Feasting on delicious food is one of life’s pleasurable experiences, but when the process of eating becomes difficult, the enjoyment can fade. Difficulties swallowing, eyesight issues, arthritis, stroke, conditions that cause tremors, and other physical challenges can make food prep and eating a struggle – sometimes a little embarrassing. Fortunately, for you or a loved one, adaptive dining tools and modifications can help overcome some of the hurdles and make dining a pleasure again.
Adaptive dining tools for common conditions
Arthritis
If you have joint pain, stiffness, or a weakened grip from arthritis, thicker handles or ribbed handles on utensils can make them easier to grasp. Rocker knives are invaluable for one-handed, low-force cutting. When you need to wet your whistle, lightweight, easy-grip cups are easier to lift to your mouth and can also prevent spills.
Related: Tips for Tackling Hard-to-Open Packaging
Parkinson’s disease and other illnesses causing tremors
Trembling hands make it difficult to get food to your mouth without spilling. Weighted utensils can be beneficial to counteract tremors, while utensils with a swiveling mechanism can keep the fork or spoon level. Also, raising your plate using a special tool called a plate raiser – or simply a stack of books in a pinch – means you’ll just have to pivot from the elbow, rather than lift your whole arm, to feed yourself.
Drinking is easier using a cup with a spouted lid and handles. A weighted base can help minimize shaking and make hand movements smoother. If coordination and hand control are an issue, rocker knives, which require only one hand and less strength, provide precise cutting, and plate guards, which attach to the edge of a dish, or scoop plates and bowls with built-up sides give you a “wall” to push against. Nonslip mats and dishes with nonslip, weighted bases keep your dishes from sliding.
Torn rotator cuff or frozen shoulder
When you have a frozen shoulder, dislocated shoulder, or rotator cuff problems, your range of motion and ability to raise your hand to your mouth will be limited. And if you’re using your nondominant hand, your coordination will be compromised. Some of the adaptive dining tools mentioned elsewhere in this article can make eating easier and reduce messes. Cups with straws minimize lifting. There are even utensils with angled heads that keep you from having to twist your wrist or lift your elbow and shoulder (but be sure to avoid utensils that are weighted unless you’re also compensating for a tremor). You should also make sure you’re seated in a stable, armed chair and your table is at an appropriate height to facilitate eating.
Neck pain, stiffness, and limited head movement
When moving your neck is painful or limited, eating from a plate or bowl is difficult. Useful tools include a plate raiser, angled or swivel utensils, scooper bowls and plate guards, non-skid placemats, and straws. Hand-held foods are easier to eat, but you don’t want to compromise your health or your enjoyment by limiting your diet too much.
Stroke
If you’ve experienced a stroke and have weakness on your dominant side, you will struggle to get the food to your mouth with your nondominant hand. One stroke victim writes that the following adaptive dining tools were essential during her recovery: a rocker knife that didn’t require a fork to steady her food, weighted utensils to reduce tremor, aplate guard to provide a barrier for her to scoop food against, and a nonslip mat to prevent her plate from moving on the table (descriptions of all these items elsewhere in the article). If you have trouble swallowing (known as dysphagia) as a result of the stroke, you might also benefit from thickening liquids (on your doctor’s advice), sitting more upright, and taking smaller, slower bites. Some of these cooking tips for dysphagia might also help.
Dementia
Those living with Alzheimer’s disease or other types of dementia may lose interest in their food. In the later stages of the disease, they may also have difficulty chewing or swallowing or forget how to feed themselves. To make meals easier, your loved one with dementia may benefit from using some of the tools recommended above, including utensils with built-up handles, plate guards, and nonslip mats.
People with dementia may also lose visual contrast; therefore, light-colored food served on a white plate practically disappears, which can often make them leave food on their plate. However, a study showed that when food was served on a red plate to those with Alzheimer’s disease, they ate 25% more food. Plus, divided plates, which keep foods from mixing, reduce confusion for those with dementia as well as provide convenient sides to help with scooping, much like a plate guard or scoop bowl. A nosey cup, with a cutout for the person’s nose, allows them to drink without tilting their head back, which can help prevent choking.
Low vision
If you’re visually impaired, high-contrast dishes that contrast with the food (e.g., never serve tomatoes on a red plate) can make your food easier to see, while a contrasting, nonslip placemat can differentiate the dishes from the table while also keeping them firmly in place. Plate guards provide walls at the edge of a plate to scoop your food against, keeping you from accidentally pushing food off your plate. Depending on your level of impairment, other tools introduced above may also come in handy.
If you have questions about whether a particular adaptive dining tool is right for you, consult your physician or an occupational therapist.
