Universal Cuffs

Universal Cuffs are adaptive eating aids that facilitate independent dining for individuals who have upper extremity weakness or motor control problems.

Universal cuffs usually are secured to the palm of the hand. They have a pocket which holds a utensil or other object. Other objects may include toothbrushes or writing implement. Using a universal cuff, the wearer can manipulate a utensil without using the fingers or thumb. The movement comes from the shoulder, elbow, forearm or wrist. Since it will be more difficult to scoop or stab food while wearing a universal cuff, we recommend using a plate guard in conjunction with the universal cuff.

When using a universal cuff, a horizontal motion will more likely be used to obtain food on the utensil. A plate guard will make it easier to obtain food on the utensil. We discussed plate guard use in a previous Blog in which we described the best location to position the plate guard which is the 7:30 position of the center of the plate guard on the plate.

We are happy to announce that we are now including univeral cuffs in our online Adaptive Eating Aids Shop. The universal cuff we selected is from Therafin. Therafin also makes a comprehensive line of wheelchair parts and accessories. We have two styles of cuffs in the shop. the cuff pictured above is the one that has a palm support section. This section provides a little more support in the palm and may be preferred by some users. The other cuff which is lower in cost is identical but does not have the palm support. Both of these cuffs are made of fabric velcro. They both also have a “pocket” that holds the utensil or other object that is sewn in.

Both also have a D ring closure system and a thumb loop that makes securing the cuff to the palm easier. We invite you to visit the Adaptive Eating Aids Shop for more information about these universal cuffs. On this site we also have a concise but comprehensive Guide to Adaptive Eating Aids. Thanks for visiting today and we invite you to contact us at your convenience.