Disabled Hands

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

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

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

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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

Sweep Easier with a Vacuum Dustbin

Disabled hands or not you have probably wrestled with a broom and dustpan enough to know that there needs to be a better way to clean up dry particulate matter from your floors. Aside from the bending, using a dustpan and broom can be a real pain in the hands and wrists. One challenge I have is dropping or spilling small scraps of food or small packaging scraps like twist ties or plastic bread bag clips and needing to pick them up. When your finger grasp doesn't cooperate that becomes difficult.

With a Westinghouse SweepEZE you simply sweep the particles to the base of the unit where an inferred beam senses them and activates a strong vacuum that sucks the dirt into an internal waist bin. No bending and no lifting of a awkward dustan. Nice.

Amazon: Westinghouse WZT 1810 SweepEZE Vacuuming Dustbin $49

Technorati Tags: cleaning, sweeping, SweepEZE, Westinghouse

Tools to Enable Your Independence: E-Z Lift Cabinet Jack

Here is a tool designed to lift kitchen wall cabinets for installation. While this is great for solo cabinet installers it's also a useful lift for those needing to move heavy items and boxes. With a 300 lbs. capacity this hand cranked lift would be ideal for those needing to move heavy boxes on and off shelving.

Solutions like these are costly in and of themselves but if they enable a more independent lifestyle they may be well worth the expense.

E-Z Lift Cabinet Jack

Technorati Tags: E-Z Lift Cabinet Jack, Kitchen Cabinets Lift, heavy lifting

Sharper Image Wireless Floating Pool Thermometer

For those with hand and arm conditions a dip in the pool can be very therapeutic. Deciding whether or not to take a dip often depends on the temperature of the pool water. Conditions like Arthritis or paralysis can make it difficult to reach for a traditional pool thermometer.

Sharper Image has solved that with this floating pool thermometer that both displays and reports the water temperature to a remote unit inside the house or mounted pool side. Nice.

Sharper Image: Floating Pool Thermometer $70

Technorati Tags: Artheritis, paralysis, thermometer, Sharper Image, swimming pool, temprature