Helping an elderly friend with one working arm

October 10, 2022 3:22 AM

An elderly friend has a broken arm. We'd like to drop off hot meals for her but she'd struggle to open a traditional thermos. Can you recommend a way of keeping food hot that's easy to open with one hand? More broadly, how can we improve the life of an elderly person with a broken arm?

A few additional details:

• We are part of a group of people who are coming together to help her. All of us know her but none of us are her close relatives or best friends. It's not possible for any of us to move in with her or spend huge amounts of money.

• She welcomes our help and she'll tell us about anything that she knows she needs. But this is a new experience for her as well as us so we welcome suggestions of things we could propose to her.

• She does not have a microwave.

• She lives on her own and is used to being independent.

• She does not have much disposable income. Her home is small and rather full of stuff, and there probably isn't room for many additional objects. (Some of us are helping her declutter but that is probably a long-term project for a variety of reasons.)

• Everybody involved lives in the London area.

posted by yankeefog to Health & Fitness (12 answers total)

Has one of you got a microwave they don't use much? Would that person be willing to let the patient borrow the microwave until she regains use of her broken hand? That would give you all more options on how to get food to her and it would give her more autonomy about when and how much she eats.
posted by koahiatamadl at 3:36 AM on October 10, 2022 [6 favorites]

I broke my arm in my late 50s, so not exactly elderly. A friend opened cans for me so I could make chili. I put it in plastic containers with lids that pull off (easier to open than a thermos) and could take those out of the refrigerator with one arm. With soups or stews, your friend could probably do that, scoop it out with measuring cups, and put it in pans to heat on the stove. A small pan can be picked up with one arm, so the soup can be poured into bowls. Cold cereal would be easy to manage for breakfast. You could also bring your friend sandwiches, which would be easy to eat.

There are videos on youtube by occupational therapists about how to do things with one arm. I found lots of videos about putting clothes on but nothing from the occupational therapists about how to take them off. This video on taking off a T shirt with one arm is a little wacky (and sexist), but it was super helpful for me. Maybe you could look for videos that might be helpful so she doesn't have to.
posted by FencingGal at 3:43 AM on October 10, 2022 [1 favorite]

Might a tiffin container work? You can do the latches with one hand and then you just lift the individual containers off.
posted by goingonit at 6:06 AM on October 10, 2022

Would that person be willing to let the patient borrow the microwave until she regains use of her broken hand?

This is a great suggestion. Just want to add, based on experience with another elderly person not used to microwaves, that you'd want to make sure she knows not to put metal or foil in there.

Another alternative is a hot plate, but that could raise energy bills more and is less flexible.
posted by trig at 6:22 AM on October 10, 2022 [1 favorite]

For keeping food hot, they do make insulated bags for food delivery. I used that as a search term on Amazon and got a lot of results - some of those seem like they could be opened with one arm. Since you're in the UK, you'd need to check to see what kinds might be available for you - or maybe a UK MeFite could look into that.
posted by FencingGal at 6:48 AM on October 10, 2022 [2 favorites]

Another idea. Is there room to set up a small crockpot on her counter? That would keep food warm and have a lid that's easy to take off.
posted by FencingGal at 7:17 AM on October 10, 2022

I have more than one reusable insulated bag that is large enough to carry cold groceries or hot meals. One is even a backpack.
posted by bq at 7:20 AM on October 10, 2022

Is the broken, unusable arm her dominant one?
This will make a huge difference in what might work.
Is she able to use the broken presumably plastered arm to fixate a good container against her chest or into a corner eg on the kitchen counter (Like where a wall and a cabinet meet the counter top?) and pull off a lid?

Otherwise i think the most likely to work are styrofoam containers like used for take away for delivery
posted by 15L06 at 7:31 AM on October 10, 2022 [1 favorite]

After severe nerve damage and many different surgeries my father had use of both thumbs but could not turn his wrists or control any other fingers, not quite the same as being one-handed. He had a workstation in the kitchen to help him.

We had one of those V-shaped things that is meant to be mounted under a cabinet so you can use it to grip the lid while you turn a jar, but he couldn't hold the jar like that. So we mounted it to a heavy wooden cutting board, and it did pretty good at holding things steady while he did stuff. He could put the jar in the V, wrap one elbow around it to pull it in tight, and then use his stronger hand to turn the lid. He would lean into the counter so his stomach stopped the board from twisting.

We ended up mounting a 'third hand' gadget to the board as well. He could use this for things like holding a bag in place so he could open and close a ziplock. Eventually we set up a smaller board to keep in the bathroom, and he had a 'third hand' screwed to the table next to the chair he always sat in..

He died a few years ago but mom told me when she broke her wrist a few months ago she had my brother set the boards up again for her and she plans to keep them permanently because of her arthritis.
posted by buildmyworld at 7:47 AM on October 10, 2022 [3 favorites]

I’d get a *very* lightweight saucepan with a long handle and lid, maybe 1 or 1.5 quarts.

Is it her dominant arm that’s broken (I assume so if she tried to break a fall)?
posted by cotton dress sock at 8:11 AM on October 10, 2022

One thing about saucepans etc. is that if she has just one she'll have to wash it one-handed (or someone will have to do it for her). Does she have a dishwasher, can relevant things go in it, and is she okay with running it when it's less than full?

Think about the whole food "lifecycle" (sorry) - removing it from containers or packaging (and possibly fridge), heating it, cutting it (hopefully not necessary), eating it, dealing with leftovers, cleaning up - and where she's liable to get stuck or need assistance. Hopefully she'll be willing to give her input on that or admit it when she runs into trouble.
posted by trig at 2:51 PM on October 10, 2022 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: Thanks, everybody! I'm not marking a Best Answer because we are still working with her to figure out what options work best for her. But all your advice has been very helpful and it's much appreciated. Thank you!
posted by yankeefog at 1:50 AM on October 14, 2022