One cup kettles - recommendations? (Also other tips for frail elderly parents living alone.)

I know it's difficult, but you really need to encourage her to drink more, as dehydration is a big risk for all, especially the elderly. And caffeinated tea and coffee is actually a diuretic - I've recently been told by a doctor that I should try to drink at least 2 litres of water / squash a day, plus an additional glass for every cup of tea or coffee that I have.

On your original topic - my mother has 'meals on wheels' delivered daily; I did look into the frozen food companies that deliver, but her eyesight and fraility is too bad now for her to safely manage the oven and so she is restricted to only the most simple use of the microwave. I do recommend splitting loaves into small packs of two to four slices that can be frozen and quickly defrosted (or even put straight in the toaster).

we got our gran a breville hot water dispenser.
shaky hands made handling a kettle dangerous.

Try and encourage her to drink as my mum was the same and was prone to UTIs which is common with elderly women

If they have cats you can get a cat feeding bowl and water bowl with a long handle to save bending.

She’s my MIL, she really is. A little determined sparrow. Fortunately still with all of her faculties, for which she is very grateful. She’s great on WhatsApp as well, we are in groups with her and send pictures, and she can sometimes send them back too. Got her onto it all just in time before it all was too difficult to pick up. Though she needs to use the same increasingly ancient phone…

Thats another thing. Different cooking devices might be easier but often it’s hard to switch to something unfamiliar.

I only have two recommendations, so apologies in advance OP.

The first would be a mini oven, it’s probably the best kitchen purchase I ever made. It fits easily on the work top. There’s no difficult bending down, and struggling to get food in and out of the oven. Also more economical on electricity, you set the timer and the temperature so for instance if someone fell to sleep or forgot there’s food cooking, no danger of burnt food and a fire hazard.

Secondly, would be a snack box, my lovely mum didn’t really eat a full meal, so I’d do her a snack box. A little sandwich, couple of biscuits, fruit chopped up with some yogurt. All her favourites (from a medical point of view It’s always better for elderly people to give them little snacks rather than a big meal).

Id do an evening snack box as well, the amount of elderly people who wake up in the night hungry is a real thing. If they have a snack it helps them get back to sleep.

Wow your Mum sounds amazing!

www.manageathome.co.uk/pd/uccello-kettle_12111?gad_source=1&gbraid=0AAAAADtSvb0PS5BnnWcGRQR-uv1EZjxqo&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIl9vFmPLSiwMVgpBQBh2C-DJrEAQYAiABEgIkAvD_BwE

Another vote for the quality of Cook foods - if you can get them, delivery to an island may not.be possible. They are proper home coooking. And have 'lunch' options that are ideal.for smaller appetites.

Parsley box isn't as appealing to.look at, but cheaper and designed for ambient storage. Which means fewer problems.getting them.delivered to remote places, and makes them.quite quick to.heat.

A small tin kept replenished by carers with biscuits by her chair was a big hit.

My dm found a thermos cup really handy so morning carer could make her morning coffee and leave it for her.

We got a bookshelf for my mums kitchen so tins etc could be stored where she could reach them without having to get down to low cupboards.

A shop I've seen recommended on here is: https://www.activehands.com/shop .

It specialises in stuff to help people with hand problems, but a lot of it is more generally useful. It's run by someone who needs many of the products himself, so he's apparently really on the ball and helpful.

I've got the really simple breville one. Just press the button and it boils and fills your mug

If you have the time to pick through it, @Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g , there's a good thread here:

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/_chat/4960548-calling-other-disabled-people-what-is-the-best-gadgets-etc-you-have-ever-bought?page=1

Thanks for the sock gadget recommendation, @Mischance .

I have one that's roughly similar but manages to be a complete PITA by being not quite the right type of plastic.

One of those things where someone copied a design but didn't bother trying it out.

I definitely would recommend the hot water thing. Making tea is a pretty fundamental thing for a lot of people and maintains a modicum of control where possible. This is the one my MiL has, it’s large but easy to use. It would need to just sit on the side. You can put the kettle away to make space.

https://amzn.eu/d/9ATFmre

When my friend's mum was here I caught her trying to use the jug kettle which she had filled too full and it was about to drag itself out of her hand. She could not grasp that it only need a cup full in it. Went out and got a Breville which she liked - so much she did not only use for tea and coffee, but also cup soups and ready brek. We didn't keep up with filling of it and she emptied it so it cut out. Went out for a replacement, which was on offer in Argos, got home to find the original one had reset. Got better at checking it, and I still have the spare.
I use Parsley Box foods as they don't need the freezer. They have smallish portions, but are short on fresh veggies.

My sock gadget looks like this: https://www.completecareshop.co.uk/living-aids/daily/dressing-aids/stocking-aids-gutter-style
I have had no problems with it.

Hello @Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g .

I have just bought my mother this one cup kettle from Amazon. I haven't seen it myself as I had it delivered but both she and carers seem happy. (I'm on the train on my way to see her now so if it turns out to be rubbish I will update you.)

I'm not sure what your mother's needs are, but if she is getting confused about what day it is, I thoroughly recommend this dementia clock. My mother is sleeping a lot in her armchair and when she wakes up she is often confused about what day it is and even whether it is morning or afternoon. This has been brilliant. (It came with a sticker saying "dementia friendly" which I took off to avoid offending her.) I am going to get another one for her bedroom.

If anyone can recommend a gadget for putting socks and tights on that actually works, I'd love to hear about it btw. I have bought several and they have all been rubbish.

Ah - I see you have had the OT!! You snuck that in while I was writing my post!! 😀

I am younger than your Mum but have some disabilities that cause practical problems.

I have:

• a stair lift
• a grabber in every room
• an alarm pendant that connects to a central switchboard and triggers help if needed
• a smoke detector that connects to the same system
• a key safe that was supplied by above system - all accessed via LA and I pay about £11 a month for it all.
• I leave a lot of things out on surfaces to avoid bending into cupboards - pots and pans etc.
• I have a stool outside my front door with a label asking for parcels to be left there so I do not have to bend.
• A letters cage inside the front door that collects the letters so they do not need to be picked up off the floor
• a gadget for putting on socks
• rails in the shower
• lightweight iron without a lead
• small slow cooker, and also a remoska - but the lid of that might be a bit heavy for your Mum
• Electrically operated armchair
• I store things in an accessible way so that I do not have to reach up or bend, or lift heavy things - means my house looks interestingly cluttered, but what the heck!

Might be worth talking to the LA OT as he/she will have loads of ideas for her.