Parkinson’s Aids For Eating

Keatlery Stainless Steel Weighted Eating Utensils

The KEatlery Stainless Steel Weighted Eating Utensils are the most popular weighted eating utensils for Parkinsons disease. They are made of high polished 18/0 stainless steel and weigh as much as 7.2 ounces each. Each weighted utensil helps to reduce hand tremors, allowing the user to enjoy their meal without spillage or assistance from a caregiver. Other features include:

• Easy-to-grip finger indentations for a more controlled and comfortable, non-slip grip
• A deeper bowl and a recessed edge in the soup spoon to prevent spilling
• Quality stainless steel made to last a lifetime
• Dishwasher safe

Order your set today and treat yourself to a night out with friends and family! The KEatlery Weighted Eating Utensils blend in perfectly with ordinary stainless steel utensils!

More Information About Equipment

Yoorallas Independent Living Centre provides information about a large range of assistive and communication technologies to support children and adults with disability with their functional independence at home, work and in their communities.

Equipment can be viewed and trialed at the ILC showroom in Braybrook, Victoria. Therapists are available to provide information and advice. For more information you can phone the ILC on 1300 885 886 or visit their website at www.ilcaustralia.org.au.

Adaptive Devices To Help Reduce Tremors

Resting or action tremors from Parkinsons or ET in any part of the body make performing routine daily tasks very difficult. However, there are adaptive devices designed to help reduce essential tremors and Parkinsons tremors. These adaptive devices were developed to help users maintain their independence and regain their self-reliance. Below are just a few devices designed to help with eating, drinking, dressing, and writing.

Adaptive Eating Utensils, Dinnerware & Drinking Aid

Adaptive eating utensils are a great place to start for reducing tremors associated with ET and Parkinsons disease. There are several popular eating aids to choose from. An all-time favorite is the KEatlery Heavy Weighted Eating Utensils. This elegant eating utensil is solid stainless steel and weighted to help steady the hand while using them. Each utensil weighs a little over seven ounces, has a larger ergonomic handle with finger indentations for a comfortable, non-slip grip. These utensils are dishwasher safe and come as a 3-piece or 4-piece set.

The Weighted Insulated Mug with No-Spill Lid enables users with Parkinsons and ET to enjoy their favorite beverage without spillage. The mug has an added steel weight at the base to steady the hand while drinking. It eliminates accidental spills, and the no-spill closable lid keeps the beverage inside the mug until users lift it to take a drink.

Adaptive Dressing, Grooming, and Writing Aids

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Make Mealtimes More Enjoyable

Although the main causes for difficult mealtimes for those with Parkinsons are physical, there can also be some psychological barriers that individuals face. For some, the idea of cooking and preparing their own meals can be too daunting and therefore deters them from making the effort to eat. For others, the prospect of eating alone can feel like too much pressure, removing the comfort that they have if they are with others. Making eating a pleasurable experience can work to combat these issues. For example, eating somewhere that is bright and colourful with music playing in the background may work well and put the individual at ease. Garnishing and presenting your meal nicely can also help to make the prospect of eating a more appealing one its all about making the act of eating as easy and stress-free as possible.

If you feel that yourself of someone you love would benefit from our live-in care or home visiting services, contact us today in order to speak to a trained member of our team.

Other Helpful Options For Parkinsons

• If you have trouble pouring water from your kettle, using a kettle tipper can help reduce the risk of spills and burns. Be sure to check compatibility with your kettle.
• Jar or bottle openers can provide better leverage and turning force when opening jars/bottles.

Food is a fundamental part of our health, relationships, culture and well being. If Parkinsons is causing you to have difficulties with eating and/or drinking you may benefit from using adaptive equipment and aids to make eating with Parkinsons easier and a more enjoyable experience.

Speech Pathology Australia, Swallowing Fact Sheet

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Getting In And Out Of Bed

• Because satin is a bit slippery, sheets or pajamas made of this material can help a patient turn over in bed more easily.
• Grab rails can help with getting out of bed or adjusting position while in bed.
• Bed risers that elevate the bed a few inches can make it easier to get in and out of bed.
• Mattress risers that put the mattress into an upright position can allow the patient to be in a more comfortable position when in bed and can help to get out of bed. The upright position can also reduce dizziness caused by lying flat and reduce ankle swelling.
• A mobile hoist can lift the patient from the bed into a wheelchair.
• Bars and ropes that are hung above the head can allow the patient to pull up into a sitting position. However, these devices require a lot of strength and so are not suitable for all Parkinsons disease patients.

Foods That Can Help Parkinsons Disease Symptoms

Every year, approximately 60,000 Americans are diagnosed with Parkinsons disease and more than 25,000 Michiganders are currently living with the neurodegenerative disorder.

Parkinsons disease affects the brains ability to control movement. It can make it difficult to swallow, which may result in losing weight and suffering from malnutrition.

However, there are some dietary changes people with Parkinsons can make to get optimal nutrition and even reduce some symptoms. Here are some key dietary categories to keep in mind.

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Exercise And Healthy Eating

Regular exercise is particularly important in helping relieve muscle stiffness, improving your mood and relieving stress.

There are many activities you can do to help keep yourself fit, ranging from more active sports like tennis and cycling, to less strenuous activities such as walking, gardening and yoga.

You should also try to eat a balanced diet containing all the food groups to give your body the nutrition it needs to stay healthy.

Special Diets For Parkinsons

Certain foods, vitamins or special diets are sometimes recommended as being beneficial if you have Parkinson’s. You should always discuss any special food or diet with your doctor or dietitian as there is generally no scientific evidence to support these.

Broad beans are reputed to help Parkinson’s symptoms as they contain levodopa but unfortunately this is in such small and variable amounts that they cannot be effective. The quantity that would necessary in order to obtain an effective amount of levodopa would probably cause illness or other side effects.

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Eating Tips For Those With Parkinsons

Living with Parkinsons can present a number of challenges that often lead to an impact on everyday life. One of the main issues those with Parkinsons tend to face is eating, and being able to do so with ease. As with anybody, its important to make sure that a healthy, balanced diet is maintained. However, for those with Parkinsons, this is even more important as the individual needs to be in good health in order to lead a happy, comfortable life. If youre not sure where to start or need some advice for yourself or a loved on, these useful tips should assist you in eating and drinking with ease.

Make The Most Of Special Aids

As well as specialist straws to aid swallowing, there is a wide range of specially adapted aids available for those with Parkinsons. Products such as rocker knives are particularly useful for those who struggling with holding and using normal cutlery, whilst cutting items and feeding themselves. There is also a variety of angled cups and plates available which can eradicate the need to tip your head back when drinking, or to simply prevent food from falling off of the plate.

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Shopping And Preparing Meals

Careful planning can make shopping and preparing meals far easier. Keep a good range of foods in your cupboard and freezer that have a long shelf life as these are always a good back up if you are unable to shop as planned.

• Plan meals in advance and write a list of the ingredients before going to the shops, or ask someone to buy ingredients for you.
• Think about how long you can stand preparing your meal and dont decide on a menu that will take longer to prepare than you can cope with.
• If taking the trouble to cook a meal that can be frozen for other days then remember to double or treble the quantity so that you have a few quick and easy meals another time.
• Make use of ready prepared meals as they can be simply reheated and can save on electricity or gas as well as your own energy. Remember that frozen and tinned vegetables and fruit can be just as nutritious as fresh.
• If you like a sleep during the day, take a flask with you so you can have a hot drink when you wake up without going to the kitchen.
• If you do not own a microwave consider buying a small one as meals or snacks can be very simply and quickly cooked or reheated this way.

Bellman Visit Bed Shaker

Bellman Visit Bed Shaker is a vibrator for indoor use that is placed in the bed to attract the attention of the user via vibrations. It vibrates when instructed to do so by the unit to which it is connected. It can be used to put under the pillow and alerts during sleep by clear vibrations for all the various calls and alarms.

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Mobility Equipment And Disability Aids

There is a large variety of mobility equipment and disability aids for everyday living available to help people with Parkinson’s. Mobility and disability aids can help people to maintain independence in the activities that are most important to them.

Some aids used by people with Parkinsons include:

• Mobility aids to assist with safety and independence whilst walking
• Personal care aids to assist with independence during activities such as showering and dressing
• Communication aids to improve speech and communication

Aids and equipment can be highly specialised, so finding the right help and advice is essential. An experienced and skilled health professional will help you to select the aids and equipment most suited to your needs.

This section covers:

• Support for you

Eating And Drinking Equipment

• Specially designed cutlery with large, easy-to-grip handles can help patients during mealtime.
• Curved-handle knives are shaped in a way that gives more control and can be easier to grip.
• Plate guards that clip onto the plate and provide a ring around it can help stop food from falling down the edge of the plate.
• Sip cups with a lid can help avoid spills. Using a straw can also make drinking easier.
• Non-slip mats can be placed underneath a plate or bowl to stop it from moving around while the patient is eating. They can also be used on a tray to prevent sliding during carrying.
• Kettle tippers make it possible to tilt a kettle without lifting it, reducing the risk of spills and burns.

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Complex Parkinson’s Disease And Palliative Care

Complex Parkinson’s disease is defined as the stage when treatment is unable to consistently control symptoms, or the person has developed uncontrollable jerky movements .

These problems can still be helped by adjustment or addition of some of the medications used to treat Parkinson’s disease, under the supervision of a doctor with a specialist interest in Parkinson’s disease.

As Parkinson’s disease progresses, you’ll be invited to discuss the care you want with your healthcare team as you near the end of your life. This is known as palliative care.

When there’s no cure for an illness, palliative care tries to alleviate symptoms, and is also aimed at making the end of a person’s life as comfortable as possible.

This is done by attempting to relieve pain and other distressing symptoms, while providing psychological, social and spiritual support for you and your family.

Palliative care can be provided at home or in a hospice, residential home or hospital.

You may want to consider talking to your family and care team in advance about where you’d like to be treated and what care you wish to receive.

Weighted Eating Utensils For Tremors

The extra weight in this cutlery set gives more control to the person whos eating and the cushioned handles are much easier to grip than the thin lines of standard cutlery.

We also really like these ones as they bend, making them easier to eat from and theres two self stabilizing spoon sizes the bigger surface area on a soup spoon could make mealtimes more enjoyable.

Another tip when using these adaptive eating utensils is to swap hands every so often .

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Hamilton Beach Electric Automatic Can Opener

An electric can opener developed by Virginia, US-based design company Hamilton Beach as be developed with the aim of making cans and tins easier and safer for seniors with reduced strength and problems like arthritis.

The company claims its a top seller in its category because of its durability and overall performance, and says that it cuts so it leaves a clean edge that is safe to hold.

It also features SureCut patented technology that makes sure it opens on the first try every time, the machine also having an automatic shut off feature when it is done opening.

Calcium And Vitamin D Intake

Osteoporosis is particularly important to avoid as falls are common in Parkinsons. It is now thought that there is a link between the severity of Parkinsons and bone density so you should ask your doctor to assess your calcium and Vitamin D to reduce the risk of osteoporosis. Although Vitamin D is not found in food, the following foods may be fortified with Vitamin D:

• Good food and beverage sources of calcium are low fat milk, fortified soy/rice beverages, fortified juice, low fat cheeses and yogurts.
• Good food and beverage sources of vitamin D are low fat milk, fortified soy/rice beverages, fortified juice, fatty fish, and fortified yogurt.
• There are many different kinds of calcium and vitamin D supplements. Ask your pharmacist for advice on the different kinds available. If you unable to move around, do not take calcium or vitamin D supplements without consulting your doctor.

Do as much weight-bearing exercise as you can, such as walking, dancing, or aerobics. Aim for 30 minutes or more of activity per day as often as you can. Talk to your doctor or physiotherapist on how to safely include activity into your lifestyle.

Other vitamins and minerals

Vitamins A, D, E and K tend to be found in milk and dairy food and are fat-soluble, which means that they remain in the body for some weeks before being used or expelled.

Antioxidants

Co-Enzyme Q10

Caffeine

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Who Can Give Me Advice On Diet And Eating Problems

Depending on the country you live in your doctor may be able to refer you to any of the following specialists to give advice on diet or eating problems.

• A dietitian can provide advice on all aspects of nutrition and diet. They will advise on maintaining a healthy diet to suit your needs and symptoms, bearing in mind the medications you take

• A speech and languagetherapist will be able to help you with swallowing problems and strategies to overcome these, as well as speech difficulties. They can also help eliminate any other possible causes of swallowing problems

• An occupational therapist will be able to look at ideas and equipment to make food preparation and mealtimes easier .Simple changes to your kitchen and dining area can make all the difference, for example:
• adding grab rails to help you move around safely
• moving the position of equipment so that food preparation tools are grouped together so you dont need to move around as much
• buying a blender, microwave or small chopper, for example, to ease preparation and reduce the amount of time spent manually preparing food.

Diet And Parkinson’s Medications

You should always discuss with your doctor, or Parkinsons nurse if you have one, when to take your medications. Most medications can be taken at any time and do not need to be specially timed in relation to meals. You may find sipping a drink makes it easier to swallow your tablets but avoid milk, a protein, when taking levodopa.

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Weighted Blanket For Parkinsons

Anxiety can be common amongst people living with Parkinsons, which can affect their sleep. A weighted blanket has a calming effect by grounding the body before and during sleep.

They come in different weights and it may be better to start with a lighter blanket, especially if your loved one finds rolling over in bed difficult. This option below has the weight sewn into separate sections so it allows for even pressure distribution.

Both these items can help encourage a wind down routine before bed. Your relative could also try some mindfulness or breathing techniques to calm or putting their phone away an hour before bed and reading instead.

Electric Hot Water Dispenser

Who doesnt love a hot drink? If youre considering a hot water dispenser vs kettle, were here to help its the former for us. Thats because its typically safer.

Theres no picking up a boiling and heavy kettle and its easy to keep clean with a limescale filter. Just pop the cup under the tap, press the button and go. A Parkinsons aid that will good in the kitchen!

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