I worry about this for my parents, too, and an emergency situation now where the primary labor is laid up with an injury that reduces mobility for a long period. The latter particularly lends credence to not being a lone wolf.

Some of the concerns I've considered are:
- wood
(a secondary fuel source for the pleasure now, but potentially the primary source; right now the best I can do is just stack bunches and look into alternatives like coal and arctic stove bricks from paper but those need outside resources - the house is already well insulated and was built to catch breezes)
- size of containers
(I'm moving from five-gallon bags of grains to one-gallon inside buckets, to ease lifting tasks; and from large 50+ gal water catchment to linked arrays of 5-gal buckets that will be easier to reach inside and clean)
- perennials and native foods
(I'm a permaculturist, so that's an easy mental transition; instead of working to maintain a traditional garden or the high-nutrients needed for a square foot garden, I'm looking at increasing their tree, shrub and vine crops with basically just a harvest maintenance and "weeds" that can be cultivated for starches, fruits and greens, with the raised bed crops more limited and almost a novelty item)
- There is a backup pump for water, but the power production needs to be increased to include at least one faucet in the kitchen to avoid hauling all water
- An alternative for non-electrical laundry (other than the "lettuce spinner" or "plunger" systems)

Some of these are just additional items I've been adding on or intend to add on, not necessarily the same kind of continuing concern:
- Cane(s) and crutches
- Dumb waiter to avoid carrying goods up and down stairs, with alternative lift
- AED machine (first aid only for times help isn't right there)
- ATV rack/ladder that can fold down and help Mom get Pops up if he's down somewhere or if she goes down and can't get up
- Crib pads with the fabric on one side and plastic on the other for beds
- Cloth sanitary pads for colds, coughs and "giggle fits"
- Battery air filters for the house that can remove pollen and dust and reduce allergens (normally accomplished by HVAC during the worst of the seasons that affect them)
- Guards that can be erected at bedside or the couch to take their weight and help them get up, especially if one leg or another or a back is injured
- More "grabbers" for reaching tops of cabinets and cleaning to reduce the little old lady rolling a stool back and forth and zinging up and down it - which is kind of funny and still requires a long set of tongs in some cases
- Stand can opener similar to the old tabletop commercial openers in case a hand is injured and regular manual openers are difficult or impossible to use
- Herbs and meds for common medical problems

Good topic. I'm interested in what others are doing and have done - for emergencies and everyday life. Seniors are pretty resourceful folks, so I'd love to know how they're accomplishing the things they used to so I can help my parents stay safe and self-sufficient, now and in the future.

Don't know if you need this, but maybe someone could use it...

http://montreal.kijiji.ca/c-buy-and-sell-furniture-beds-mattresses-Free-hospital-bed-located-in-Cornwall-Ontario-W0QQAdIdZ549083867