I haven’t been able to open a pickle jar or even a catsup bottle for some time, so whenever I see an article about hands-free products I snatch it up. Seniors who want to be independent soon learn to recognize hand friendly products. It is a good feeling to know that you can do things for yourself.
Whether you have actually been diagnosed with arthritis or not is immaterial. If your hands are stiff and sore you have to consider the possibility that you have some age related joint changes. You don’t have to be particularly old for this to happen; carpal tunnel and other degenerative changes can be related to plain old repetitive stress. The chances are pretty good that pain and weakness will show up long before you were willing to admit to anything age related.
Heather Larson (Arthritis Today March/April 2011) wrote a brief recap about products designed for people who find twisting, pushing or pulling especially painful. Incorporating joint protection into your life is an effective way to avoid or relieve pain. Hands-free and touch-less products are showing up wherever home goods are sold. Wouldn’t it be grand to be able to open a jar without having to hand it off to someone else, and then pretend that it was your efforts that loosed it in the first place? On that note, what do you do it no one else is around?
Automatic jar and can openers decrease the amount of strain on the ligaments that support finger and thumb joints. My personal favorite is the OXO Good Grip jar opener. I use it more than any other gadget in my kitchen, except the electric can opener of course. No batteries, no tricks, just a simple V that slides around any size jar. What a marvelous invention!
The author also recommended a book holder. It doesn’t turn pages automatically but it allows you to read with less pain. If your hands and thumbs are sore and the book is heavy, a book holder will ease the strain of trying to grip with thumb and index finger to hold it in place. I am still waiting for my e-book to come out with a model that will flip pages with only a slight tap. The little arrows on the frame are harder to activate than they should be. If you are taking advantage of the large print fonts you have to press the page turner a lot of times to read the equivalent of one page.
Hands-free faucets and toilets eliminate twisting and pushing movements, and touch-less trashcans will open as your hand nears the lid. No need to juggle trash while reaching for the lid. There are a variety of products on the market that are easy and comfortable to grip. Kitchen stores are great places to find specialty items and a lot of fun to browse.
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