For a select few adults, spending time in the kitchen is a dream come true because they actually find joy in cooking for themselves and for loved ones.
For other folks, cooking is an absolute hassle but an unavoidable necessity. S
eniors are subject to certain roadblocks that come with age that impact their ability to cook even the simplest meals just for bare minimum nutritional purposes.
Here are just a few:
• Arthritic conditions: Arthritis of the hands make it very difficult to manipulate smaller objects, which puts a damper on the majority of cooking motions like chopping, mincing, twisting, pulling, and gripping. Arthritis of the shoulders and back means loss of range, which makes it challenging to reach for items in high and low cupboards.
• Fatigue: With age comes weariness. Traditional cooking requires a lot of standing, lifting, and shifting from task-to-task which many seniors find very frustrating to attain on low energy levels.
• Muscle weakness: Muscle weakness adds to the inability to perform cooking tasks such as prolonged stirring, standing, heavy lifting, and so on. Additionally, weakness combined with fatigue leads to balance issues and increased risk for falls.
• Pain: There is arthritic-associated pain as well as other pain-related conditions that come with age. If certain kitchen tasks cause additional pain, many seniors will call it quits before finishing a meal.
• Reduced vision: Vision problems makes it hard to complete kitchen tasks safely. Seniors who have difficulty seeing may struggle with lining up knives on the cutting board, looking at timers on the oven, and noticing overcooked or burning foods which can lead to serious safety hazards.
• Reduced hearing: Decreased hearing for seniors means not being able to hear timers go off, the beginning sizzles of oil in a pan, and smoke detectors if things do go awry.
For convenience and improved cooking experiences, we have selected 10 kitchen products available on Amazon.com that can make meal preparation easier for seniors:
One-handed paring board with Rocker Knife
Chop up all of your foods using only one hand. This is very useful for seniors with severe arthritis in the hands or complete immobility of one hand or arm.
https://www.amazon.com/Etac-Deluxe-One-Handed-Paring-Rocker/dp/B06XFW76WV/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=adaptive+kitchen+tools&qid=1602096853&sr=8-1
Jar Opener
There’s dozens of jar openers available on Amazon, but this one in particular is useful because it only requires one hand with minimal torque.
https://www.amazon.com/The-Grip-Jar-Opener-LLC/dp/B07LFJ6RV4/ref=sr_1_10?dchild=1&keywords=adaptive+kitchen+tools&qid=1602096853&sr=8-10
Steel chopper
The Cuisine art steel chopper is affordable and provides seniors a way to chop foods with the palm of their hands.
https://www.amazon.com/Cuisinart-CTG-00-SCHP-Stainless-Steel-Chopper/dp/B007TFNSLC/ref=sr_1_21?dchild=1&keywords=adaptive+kitchen+tools&qid=1602096946&sr=8-21
Instant Pot
Most instant pots are a bit of an investment; however, tossing foods into one pot, walking away, and coming back a short time later means less chopping time, less trips around the kitchen, not worrying about burning food, and less standing in place which is fatiguing and hard on the joints.
https://www.amazon.com/Electric-Pressure-Stainless-Sterilizer-Accessory/dp/B08CXTDY7X/ref=sr_1_2_sspa?dchild=1&keywords=Instant+pot&qid=1602097280&sr=8-2-spons&psc=1&smid=A19XSHZLTFFYY1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUEyVTlRMFZHNVlPODMxJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwMTIyMDc3R1RaRTlFQzNBMEJGJmVuY3J5cHRlZEFkSWQ9QTA3NDc2MDUzRFhGRFE3WThTQU9CJndpZGdldE5hbWU9c3BfYXRmJmFjdGlvbj1jbGlja1JlZGlyZWN0JmRvTm90TG9nQ2xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ==
Kitchen Aid Mixer
A sturdy kitchen aid takes care of intense stirring and kneading, which is hard on the joints and extremely tiresome.
https://www.amazon.com/KitchenAid-KSM180QHSD-Limited-Hearts-Passion/dp/B07PBQ22PP/ref=sxin_9_ac_d_rm?ac_md=1-1-a2l0Y2hlbmFpZCBzdGFuZCBtaXhlcg%3D%3D-ac_d_rm&cv_ct_cx=kitchenaid&dchild=1&keywords=kitchenaid&pd_rd_i=B07PBQ22PP&pd_rd_r=fc354456-2a5b-4466-b5d1-6e9a51c6b0f0&pd_rd_w=gFhNP&pd_rd_wg=5lNnP&pf_rd_p=3d1a8341-be16-45b1-ae3d-ba8c533ec9f0&pf_rd_r=SFY3WMBVCDV81TEFFYTT&psc=1&qid=1602097331&sr=1-2-12d4272d-8adb-4121-8624-135149aa9081
Mix N’Chop
Rather than hopping from one work area to another, you can stir and chop food simultaneously in one bowl in order to save your joints and energy.
https://www.amazon.com/Pampered-Chef-Mix-Chop-2583/dp/B0011UFPXU/ref=sr_1_36?dchild=1&keywords=adaptive+kitchen+tools&qid=1602096946&sr=8-36
Stingray 6 in 1 Tool Gadget
Lift and flip hot food in a pan with one hand. This means avoiding the temptation to touch hot food to guide a flip and freeing up a hand for other kitchen tasks.
https://www.amazon.com/Multi-Function-Stainless-Construction-Heat-Safe-One-Handed/dp/B00P6P5LXU/ref=sr_1_47?dchild=1&keywords=adaptive+kitchen+tools&qid=1602096946&sr=8-47
Foam Grips
Foam grips are cheap and can be slipped onto any cooking utensil. Wider grip means less strain on the hands and less dropping incidences. Grips come in bright colors, making utensils easy to spot in a busy drawer.
https://www.amazon.com/6-Pack-Foam-Grip-Tubing-Latex-Free/dp/B06XTLQ95N/ref=sr_1_50?dchild=1&keywords=adaptive+kitchen+tools&qid=1602096946&sr=8-50
Grabber Reacher
A strong-grip reacher grabber is useful for grabbing small items from high and low cupboards, which is a lifesaver for seniors with shoulder and back problems.
https://www.amazon.com/Foldable-Mobility-Reaching-Extension-Mazarine2/dp/B07GTWWJB5/ref=sr_1_55_sspa?dchild=1&keywords=adaptive+kitchen+tools&qid=1602096946&sr=8-55-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUFKOENXMEVTQVNNUlomZW5jcnlwdGVkSWQ9QTEwMDQ5ODE2TUlFNE5GNVBTWlYmZW5jcnlwdGVkQWRJZD1BMDE5NDc0NzNFVUFWSTlZVlBPSzMmd2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9idGYmYWN0aW9uPWNsaWNrUmVkaXJlY3QmZG9Ob3RMb2dDbGljaz10cnVl
Universal Cuff
Universal cuffs are used by individuals who can’t make a fist to hold items due to arthritis, paralysis, etc. Just simply slide it over the palm and connect a kitchen utensil for stirring, chopping, and so on.
https://www.amazon.com/Maddak-Adjustable-Pediatric-Universal-736171001/dp/B000NE23Z8/ref=sr_1_5?dchild=1&keywords=universal+cuff&qid=1602097226&sr=8-5
