained by CASRAI Editorial Board
Published · Last updated
On this page
General product and regulatory information only, not medical advice. For a specific person, a clinician or therapist decides what is appropriate.
Short answer
“Elderly care products” is a shopping phrase, not a regulatory category. Senior care products and aging in place products are the same idea worded differently. Some items in the group are FDA-regulated medical devices and some are ordinary household goods, and the difference decides which paperwork a buyer can ask for. This guide sorts the group by need and by regulatory status, then points to the CASRAI guides that go deep on each need.
Definition and scope
No regulator defines “elderly care product.” The closest formal vocabulary comes from FDA’s guidance Design Considerations for Devices Intended for Home Use (issued November 24, 2014, updated August 8, 2016; checked 2026-11-03). It defines a home use device as a medical device labeled for use in any environment outside a professional healthcare facility, which includes independent living retirement homes. It defines a user as a lay person such as the patient (care recipient), a caregiver or a family member who operates or handles the device. The definitions apply within that guidance only, but they show the framing: the person who handles the product is often not the person it was bought for.
FDA’s guidance also states that the United States population is aging and that use of devices outside professional healthcare facilities is on the rise (same document, Background section).
Categories by need
CASRAI groups the products older adults and their caregivers search for by the daily need they address. Each row links to a guide that covers that need in depth; body lifts, assistive devices and free-equipment sources are covered in those guides too.
| Need | CASRAI guide |
|---|---|
| Walking and mobility | Standard walkers for seniors |
| Toilet and bathroom use | Toilet aids for the elderly |
| Continence | Incontinence supplies for the elderly |
| Getting out of bed | Aids for getting out of bed |
| Equipment used at home | Durable medical equipment for home use |
| Functional-domain overview | Products for the disabled |
The sorting by need is an editorial convenience, not a regulatory classification. This guide does not repeat the device-class tables or Medicare coverage tests those pages contain.
Why mobility, bathroom and bed products come first
The CDC reports that falls among adults 65 and older caused over 43,000 deaths in 2024, making falls the leading cause of injury death for that group, and that emergency departments recorded about 4.5 million visits for older adult falls that year. The CDC also states that falls can be prevented and that there are proven ways to reduce them (CDC, “About Older Adult Fall Prevention”, page reviewed September 8, 2026; checked 2026-11-03). That is why products around walking, bathing, toileting and getting out of bed draw so much attention. The CDC page does not say that any particular product prevents falls, and this guide makes no such claim.
Which items are medical devices
Whether an item is a medical device depends on how it is labeled and what it is intended for, not on the phrase it is sold under. FDA’s home-use guidance applies to prescription and over-the-counter devices of every class (I, II or III) intended for home use. A product with no medical intended use is simply a household item, and FDA device labeling expectations do not describe it. The per-category guides above cover the regulatory status of their own products.
A document checklist before choosing a supplier
FDA’s home-use guidance describes what labeling for a home user should contain. A buyer, caregiver or facility can use those points as a list of documents to ask for. This checklist is drawn only from that guidance.
| What to look for | What FDA’s guidance says (checked 2026-11-03) |
|---|---|
| Instructions for use (IFU) written for a lay user | The IFU for the user should be simple, concise and easily understood, in narrative format, and pictures may help. |
| Contraindications and warnings | Labeling should include contraindications that explain why an individual should not use the device, and clear warnings of hazards that cannot be designed out. |
| Access to labeling if separated from the device | Manufacturers should consider situations when the device is separated from its labeling, such as finding it on a website or calling someone for help. |
| Disposal information | The IFU should include proper disposal of the device and its accessories. |
| Cleaning instructions | If a device or accessory needs cleaning, disinfection or sterilization, the labeling should describe the methods, and the IFU should cover how to obtain consumable or disposable supplies. |
| Emergency planning for life-supporting devices | For life-supporting and life-sustaining home devices, FDA recommends manufacturers have plans for emergency service and supplies during disasters and public health emergencies. |
FDA’s guidance is nonbinding and is addressed to manufacturers. It shows what FDA recommends manufacturers provide, so a missing item is a reason to ask the supplier, not proof of a violation.
Common misunderstandings
- “Senior care products” and “aging in place products” are different product classes. They are different wordings of the same shopping category; neither is a regulatory term.
- Everything sold for seniors is a medical device. Only items with a medical intended use are devices; many household items are not.
- A home product is designed for professionals. FDA’s definition of the home user is a lay person, often a caregiver or family member.
- A product listed here prevents falls. The CDC source supports the scale of the problem, not the effect of any product.
FAQ
What are elderly care products?
The phrase covers items older adults or their caregivers use for daily living: mobility, bathroom, continence, bed and transfer, and general assistive products. Only some are medical devices.
Are senior care products and aging in place products the same thing?
In everyday use, yes. Neither phrase is a regulatory term, and both are sorted here by need.
Who is the “user” of a home medical device?
In FDA’s home-use guidance, a lay person such as the patient (care recipient), a caregiver or a family member who operates or handles the device.
What should I ask a supplier for?
Ask for the IFU, the contraindications and warnings, and the cleaning and disposal information described in the checklist above.
Sources
- FDA, Design Considerations for Devices Intended for Home Use, guidance issued November 24, 2014, updated August 8, 2016 (checked 2026-11-03).
- FDA, Home Use Devices Initiative, content current as of 08/31/2018 (checked 2026-11-03).
- CDC, About Older Adult Fall Prevention, page reviewed September 8, 2026 (checked 2026-11-03).
