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Useful Articles by the Home Not Alone Staff:
Two Articles about Adapting your Home
Home is Where the Kitchen is
David W. Stephen, Ph.D.
Man uses tools. That is what separates us from beasts, to a large extent. We have opposable thumbs and a brain naturally designed to solve problems. This helps us invent, make and use tools.
Nowadays, seniors have more tools than ever to help them remain at home. Tools that help seniors do tasks that have become difficult or impossible are now called “assistive technology.” Today, we’ll look at some of the kitchen tools and modifications that can help an elder remain at home, tools designed to maintain a person’s independence, dignity and security.
IN THE KITCHEN
The kitchen is an important room, perhaps the heart of the home. When nimbleness of digit or spryness afoot desert us, we can make some adaptations to compensate. Here are some adaptive technology ideas for the kitchen. These modifications can help a person who may have arthritis, weak hands, tremors, or decreased mobility and balance.
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Remove the cupboard and drawer knobs and replace with large C shaped drawer pulls. These large openings allow you to place a hand inside the cranny and pull doors and drawers open with the wrist and arm rather than having to grasp and pull with the fingers.
Remove the cupboard and drawer knobs and replace with large C shaped drawer pulls. These large openings allow you to place a hand inside the cranny and pull doors and drawers open with the wrist and arm rather than having to grasp and pull with the fingers.•Replace small faucet handles with large lever type handles. This gives a bigger target and more leverage for an unsteady or weak hand.
Replace small faucet handles with large lever type handles. This gives a bigger target and more leverage for an unsteady or weak hand.•Fat handles on spoons, forks, knives and food preparation utensils make gripping easier. You can buy these ready made, but I have seen some clever folks make ingenious low cost substitutes. One fellow buys foam insulation tubing for water pipes at the hardware store, then cuts it to size and slips it over the handles of his spoon and fork and secures it with electrical tape. He claims it goes through the dishwasher several times before he has to replace it. A child’s bicycle handle grip works, too. More expensive but more sanitary tubing is available at medical supply stores (ask for “Rubatoze.”)
Fat handles on spoons, forks, knives and food preparation utensils make gripping easier. You can buy these ready made, but I have seen some clever folks make ingenious low cost substitutes. One fellow buys foam insulation tubing for water pipes at the hardware store, then cuts it to size and slips it over the handles of his spoon and fork and secures it with electrical tape. He claims it goes through the dishwasher several times before he has to replace it. A child’s bicycle handle grip works, too. More expensive but more sanitary tubing is available at medical supply stores (ask for “Rubatoze.”)•Some kitchens are carpeted. A short, smooth weave (like indoor-outdoor “Astroturf”) may work, but a thicker carpet with a pad makes pushing a walker or wheelchair difficult.
Some kitchens are carpeted. A short, smooth weave (like indoor-outdoor “Astroturf”) may work, but a thicker carpet with a pad makes pushing a walker or wheelchair difficult.•Opening the refrigerator door may be a problem if you have to step backwards or out of the way to first open the door, then step towards it to access the interior. Moving the appliance (or furniture around it) for easy access from the side may help. Most refrigerator door hinges can be easily changed to swing open from the other side, which may solve the access problem.
Opening the refrigerator door may be a problem if you have to step backwards or out of the way to first open the door, then step towards it to access the interior. Moving the appliance (or furniture around it) for easy access from the side may help. Most refrigerator door hinges can be easily changed to swing open from the other side, which may solve the access problem.•A utility cart with wheels can make transporting items from the refrigerator, stove or pantry easier than carrying them.
A utility cart with wheels can make transporting items from the refrigerator, stove or pantry easier than carrying them.•Removing hot dishes or cups from the microwave or oven can be a problem if you have tremors or a hand that is weak or stiff. Try placing the tea or coffee cup inside a baking dish with a handle to get a more secure grip.
Removing hot dishes or cups from the microwave or oven can be a problem if you have tremors or a hand that is weak or stiff. Try placing the tea or coffee cup inside a baking dish with a handle to get a more secure grip. •Cutting boards can be purchased or made with stainless steel nails poking up from the bottom side. The spikes will hold a potato, apple, brick of cheese or chunk of meat for easier slicing.
Cutting boards can be purchased or made with stainless steel nails poking up from the bottom side. The spikes will hold a potato, apple, brick of cheese or chunk of meat for easier slicing.•Likewise, a small plastic cafeteria tray makes a good cutting board because the lipped sides keep tomato juice and seeds, meat or fruit juices, etc, from spilling onto the counter. A tray also helps contain spills that occur when eating at the table.
Likewise, a small plastic cafeteria tray makes a good cutting board because the lipped sides keep tomato juice and seeds, meat or fruit juices, etc, from spilling onto the counter. A tray also helps contain spills that occur when eating at the table.•Make a plywood or hardwood cutting board to fit over the sink. Cut a hole in the center and place a bowl in the sink under the hole. Scrape chopped food through the hole into the bowl.
Make a plywood or hardwood cutting board to fit over the sink. Cut a hole in the center and place a bowl in the sink under the hole. Scrape chopped food through the hole into the bowl.•For food storage, a clothes pin is easier to operate than a zip lock or twist tie.
For food storage, a clothes pin is easier to operate than a zip lock or twist tie.•A damp cloth on the counter keeps mixing bowls from sliding around.
A damp cloth on the counter keeps mixing bowls from sliding around.•Set the tea kettle, tea pot or large measuring jar on a 2-4” high block of wood and use as a tipping platform for pouring liquids.
Set the tea kettle, tea pot or large measuring jar on a 2-4” high block of wood and use as a tipping platform for pouring liquids.•Travel coffee mugs with spill reducing lids are useful for transporting beverages or for sipping while in bed.
Travel coffee mugs with spill reducing lids are useful for transporting beverages or for sipping while in bed.This is just the tip of the iceberg for clever adaptive technology inventions and modifications, and we haven’t even left the kitchen! Of course many of these tools require some patience while learning to use them, but the safety they offer make the effort worth it.
In-Home Safety: Assistive Tips for the Bathroom
David W. Stephen, PhD
We all feel better when we are well groomed and clean, so here are some helpful hints to make the bathroom easier to use and safer for seniors living at home. The bathroom is the most common site in the house for accidents.
Often, limited mobility or balance and gripping problems in the bathroom can be overcome with some very simple modifications. Technically, these tips fall under the category of “assistive technology” but most of the following are very “low tech.” While most medical supply firms sell ready-made devices like those described below, many can be homemade to maximize independence and quality of life for seniors who wish to remain at home, safely.
DOORS: First, check the width of bathroom doors. Easy access to the bathroom is crucial, especially if using a walker or wheel chair. Generally, openings should be at least 32 inches wide for easy entering and exiting. Sometimes removing the door and molding around the door gives extra width. If privacy is an issue, a shower curtain hung in the door way may suffice. In other cases, special swing-away hinges can be cheaply installed to increase free space by as much as three inches. The area just inside and outside the doorway should be reconsidered to make sure there is enough room to pivot once inside. This movement requires up to sixty inches of free space in each direction. Before going to expensive remodeling efforts, simply moving unnecessary furniture can accommodate this extra room for easy navigation in a walker or wheel chair.
GRAB BARS: Only an estimated 6% of elders have grab bars installed in their homes. Moving on a moist or wet floor surface, often balancing on one foot, can make the situation very dangerous. A towel rack is not a sufficient support and relying on one may be an accident waiting to happen. Garb bars should be able to hold 250 lbs. and should be securely anchored to wall studs with at least two of the three screws. Grab bars cost only $20-$100 per bar, depending on the style and surface on which they are mounted. You may need a handyman to locate studs and drill through tiled walls.
Usually there are two grab bars in a tub or shower, one mounted vertically and one diagonally. These should be custom fit to the right height for each senior. Most grab bars give at lease one and a half inches of space from the wall. This distance allows for easy gripping but is not so far from the wall that the elder can slip a wrist though.
TOILETS: For toilets, properly mounted grab bars all the way around are best. Wall mounted bars are safer than free standing ones. Raised toilet seats are inexpensive and allow easier transfer from and to a standing position. Seniors who have had recent hip surgery usually love these high chairs because they avoid excessive bending, which can be painful.
A bedside commode (BSC) is handy at night. Often, when a senior wakens and needs to use the bathroom, it is dangerous to navigate to the bathroom. One client, Gerry, 86, a fall risk, needed an elongated BSC to accommodate his need for a wide, deep berth. BSCs come in many shapes and sizes, some with support bars. The ones with built-in hand support bars can be moved to stand directly over the toilet and double as a raised seat.
SHOWERS: A shower or bath bench is useful for resting, even for those who can stand during showering. Most all have height adjustments to make standing and sitting easier. Transfer from a wheel chair is easiest when the bench is the same height as the chair. Swivel bath seats are also nifty and can be a transfer and in-shower aid. Make sure water faucets are easily reachable. If not, be sure to use a hand-held shower nozzle with an extra long flexible hose, so if water temperature changes during the shower, the elder is not stuck in the spray.
BATH TUB: In both the shower and the tub, non skid mats are essential to reduce the risk of a fall. Our friend Elsie (who turns 100 this year, and still lives at home!) places a towel in the tub when she travels, if there is not a mat available. If the shower is in the tub, you can buy a six-legged tub bench which has four legs of the bench inside the tub and extends beyond the tub side with the extra two legs and bench into the bathroom so you can sit down, scoot over, and transfer one leg at a time into to the tub for showering.
OTHER ITEMS: A shower mitt is easily made by sewing up one side of a wash cloth. It can be soaped and saves the trouble of handling a slippery soap bar. Some prefer to slip the soap inside the mitt in and hold it in the palm of the hand for a constant supply of suds. A long handled back brush is a helpful scrubber for both the back and the lower legs. Sometimes holding a hair dryer is difficult for those with limited hand functions. Hands-free hair dryers can be mounted on the wall or come on a free-standing base.
Remember that moisturizing lotion is most effectively applied right after a bath when your skin is still moist and receptive to penetration. Finally, night lights are cheap, convenient and add safety. More light is always safer, so slight modifications to lighting fixtures can add even more safety by brightening the bathroom.
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