Helpful Products
Things to Live By
Here are some useful products that make life easier and more independent for stroke survivors, people with aphasia, people who use only one hand, people with mobility issues and physical disabilities, and anyone who wants to make their day a little easier around the house, in the kitchen, grooming, reading, writing, moving around, going out, traveling, working, playing, enjoying life.
My speech, occupational and physical therapists helped me learn to be independent by teaching me techniques for one-handed living, a weak right leg, and speech problems from aphasia. Then, it was up to me to continue to find new tricks and tools for my personal care, household chores, work and play. Like most people, we live on a tight budget. So, instead of ordering from an expensive medical equipment supplier, we look for gadgets in our local department store, hardware store, drug store, and occasionally a specialty catalog. You can find almost anything on Amazon, so we have provided a link to Amazon to see and order products like mine.
Showing 11–20 of 27 results
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Easy Cutting
I tested the KitchenAid All Purpose Shears with Protective Sheath at a Stroke Comeback Center hands-on review of kitchen products for people with weakness in one hand, like me. These scissors have a comfortable handle that works for either left-handed or right-handed user, and stainless steel blades with micro-serrations for enhanced cutting performance and extra thickness for added strength and durability.
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Serving With One Hand
Tongs are one of my favorite one-handed tools. Tongs allow me to toss and serve salads; grip and turn burgers, chicken, fish, and other items in the oven; lift toast out of the toaster; serve cut-up fruit; and many other things that might otherwise require 2 hands. Also, I use them to grab a box or can that's a few inches out of my reach.
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Chop Chop
One-handed cooks, like me, can use the Pampered Chef Salad Chopper. It has spring-loaded, titanium-coated stainless steel blades and an easy-grip handle. You chop salad, salsa, or anything right in the bowl.
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Easy One-Handed Lattes at Home
We make coffee and tea lattes and hot chocolate by warming milk in a glass measuring cup in the microwave for a minute or so, then frothing it with a small, hand-held, battery-powered aerator. The Aerolatte Milk Foamer looks like an electric toothbrush with a little round wire mixing head.
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One-Handed Kitchen Helper
Cutting fruit and vegetables can be difficult with one hand. The Food Preparation System Etac is a good kitchen tool with stainless steel spikes to hold food for cutting or slicing, and a vise to hold larger food items, or jars or mixing bowls. Rubber suction feet hold the board securely in place.
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Spinning With One Hand
The OXO SoftWorks Salad Spinner has a push-button spinner, and can be managed by a one-handed person, is dishwasher safe, the pieces come apart to use separately, it comes in 2 sizes, large and small, and is reasonably priced.
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On Time
Staying on time is important in many of my activities, and it is a little challenging, since doing everything with one hand means I'm slow. So I use a small digital timer to remind me how many minutes I have to finish a task, or leave for an appointment, or to time a presentation that I'm practicing, or when I'm cooking. I use one like this CDN Digital Timer that slips into my shirt pocket, clips on, or sticks to the refrigerator with its magnet.
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Chop and Scoop
I make most of our meals. I use the Dexas Chop and Scoop little cutting board to cut bananas for my cereal. It has curved edges to keep the slices from rolling away--a problem for one-handed cooks, like me. The grip handle makes it easy to tip the slices into the bowls.
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One-Handed Low Tech Opener
To open jars, I use a jar opener that attaches under the kitchen cabinet. This EZ-Off Jar Opener has a v-shaped guide that fits larger jars like jars of salsa, medium-sized jars of jelly, soda or water bottle tops, and small jars like paint and glue for hobbies.
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Fastening With One Hand
Since I share the cooking in our house, I need a way to close bags of frozen vegetables, shredded cabbage, and other bagged food and snacks easily with one hand. I use the "Linden Sweden Twixit Clip Bag Sealers." The set of 27 assorted clips are easy to use, keep food fresh longer, and have a durable hinge.