12 of the best domestic tools for people with Parkinson’s

From attachable plate guards to ergonomically designed grabber tools, there are lots of products that might make home living that little bit easier. We’ve put together a room-by-room roundup of some of the most useful items for people with Parkinson’s

Kitchen

1. Plate guard

Plate guards can be subtly fitted onto ordinary plates to help those who can only eat with one hand or have an unsteady grip. The inward facing slopes may help with food collection and prevent spillages.

2. Tailor-made cutlery

Electronic stabilising handles are designed specifically to help people with hand tremors. The utensils are tailor-made to counteract the effect of tremors and have inbuilt sensors and motors to help combat tremors.

3. Kettle pouring stand

Making your morning ‘cuppa’ has never been easier with kettle tippers that help users pour boiling water without lifting the kettle up – reducing the risk of spills. The frames handily wrap around your kettle, and are held in place with a secure Velcro strap.

Bathroom

4. Foam tubing

Sliding easily over popular household items such as hairbrushes and toothbrushes, foam tubing gives users a firmer grip – helping to make everyday grooming easier and quicker.

5. Electric razor

Parkinson’s symptoms like dyskinesia and tremors can make completing daily tasks like shaving difficult or dangerous. An electric razor is one simple swap that may speed up a morning routine and prevent nips and cuts.

Living Room

6. Grabber tools

Ergonomically designed to mimic how a finger and thumb pick things up, hand grip grabber tools help users reach for things high or low, small or large around the house without stretching or bending.

7. Touch lamps

Touch table lamps help to avoid a struggle with tricky light switches. Simply touch the bases lightly to control the light output and reach the desired brightness, making it that bit easier when settling in for bed.

Bedroom

8. Reading rest

For those who find it hard to keep a book still, consider a reading rest for a more comfortable reading experience. Simply clip the book in and adjust the angle for when in bed or at a desk.

9. Button and zip hook

You can find many easy-to-use, low-cost hooks that help to combat fiddly buttons and zips while dressing and undressing.

10. Elastic laces

Aim to get out of the door quicker in the mornings by turning lace-up shoes into slip-ons. Elasticated laces eliminate the need to bend down and tie and untie shoes before leaving the house.

Study

11. RollerMouse

A wireless RollerMouse sits directly in front of the keyboard and the cursor can be moved by touching the rollerbars lightly. Users can switch control between hands when fatigue sets in – which may help to improve accuracy and increase the amount of time spent online in comfort.

12. Keyguards

Keyguards are placed above the keys on a standard keyboard, designed to stop people with hand tremors hitting unwanted keys whilst typing. While it slows down typing speed, it may improve accuracy and comfort.

Read more: 

Five of our favourite apps for people with Parkinson’s 

Seven must-see movies about Parkinson’s