Choosing Eating Aids Part Two:

Welcome to Choosing Eating Aids Part Two: In part two we will look at range of motion and coordination deficits and how they impact the activity of utensil use.

Range of Motion Deficits: Slight shoulder abduction and flexion are typically used during the plate to mouth movement during self feeding.  Use of a mobile arm support may be beneficial in this case.  The Stable Slide is another product that will be useful in this case.  With the Stable Slide the arm is supported throughout the process of bringing food to the mouth.  More information on the Stable Slide is available on this site by clicking here:  Stable Slide self feeding support.  The Stable Slide is available at www.performancehealth.com. 

For an elbow or wrist limitation an angled utensil or a longer utensil may be useful.  I haven’t seen any longer utensils that are commercially available.  If a cylindrical grasp is used to hold the utensil and finger flexion movement is limited, a built up handle may be useful.  If no finger movement is available a universal cuff should be considered. 

Coordination Deficit:  There are a lot of options to consider when coordination is a problem.  There are many conditions that can result in problems with coordination and the severity of the coordination problem may vary widely.  An Occupational Therapist will be key here to help select an appropriate eating device.  As I have mentioned in previous Blogs, weighted utensils have been branded in the minds of therapists as an effective tool for self feeding when coordination is a problem.  Unfortunately recent research indicates that this intervention may not be as efficacious as once thought.  This does not mean that weighted utensils should not be tried as an intervention when there is decreased coordination. 

There are also newer adaptive utensils that use gyroscopic technology to actively cancel tremor activity.  From what I can gather from searching on the internet there are two models, the Liftware Steady and the Gyenno utensil.  The motors are housed in the grip of the utensil making it somewhat bulky.  It is also more expensive than weighted utensils but I’m sure well worth it if it is effective for the individual.  We mentioned the Stable Slide earlier as helping with range of motion deficits. The Stable Slide also helps individuals with intention tremors. The Stable Slide provides a supporting surface and tactile feedback for plate to mouth movement.  There is also a top “roof” section that further limits unwanted upward movement.  More information on this eating device is available on this site by clicking on the link above.  The Stable Slide is available at: www.performancehealth.com.

Swivel Spoons may also be an option to try for decreased coordination with self feeding.  The swivel spoon helps keep the spoon level during use.

  There is also a newer type of swivel spoon called the EliSpoon.  This adaptive eating aid was developed by a husband and wife, both of whom are engineers. The EliSpoon is available at performance health.com. This looks like a nice product and we will probably discuss it at greater length in an upcoming Blog.

In summary, there are a lot of considerations with self feeding as well as many adaptive eating aids that can help. Thanks for visiting choosing eating aids part 2 and check back soon as we will be discussing more tips and tricks to improve ability with the important self care activity of independent dining. We also invite you to contact us at anytime.