Cerebral Palsy Eating Equipment
Filed under Disability
Feeding oneself is a basic necessity to show independence and freedom from caregivers. However, some people with Cerebral palsy are unable to as the result of damage, injury or malformation to certain areas of the brain. Cerebral palsy affects muscle control and physical movements. This can hinder the ability to walk, talk and eat. With no known cure for the disease, physical and speech therapists work with Cerebral palsy patients on exercises that develop muscle coordination so they can perform everyday physical activities such as feeding themselves and grabbing and lifting up objects. With the assistance of eating equipment, people with Cerebral palsy can be independently eating.
Utensil Cuffs
Cerebral palsy involves the lack the fine motor control necessary for holding a spoon or fork, making it difficult to self-feed. A utensil cuff wraps around the hand, allowing the person to focus on scooping up food without holding the utensil. Elastic utensil cuffs fit comfortably around the hand and have a pocket that holds utensils. These helpful tools allow people with Cerebral palsy to build control while learning to feed themselves.
Hand Clips
Similar to the cuff, a utensil hand clips slide in place around the hand, keeping utensils in the grasp of people with Cerebral palsy. The hand clips feature a spring action that closes on the hand without pinching or fitting too tight. Caregivers can easily attach small utensils to the clip, allowing people with Cerebral palsy to retrieve foods and feed themselves.
Non Slip Mats
As people with Cerebral palsy practice feeding oneself, they often knock plates, bowls and cups around due to underdeveloped muscle control. Non slip mats hold dishes firmly in place, facilitating the eating process. These non slip mats easily adhere to table tops and high chair trays. They also roll up, making it easy to use Cerebral palsy eating equipment in public places.
Feeding Bibs
Another useful tool in preventing messy eating, feeding bibs allow people with Cerebral palsy to feed themselves without worrying about soiling their clothing. Feeding bibs catch dropped spoonfuls of messy foods, such as soup, yogurt, applesauce and cereal. Some clothing protectors are resistant to stains and water that make it easier to clean and wipe the food off. This lets people with Cerebral palsy practice eating these foods by controlling utensils and bringing food to their mouths.
Tags: Adult Bibs to Protect Your Skin, Handicap Eating Utensils
Turning Knobs Easier
Filed under Disability
Anyone who has arthritis or difficulties with grasping or pinching due to an injury or limited hand strength may find it hard to operate devices which are controlled by knobs, such as many major home appliances: stoves, washers and dryers, dishwashers. Luckily, there are a variety of tools available to help, available online and listed under the general category of knob turners that provide a longer handle, better grip and less strength to turn or open objects .
Knob Turners
Most knob turners feature either a rubber cup or a compressible operating surface that fits over the knob to be turned. Attached to the turning knob operator is a grip of some type; there are several different shapes designed for different types of disabilities. One common type is the T turning handle. As its name suggests, it is a vertical post on the back of the operating surface with a crosspiece that may be horizontal or slightly angled. Other types of grips include ball grips and pistol grips. Some models have an elongated handle to allow the user to reach knobs at the back of the appliance.
The different types of operating surfaces have different applications. Compressible surfaces work best on knobs which have a narrow, flat protrusion that requires pinching to operate. The compressible surface molds itself to the protrusion to grip it for turning. This type of knob turner also works on water faucet knobs that are X-shaped. Rubber-cup surfaces work best on round knobs. Typically they have a slightly tacky surface that grips the knob to turn it.
Key Turners
A specialized type of knob turner is a key turner. Key turners have one or more slots into which keys are fitted and held in place with a screw. The grip is usually pistol-shaped.
Knob turners are intended for individuals to own and carry with them to use whenever needed. The 1994 Americans with Disabilities Act does require public accommodations to provide grip assistance, but usually these take the form of permanently-installed lever-type or hands-free doorknobs or faucet handles, not portable individual devices. Most knob turners require very little if any maintenance. Try washing them occasionally with dish detergent to keep it clean and maintain the grip.
Prices of knob turners vary from less than $10 to around $40, depending on the design, materials, and construction. Knob turners are an inexpensive way to make many daily tasks easier for persons with limited hand function.
