How Do You Deal with Handicaps in the Kitchen?

[Kim Shook]

I need to find a really good magnifying glass that I can take in my pocketbook with me.  I have two useless ones - a plastic one that fits with my credit cards (nothing ever comes into focus and it's scratched) and one that is rounded on one side and flat on the other that inexplicably turns everything upside down.  🤨

[lindag]

11 minutes ago, Kim Shook said:

I need to find a really good magnifying glass that I can take in my pocketbook with me.  I have two useless ones - a plastic one that fits with my credit cards (nothing ever comes into focus and it's scratched) and one that is rounded on one side and flat on the other that inexplicably turns everything upside down.  🤨

I could  used one of those myself.    

[Tropicalsenior]

18 minutes ago, Kim Shook said:

I need to find a really good magnifying glass that I can take in my pocketbook

I actually found mine in a bookstore. Find a bookstore that sells lots of bookmarks and gadgets.

[heidih]

Along with the mannifying glass need I often have a lighting issue which affects my vision. The architect who designed this house designed another one that I LOVE but he particularly fell face first on the electrical - outlet locations and lighting. I bought this Vekkia hands free light for reading in bed but works great in the kitchen. I can't even wear necklaces but this is light, non irritating, arms flex, and 3 light levels. Directed well so I can see!  https://www.vekkia.com/products/hands-free-neck-book-light?

Edited April 28, 2022 by heidih (log)

[Kim Shook]

51 minutes ago, heidih said:

Along with the mannifying glass need I often have a lighting issue which affects my vision. The architect who designed this house designed another one that I LOVE but he particularly fell face first on the electrical - outlet locations and lighting. I bought this Vekkia hands free light for reading in bed but works great in the kitchen. I can't even wear necklaces but this is light, non irritating, arms flex, and 3 light levels. Directed well so I can see!  https://www.vekkia.com/products/hands-free-neck-book-light?

Great price!  I've just added one to my wishlist.  My ultimate dream is under cabinet lights, but in the meantime, I'm hoping this might help with the dark kitchen issue.  

[heidih]

19 minutes ago, Kim Shook said:

Great price!  I've just added one to my wishlist.  My ultimate dream is under cabinet lights, but in the meantime, I'm hoping this might help with the dark kitchen issue.  

I had underccabinet lighting in another big open plan kitchen. I did not ask for it. The electrician said he had to do them to meet Title 24 - California's energy efficiency  standards - big enforced deal for years. - so you don't turn the giant overhead lights on when not needed. Still does not rectify the vision issue for really small stuff.  

Edited April 28, 2022 by heidih (log)

[Margaret Pilgrim]

These are two of my constant travel companions, for maps, menus, et al.    The "tortoise" one I bought, the black one I made from one of those magnifying glasses that fold into a little case.    I wear them instead of jewelry.    Both look close to smart and certainly fill a need.

 

There are many kinds offered on the internet.   

[BeeZee]

Magnifying glass app on my phone does the trick when needed (it basically hijacks the camera function, very simple, and free to download). Have used the flashlight function more than once in restaurants, too.

[JoNorvelleWalker]

On 4/28/2022 at 4:12 PM, heidih said:

Along with the mannifying glass need I often have a lighting issue which affects my vision. The architect who designed this house designed another one that I LOVE but he particularly fell face first on the electrical - outlet locations and lighting. I bought this Vekkia hands free light for reading in bed but works great in the kitchen. I can't even wear necklaces but this is light, non irritating, arms flex, and 3 light levels. Directed well so I can see!  https://www.vekkia.com/products/hands-free-neck-book-light?

 

Many thanks.  Just ordered.  Amazon limited time deal $13.99.

 

[JoNorvelleWalker]

I received my Vekkia from amazon the other day.  It is everything that @heidih promised.  I was so pleased I ordered a newer model from the same supplier that was $2 more.  On the new version there is no lump in the middle of the (your) neck, and no wretched micro USB connector, the worst electrical connector devised by man (obviously).

 

In addition to perusing cookbooks, I can use the lights for commuting down the state highway in the dark of night on my trek home from the library.  Gives drivers something to aim at.

 

 

 

[Anna N]

I am reviving this, only to avoid taking another thread topic. It is not aimed at any one poster, but it’s an attempt to make us all more aware of who exactly makes up our community.

 

For those not coping with handicaps, an extra pan is no big deal. Sheetpan meals that cook all at one time seem like a bit of a fad.  A food processor used to grate up a carrot seems overkill. But put yourself in the shoes of someone who is still trying to feed themselves, but is now limited by vision problems, mobility problems, requires oxygen, etc. etc. etc.  Little things make a huge difference. An extra pot to wash may lead to a decision not to bother feeding themselves because it’s just beyond their physical ability.  
 

We can all be dismissive at times. I am just as guilty as anyone, but I do urge us all to realize that this community encompasses many people with many different challenges, as this thread clearly shows. 

[BetD]

Always nice to see this topic boosted, as I have picked up a number of ideas that have made my life easier/hands happier.

[Tropicalsenior]

31 minutes ago, BetD said:

Always nice to see this topic boosted, as I have picked up a number of ideas that have made my life easier/hands happier.

I think as we get older, the trick is not so much to work less it is to work smarter.

I never move from one part of the kitchen or to one part of the house with empty hands. I make every trip count.

One thing that I have started to do is to set up a tray before I start to finish my dinner with everything to set the table. Plates, silverware, napkins, and all my serving spoons that I will be using. That way I have one trip to the table and done.

Edited December 21, 2022 by Tropicalsenior (log)

[dcarch]

On 4/28/2022 at 12:15 PM, Kim Shook said:

I need to find a really good magnifying glass that I can take in my pocketbook with me.  I have two useless ones - a plastic one that fits with my credit cards (nothing ever comes into focus and it's scratched) and one that is rounded on one side and flat on the other that inexplicably turns everything upside down.  🤨

 

You can use your cell phone camera to view and enlarge.

 

dcarch

[Tropicalsenior]

1 minute ago, dcarch said:

 

You can use your cell phone camera to view and enlarge.

 

dcarch

I also photograph and enlarge hard to read directions that I would be using all the time. I keep them in a photo file so that it is easy to refer back to them instead of hunting for a magnifying glass or enlarging them every time you need to read them. That and the flashlight feature on a cell phone can be a big help to those that are visually impaired. I used my flashlight feature today to read the menu at lunch in a restaurant that was definitely light deficient. Otherwise I would have had to have somebody read the menu for me.

[Tropicalsenior]

Another cell phone feature that older people don't take enough advantage of is dictation. All smartphones have it and it sure is a lot easier than trying to hunt and Peck on that tiny little keyboard. If I didn't have that you would hear from me once a year at Christmas time when I wished you "hoppy halidabs."

Edited December 21, 2022 by Tropicalsenior (log)

[Darienne]

Much of my life is in the cellar of our house and Ed, bless him, has put up a second handrail on the cellar stairs...yes, it's a cellar, not a basement...which is an incredible help to me.  I'm not that handy on the stairs any more.

 

I also have two large pails.  One lives in the cellar and the other in my den.  Thus I can much more easily and safely transport stuff from up to down and down to up, holding the pain handle in one hand and the railing in either of the other two hands.  I can also rest the pail on the stairs if I need to. 

[Tropicalsenior]

7 minutes ago, Darienne said:

yes, it's a cellar, not a basement...

Oh dear! I'm afraid if that were mine I would just have to forget that I had a celler. Stairs are completely out of my league. Fortunately, our house is on all one level and years ago my husband made me a rolling cart. It was originally to use for my sewing machine but it has turned out to be the best thing that he ever made for me.

I use it all the time to bring groceries in from the car. I can roll it right up to the trunk and put everything on it. And I usually have a lot of bags because I have the checkers all trained to only fill them about  half full.

If we are eating in the dining room, I use it to take in all my dishes to set the table, once again with all the food, and afterwards I put a dish tub on it and bring back in all the dishes.

[Darienne]

25 minutes ago, Tropicalsenior said:

Oh dear! I'm afraid if that were mine I would just have to forget that I had a celler. Stairs are completely out of my league. Fortunately, our house is on all one level and years ago my husband made me a rolling cart. It was originally to use for my sewing machine but it has turned out to be the best thing that he ever made for me.

I use it all the time to bring groceries in from the car. I can roll it right up to the trunk and put everything on it. And I usually have a lot of bags because I have the checkers all trained to only fill them about  half full.

If we are eating in the dining room, I use it to take in all my dishes to set the table, once again with all the food, and afterwards I put a dish tub on it and bring back in all the dishes.

Good stuff!

 

I'm not the most agile or nimble on the stairs, and I do them two feet to each stair, but I can still do them, thank heavens.  

[kayb]

6 hours ago, Anna N said:

I am reviving this, only to avoid taking another thread topic. It is not aimed at any one poster, but it’s an attempt to make us all more aware of who exactly makes up our community.

 

For those not coping with handicaps, an extra pan is no big deal. Sheetpan meals that cook all at one time seem like a bit of a fad.  A food processor used to grate up a carrot seems overkill. But put yourself in the shoes of someone who is still trying to feed themselves, but is now limited by vision problems, mobility problems, requires oxygen, etc. etc. etc.  Little things make a huge difference. An extra pot to wash may lead to a decision not to bother feeding themselves because it’s just beyond their physical ability.  
 

We can all be dismissive at times. I am just as guilty as anyone, but I do urge us all to realize that this community encompasses many people with many different challenges, as this thread clearly shows. 

Well said. 

[dcarch]

Many ideas for anyone, whether you are having problems physically or not. Just ideas to make work more pleasant. I will post more when I have more time.

1. Some one gave me a mobility scooter because it was not working well. All I did was replaced the batteries with lithium batteries. Scooters are fast, variable speed, go forward and backwards. So much easier to go from one end of the garden to another, especially with tools and supplies.

 

2. I got a rechargeable tire inflater (Amazon, $20) and installed a tire air nipple on a 2 gallon garden sprayer ($0.50? whatever you call that thing where you inflate a tire). You know how annoying it is to have to pump, pump, pump and pump to spray ? especially on a hot summer day? No more. The pump is very small and digital, just set a pressure, that's all.

 

dcarch

Edited December 22, 2022 by dcarch (log)

[JoNorvelleWalker]

7 hours ago, Tropicalsenior said:

I think as we get older, the trick is not so much to work less it is to work smarter.

I never move from one part of the kitchen or to one part of the house with empty hands. I make every trip count.

One thing that I have started to do is to set up a tray before I start to finish my dinner with everything to set the table. Plates, silverware, napkins, and all my serving spoons that I will be using. That way I have one trip to the table and done.

 

Yes, but when you get there do you remember what you went there for?

 

[Maison Rustique]

@Tropicalsenior, would you be willing to post or message me a photo of the cart your husband made for you? It sounds like it would be such a great help. Thank you! 

[Tropicalsenior]

8 minutes ago, Maison Rustique said:

It sounds like it would be such a great help.

Happy to oblige. I just happened to have it sitting in the hallway ready to go grocery shopping. He also made the hallway table and the niche above it.

 

[Darienne]

I know that no one requested a photo of the rolling table Ed made for me but I thought I'd post it anyway...it has a very helpful handle on one side.  Ed didn't actually construct the table...I imagine he bought it at the ReStore, his favorite department store, but he added the wheels and the handle.   (As usual, my apologies for my dreadful photographic skills. )  

 

The dining room table is just feet away and I can unload all the stuff onto it in a minute to wheel in my humongous stand mixer or my new ice cream maker (gifted to me this August by a friend who never once used it) They are in the Southwest style cabinet (also a ReStore purchase  (we are nothing if not frugal)  to the left of the table.