Disabled Hands

Advancing Laundry Technology

As I have talked about before doing the laundry is one of the greatest challenges for those with disabled hands. Even more so if your disability has you using a wheelchair. Advancing technology is making laundry easier and easier. This Japanese unit from Panasonic is a washer and a dryer negating the need to transfer heavy wet cloths for one machine to the other. Additionally, it features a sloped drum that makes loading and unloading the machine easier than either front or top loaders. From an energy standpoint This unit saves energy by using a heat exchanger to provide drying without needing a heating element. Don't know how that works exactly but the point is that technology is innovating a chore that proves difficult for those with Disabled Hands.

Panasonic

[via] Thanks Tony for the tip

Technorati Tags: cloths washing, innovation, laundry, Panasonic

The End of the Tyranny of The Sweetener Packet: Sugar Please Dispenser

Release yourself from the tyranny of the sugar/sweetener packet. Grasping and tearing those little paper packets can be a daily aggravation for those with Disabled Hands that have limited grasping strength.

The Sugar Please dispenser releases a half a teaspoon with the push of the top mounted button. Even if this is a two-handed operation it's still easier than tearing open a sweetener packet. The device also handles powdered creamers. Nice.

Prodyne: Sugar Please $13

Technorati Tags: Splenda, sugar packets, sweet-n-low

Chop Stir: Cooking Tool Reduces Wrist Stress

For people with wrist injuries, carpel tunnel or other hand issues the "scooping" motion with a cooking spoon required to break up a lump of ground beef you're browning can be painful. Miles Kimball carries this tool for chopping and stirring foods while cooking. The tool uses a fist grip that may put less stress on your wrist. The plastic tool resists heat and won't scratch non-stick pans.

Miles Kimball: Chop Stir, US$7

Technorati Tags: Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, cooking, kitchen, ChopStir, wrist injury

Help for Hot Coffee Cups and Sweaty Ice Tea Tumblers

At Starbucks you can get a paper board sleave to protect your hands from the hot cup. At home it's more difficult. Many rely on a coffee cup or mug that has a handle. Some people prefer to grasp their cups with one or both hands risking burns. A similar reverse problem can happen with cold beverages for those with hands that are temprature sensitive. Additionally, sweating glasses of iced tea or lemonade lead to slippery glasses that can easily slip from the hands.

Here's a line of double walled drinking glasses that solve both problems with an insulating air chamber between the inner and outer glass surface. Nice.

Amazon: Bodum Glassware

Technorati Tags: Bodum Glassware, drinking glass

Easy On/Off Rooftop Gear Box: Geartick

The Geartick is a rooftop gear carrier for your car that can be checked on an airplane and used to store your gear in the off season. Good for golf clubs, ski gear, childrens toys, baby gear, etc. The advantage here is the quick on and off quick latch system that allows you to load and go quickly without tools. The advantage of quick on and off saves gas as you won't leave the empty cargo box on your rooftop dragging down your fuel economy.

For DHers I like the ability to easily move the cargo box both full and empty and quickly and easily latch the unit on and off your vehicle. If you are in the market for a roof top carrier consider the Geartick.

Geartick, US$300

via

Technorati Tags: Car Top Carrier, Geartick, golf clubs

Target Prescription Bottles: Recommended for Those With Disabled Hands

OK, let's talk prescription pill bottles. Sooner or later everyone has to take a prescription medication. For the last six months or so I have been a devotee of the Target Pharmacy because of the new design of their bottles. There are several advantages for those with disabled hands:

Leverage: The new flat design fits nicely in the hand and allows good leverage to spin off the top. It's important to note that a user profile kept on file at the pharmacy captures your preference for child resistant bottle caps or the easier to use simple cap.
Dispensing: With the flat easy to hold shape it's easy to dispense the meds into your hand or pill cup.
Storage: The flat sided bottles are easy to pick up from both the standing and laid down poisition.
Re-use: With film cameras disappearing the ubiquitous plastic film canister also disappears from daily life where it has found a number of uses. If you are the type that used to keep a variety of little objects from coins to matches in film canisters the benefits of the Target Prescription bottle will find a new life.

Technorati Tags: Artheritis, design, medicine, prescription drugs, Target

Opening Pop Bottles

Jeremy writes to ask about tips and openers to open screw top pop bottles. For many bottles we recommend the Black & Decker Lids Off Automatic Jar Opener but that's not always appropriate as some bottles just don't fit. As a matter of practice I like to use my jar openers at home to break the seals on drink bottles before I put the bottles in my go bag. If you buy a drink bottle while you are on the go you may need to have a portable solution that you can have in you bag or car for use on the go. If tool space is limited you can use your long nose pliers. Alternately, you can use a bottle opener tool like the one pictured below.

This type of opener adds leverage to rotate bottle caps and is also suitable for beer bottles and pull tab beverage cans.

Amazon: 4 Way Opener

Technorati Tags: Black&Decker, bottle opener

Let's Talk Toenail Trimming

Jeremy writes to ask if I have any tips for trimming toenails. I do. Outsource it if you can. If you have healthy feet, toes and toenails. Find a good salon that offers pedicures and see if you can arrange for a simple trim on a regular basis. If like me you have foot and nail issues I recommend finding a good podiatrist who can help keep you nails and feet healthy.

If those options don't work and you need some helpful products I'd recommend the following.

These long reach nail scissors may be useful if you have the hand function to work the scissors. Many people can't use scissors well or without torquing their toenails. Ouch.

Again, if you have healthy toenails you may want to try a gadget like the Turbo Toenail Clippers that features a magnifying lens to help you see what you are up to down there.

Finally, you may want to pick up a rotary manicure tool that accommodates different tool tips that will help you grind and file your nails. This technique is usually best for those who don't have the grip strength and accuracy to work regular clippers and scissors. Works best if you use it regularly so there isn't a lot of nail to be removed.

Anyone else have a favorite product or technique tip for trimming toenails with Disabled Hands? Leave a text comment or an Odeo voice comment (click button on the right sidebar)

Technorati Tags: pedicure, podiatrist, toenail clipping

Sharper Image Hands Free Can Opener

Sharper Image is out with what appears to be a re-badge or a very similar design to the One Touch can opener I blogged about before. The battery powered cordless can opener affixes to the lid of the can and then cuts just below the rim. Easier for those who have difficulty using manual openers or wrestling with conventional electric openers. Excellent for boats, RVs and camping.

Sharper Image: Handsfree Can Opener $25

[via]

Technorati Tags: can opener, Sharper Image

Stuff Your Hands Will Love Update

If you are reading the RSS feed for Disabled Hands be sure you click through regularly and check out the latest hand friendly product recommendations I have collected on the Stuff Your Hands Will Love list. I've got a list of 16 items to recommend that is sure to have something that will help the Disabled Hands in your life.

If you would like to recommend an item or provide your feedback please leave a comment on this post or see the right sidebar where you can click a button to record and send audio feedback with Odeo. Just make sure you have a microphone on your computer.

Help for Power Cords/Outlets: EZ PLug

I am sure you have that one appliance or vacuum and that one outlet that just don't like to get along. What is it about certain plugs and certain power outlets that are just plain hard to get plugs in and out of the receptacles?

Here's a simple gadget that features a lever that helps Disabled Hands push plugs into tight outlets and helps eject the plug after use. Nice.

Taylor Gifts: EZ Plug $7

[via]

Technorati Tags: EZ Plug, power outlets

Disposable Gloves for Disabled Hands

Disabled Hands reader Joy writes to ask about disposable gloves for those with Rheumatoid Arthritis(RA) whose hands are contracted. A possible solution would be to use food handling gloves that fit looser than latex or rubber gloves and may work for those with contracted fingers.

Amazon: Disposable Food Handling Gloves $6.90

Technorati Tags: Artheritis, bathroom, biohazard, RA, Rheumatoid Arthritis

Help Getting Your Garden Hose On

It's Memorial Day weekend in the US and gardening and lawn care are in full swing for us northern hemisphere types. With it comes the need to water the gardens and lawns. Ideally anyone with Disabled Hands will have an underground sprinkler system that enables them to avoid the summer sport of garden hose wrangling. But that's not the case for many people who have conditions like Arthritis or Chronic Fatigue Syndrome that make garden hose wrangling difficult. It may not be so difficult for you to grip and pull hoses around but those threaded connections are a real pain. Literally!

Help is available in the form of these quick connectors that allow you to snap hoses to faucets, sprinklers, extension hoses, and sprayers. Once installed, the Gardena 36004-12 Quick Connectors enable quick and easy leak free connections around the yard.

Amazon: Gardena 36004-12 Quick Connector Starter Set $7.99

Related:
Xstreme Water Nozzle

RSS Subscribers: Don't forget to click through and see the updated list of Stuff Your Hands Will Love

Technorati Tags: Artheritis, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, garden hose, Gardena, gardening, sprinklers

Finger Mits for the Microwave

Moving hot food and containers in and out of the microwave oven is a potential danger for anyone in the kitchen. Mix in limited dexterity and reduced temperature sensation and you have a real problem. These Micro Mini Mits may be a good option for sensitive fingers in the kitchen.

Miles Kimball: Micro Mini Mits $6 [via]

Technorati Tags: microwave oven, Miles Kimball

Cleaning Wipe Hack: Pliers to the Rescue

I love disinfecting cleaning wipes. They do a good job and they're easier to use than trigger spray bottles for Disabled Hands.. One thing though. Even if you get the brands with the larger dispensing opening it's often difficult to pinch and pull the next wipe on the roll.

No problem. Just keep a pair of your long nose pliers handy to pull the next wipe from the package. As always, pliers are your friend for a myriad of uses around the home. Pliers, they're not just for the workshop!

Technorati Tags: Artheritis, cleaning, disabled, Disabled Hands, dispenser, lifehack, cleaning wipes