Arthritis is one of the most common conditions in the UK. Affecting around 10 million people*, arthritis can occur at any age, although it is most prevalent in people above the age of 40.
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Types of Arthritis & Problems Caused
80% of those with this condition have Osteoarthritis; it deteriorates the smooth cartilage lining of the joint. As you can imagine, this makes movement of the joint particularly tricky, and often painful.
Similarly, Rheumatoid arthritis causes joints to swell and become painful.
The Kitchen is one environment that requires a certain level of dexterity. With this in mind, individuals with arthritis can find the simplest tasks challenging.
We use our hands and our grip to do heavy lifting of pots and pans, as well as smaller chores like opening cans and bottles.
Fortunately, there is a wide range of kitchen aids available to simplify these pesky tasks. Here’s our list of kitchen must-haves for people with arthritis:
One Touch Can Opener
Opening tins and cans can be challenging, even for those with good dexterity! An everyday can opener requires a strong wrist, hand, and finger movements.
Understandably, this could be very painful for those with arthritis.
The One Touch Can Opener is an excellent device and is exactly as it says on the tin (excuse the pun)! This quick, easy cap opener eradicates any unnecessary stress that is usually exerted on the individual’s joints.
Once the ergonomically shaped device is attached to the can, the user can just press the button and put it to work.
Lightweight Foam Handle Cutlery Set
For individuals with more severe arthritis, holding cutlery can also be a problem. Heavy knives and forks may be difficult to lift and use.
Similarly, skinny cutlery might be hard to get a grip on if you have reduced finger strength.
This Lightweight Foam Handle Cutlery set makes it easy to grip, lift, and use. The lightweight design means that there’s minimal weight to be lifted by the user, and the foam handle provides a larger surface to hold on to when using these knives, forks, and spoons.
This cutlery is available to buy as a set or as individual pieces.
Kitchen Workstation
Gripping food whilst cutting or slicing through it can also be a pain. From buttering bread to chopping potatoes, good grip strength is needed simply to hold the food in place.
Joints can also become inflamed due to repetitive movements, so preparing food can be rather cumbersome for those with arthritis.
The Kitchen Workstation was designed to tackle the physical stress caused during food preparation. This multi-faceted kitchen aid is equipped with a removable grater and slicer, removable spikes and a clamp to hold the food in place.
There’s also a raised L-shape corner to cradle bread when it is being buttered. This workstation removes the need to firmly hold food when it is being prepared, putting a lot less stress on the user’s hands.
Perching Stool
Standing up for prolonged periods can also aggravate arthritis. A lot of kitchen activities require the individual to be stood up, so this causes a problem for those who perhaps experience pain.
A Perching Stool is the ideal solution to this problem. They’re small, and can be folded down and stored away when not in use to give extra space in the kitchen.
They can also be adjusted to the perfect height for the user to sit comfortably at the kitchen counter or worktop, meaning that they can carry out their tasks without applying extra stress on unnecessary joints.
Kettle Tipper
Kettles are heavy. Some kettles are heavy even when they’re not filled! So we can only imagine how testing it is to lift a full kettle if you have arthritis.
Tipping the kettle is even worse if your wrist is under stress; it can make you shake and cause spillage.
Kettle Tippers are an easy solution to this problem. The minimalist design cradles the kettle and is hinged so you can pour the water out securely.
The wire frame holds the kettle, which is then secured with an elasticated strap for peace of mind. The Kettle Tipper also has a handy positioning feature to ensure that the mug is in the right spot for pouring into.
Bottle Opener & Jar Opener
Stiff bottle tops and jar lids pose another problem when in the kitchen. Sometimes requiring (what feels like) superhuman strength, twisting the tops of these containers puts tremendous stress on the wrist, hand, and fingers.
Understandably, those with limited dexterity will find this task one of the most challenging when in the kitchen.
These small but effective Bottle and Jar Openers fit on the top of the bottle, and provide extra grip and to help ease the cap off. These simple kitchen aids actually require less effort from the user for them to work, making this task so much easier.
For those who are looking for a device that makes light work of an array of kitchen containers and such, the 6-in-1 Multi Opener is also available. This handheld device can tackle ring pulls, metal bottle caps, jar lids, bottle tops, and it features an enclosed blade to slice through tightly sealed bags.
Summary
Arthritis can be bothersome and painful to live with – but there is a range of equipment available to help tackle these tasks. The items listed above are just a few options that we stock.
If there’s a particular device that you need help finding, then please get in touch with us – we’re more than happy to help with any arthritis aids for any environment!
*Our statistics have been taken from the NHS page on arthritis. If you’d like to read more about the condition, then the Arthritis Research UK website may be of some use to you.
Graeme has worked alongside the public sector for much of his working life, helping departments improve efficiencies and deliver on projects. In his role at Vivid.Care, Graeme used his experience to tackle some of the most challenging issues in the healthcare sector, from falls through to winter pressures. He was also a guest speaker and a number of different conferences, including at the Falls Prevention Summit in London.
