GERACare's philosophy is to provide holistic, supportive and person-centred care.
Some elderly individuals may experience problems with the handling of eating utensils
for several reasons, including arthritis or after a stroke.There are a variety of
eating aids available that can help individuals to maintain their independency at
mealtimes.
Examples of commercially available eating aids:
A: Bent Spoon / Fork
Useful for individuals with limited movement in their wrists e.g. arthritis.
B: Plastizode
This piece of dense foam fits tightly onto regular cutlery to improve grip.
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C: Plate Guard
There are different sizes of plate guards that clip onto plates. This is a valuable
aid for people that can only eat with one hand e.g. after a stroke.
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D: Utility Strap
There are different sizes of utility straps that fit around the hand. Cutlery slides
into a pouch underneath the strap, hence it is not necessary for the individual
to hold onto a piece of cutlery. This aid is valuable for individuals with a diminished
hand grip.
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It may be useful to consider an assessment by an occupational therapist when dealing
with people with eating difficulties. They can give individualised advice and can
also adapt eating utensils to suit a specific person's needs.