The right kitchen can really help make a house feel like a home, giving you the space to cook and prepare delicious meals for yourself and your loved ones. But, if you’re dealing with illness, injury or disability, the kitchen may have become a place you dread, because it’s just not fit for your needs anymore.
As part of our series on home adaptations, we’re looking at ways different rooms around the home can be improved to make them more accessible. We’ve put together some suggestions with help from our Occupational Therapist, Sharon, to help you make your kitchen more accessible, whether this means a small change or a larger scale adaptation.
Finding it difficult to lift the kettle to make a cup of tea? A kettle tipper could be absolutely invaluable if you have arthritis or limited strength or dexterity in your hands. By using a kettle tipper instead of a standard kettle on its own, you can reduce your risk of burning yourself or spilling boiling water.
You can get kettle tippers that include both the kettle and the tipper or ones that are just a tipper, to match with your existing kettle.
If you’re starting to find that turning fiddly taps or knobs is becoming a chore, then a tap or knob turner may be worth looking into. Tap turners and knob turners are designed to fit over the top of what you’re trying to turn, giving you more grip and leverage and making the task much easier.
Shop all tap turners and knob turners
Standard cutlery and kitchen knives aren’t always the easiest to handle, especially if you have limited strength or dexterity in your hands. There are a variety of different types of adaptative cutlery and knives available to help make cutting up foods and eating much easier. For example, the range of Easi Grip knives have angled handles to help put less pressure on the joints and make them easier to grip while preparing food.
These include things like spread boards, choppers, graters, and peelers, all designed to make it easier for you to prepare delicious meals. Consider carefully what could help you in the kitchen. If you have a weakness in one hand, then a spread board could help as it’ll keep food in place while you prepare it. If you find it difficult to lift hot, full pans when cooking pasta or vegetables, then something like the Stainless Steel Cooking Basket may be of use as it means you can simply lift the pasta and vegetables straight from the pan using the basket, without having to deal with the boiling water.
Do you find standing up for any length of time to be tiring? Having a perching stool to hand in the kitchen will give you a place to sit and rest while you get on with food preparation, helping you to conserve some of your energy.
Depending on your needs, you can get a perching stool with or without armrests or a backrest, and many are also height adjustable.
Slow cookers are a great way to prepare a meal as they reduce the risks inherent with using a stove and are also useful for batch cooking. Cooking with a slow cooker is as simple as adding all your ingredients, turning it on to the right heat setting and time, then walking away and waiting until it’s done. With pre-prepared meats and vegetables available in shops, it makes it even easier to cook as it massively reduces the amount of preparation needed.
A kitchen trolley can be a really useful piece of equipment if you need a little bit of support while walking but also need to be able to carry things like food or drink from place to place. These trolleys can help make it much easier and safer for you to move items around with less risk of spilling things.
The following adaptation ideas will need installing by a professional fitter. Make sure to find one that specialises in accessibility adaptations for the best results.
These are specialised sinks that – as the name suggests – are height adjustable, making them a great option if you have people who use a wheelchair and people who don’t living in the same house. It allows you to set the sink at the right height for your needs. They’re a great way to help boost your independence without you having to strain and struggle to get your crockery and cutlery clean on those days when there isn’t quite enough to perhaps put in the dishwasher.
If you use a wheelchair, installing lowered worktops in your kitchen will make it much, much easier for you to prepare your own food or drinks as everything will be at the right level for you to work with.
Space is often at a premium in kitchens but if you’re finding that your wall cabinets are unusable because they’re too high up to reach, a height-adjustable cabinet may be what you’re looking for. Regardless of the style of cabinet you choose and the design you go with, the purpose of these cabinets is to bring their contents down so you can actually reach them.
Looking for more tips and advice on adaptations you can make to the rest of your home? You can download our full guide here or choose the room you need help with below:
Alternatively, if you’re not sure where to start with adapting your home to meet your needs, see our Home Living Consultation Service where a registered Occupational Therapist will assess your needs and offer recommendations for changes you can make.
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