10 Kitchen Gadgets to Keep Seniors Safe and Visiting Angels Home Care Services
Visiting Angels of Mid-Maine is the leading provider of compassionate home care services in Bangor, Brewer, Hampden, Orono and the surrounding areas.
Regardless of how much you work to make sure your loved senior is safe and secure in their home, but accidents still will happen. Home care services are an option to avoid these accidents. Many of these accidents occur in the kitchen. The most common kitchen dangers include:
- Burns by boiling water or liquids
- Slips and falls on floors
- Cuts using knives and sharp objects
- Irritations in the eyes
- Accidental fires caused by unattended stoves or ovens
Kitchen accidents don't solely happen to seniors. They can happen to anyone! Normal aging, such as decreased coordination, muscle loss, vision changes, and minor memory lapses, causes many changes to a person's body. Because of these changes, the elderly are often caught off guard, leading to accidents and injuries in the kitchen. If a senior is showing signs of dementia, these risks can be higher. If you do not want to invest in senior home care services currently, we can still help! However, seniors are the most vulnerable, leading to more kitchen fires than people of younger ages.
Cooking and Baking Safety Tools for Seniors
Technology has made life easier in many ways. Our senior home care services providers have created a list of high-tech gadgets that have been shown to make it easier for seniors to be safe in the kitchen, leaving them with the benefit of aging in place.
Here are ten gadgets to make cooking and baking safer for seniors:
Cut-resistant gloves and finger protectors - One of the most common kitchen accidents happens when cutting/slicing/dicing meat or vegetables. Using cut restraint gloves or finger protectors helps prevent any cuts or knicks.
Safety cutting boards - Seniors can use safety cutting boards while cutting food items. These boards are slip-resistant due to the rubber surface that prevents any sliding. Most often also have rounded guides that help keep knives from straying off track.
Vegetable choppers - Many seniors often opt-in for knife-free veggie choppers. After peeling vegetables, you have to place them in the chopper and press them down to create a perfect cut.
Electric can and jar openers - Opening jars and can be difficult for seniors, typically because of conditions such as osteoarthritis. An electric can/ jar opener can leave them avoiding any painful twisting or gripping for these individuals. Electric openers also lower the risk of injuries that a sharp lid or glass jar could cause.
Easy-pour electric kettles - Using electric kettles leaves seniors avoiding the chance of burning themselves. If you want to go one step further, invest in an easy pour kettle. Easy pour kettles use a stand to tip the kettle directly into a mug without needing to pick up the mug at all.
Clip-on strainers - Clip-on strainers are helpful when trying to avoid burns. It is simple to use—clip the strainer onto a pan and pour the water out into the sink.
Kitchen timers - Kitchen timers are nothing new, but seniors can use them easily from a phone or home speakers, such as Google Home or Amazon Alexa, with newly updated timers. Timers can let a senior know that their food is done cooking.
Automatic shutoff stoves and ovens - With these, seniors can avoid over-cooking food as well as any kitchen fires. These are most useful for those with memory lapses.
Oven rack guards - With an oven rack guard, a senior can avoid accidental contact burns. These are made from heat-resistant material and are clipped onto the front end of the oven rack.
Anti-fatigue, nonslip kitchen floor mats - Anti-fatigue and nonslip kitchen mat can be a big help for those seniors that are more active in the kitchen. These mats reduce the pressure on the feet, knees, and lower back while also providing a nonslip surface to work on.
In-Home Care Can Provide Household Safety for Seniors
It is usual for seniors to need more than one of these gadgets in their home, which is highly recommended. A visiting Angels senior home care services provider can be there as a second pair of eyes and hands to assist with any grocery shopping, meal prep, or cooking.
Our primary concern at Visiting Angels is our client's safety and security. Your local home care agency is available to provide you with a free in-home safety assessment at your convenience, leaving you with peace of mind. We work as a team to create a tailor-made plan using our home care services.
If you would like more information on our in-home care services or how home care services could benefit your senior's lifestyle, contact Visiting Angels of Mid Maine or call one of our caregivers at 207-605-8288.