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Original poster

Suggest a coffee machine for DM in care home

10 replies

Fortysix · 07/07/2019 14:34

DM is 88 later this month and has advanced dementia and is in a care home.
I'm not a coffee drinker but I know even although she no longer speaks in sentences that she would love a decent cup of coffee.
She likes filtered coffee with milk. I can get easy access to fresh milk from the residents' fridge.
Was thinking of buying her a second hand coffee maker on Gumtree that I could keep in her room and maybe stock up with pods for her.
Not a huge amount of space in her room and also washing and cleaning it will be a bit of a fiddle. But I'm happy to persevere as it will bring her pleasure.
Can anyone suggest me a brand and model of coffee machine I should be considering. Gumtree budget is about £50 so £100 to buy new, I guess.

OP posts:
Ponoka7 · 07/07/2019 14:51

Have you checked with the Manager that it would be allowed?

Kez200 · 07/07/2019 14:52

Nespresso do a small machine for £1 if you pay a year's monthly sub to be used on coffee. Its a nice compact machine which I use in my office.

KurriKurri · 07/07/2019 14:55

I've got a dolce gusto - and you can get new ones for under £50 - it is simple to use, and you can get a reasonable variety of coffee pods, and hot chocolate pods (and lots of cheaper compatible pods of other brands) - pack of pods costs £3/4 and you 8 drinks f it involves a milk pod, 16 if you buy black coffee pods and use your own milk. It can be a bit hard to get decaf pods though if your Mum prefers those.
You can order pods on amazon - and get packs with various types in, but they are easy to get in tesco etc (and you can get the cheaper versions in Home bargains/poundstretchers)

Its a fairly basic machine (and possibly you might prefer a more expensive model 2nd hand - my DS and DDil have a Nespresso and they like it very much)

The dolce Gusto does need a bit of a firm press to pierce the pod 9 something to consider if your Mum is frail or has trouble with her hands) but maybe others would be using the machine for her -( not sure how she is with hot liquids - my DDad had alzheimers and he was fine with kettles etc, but I know for other elderly people perhaps not safe)

Anyway - I hope you find one she enjoys - it will be a nice treat for her to have a favourite coffee Smile My DMum is in a care home also (97yrs) she loved her coffee but sadly has had a stroke so has to have special thickeners put in her food and drink now - she misses her coffees.

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about these subjects:

Care homes Dementia & alzheimer's
Original poster
Fortysix · 07/07/2019 15:45

Thank you everyone, this is very helpful. I will phone the manager to check there are no issues.
DM is not sufficiently mobile and doesn't have the capacity to use it herself, so it would sit unplugged until we visited or a staff member did it for her. She has asbestos hands and is still very good with a hot cup of tea as she always liked her drinks piping hot (apart from her wine and her whisky Grin.

Do any of these give a frothy cup of coffee or would it just be nicely filtered?
There's a Delonghi Coffee machine & Accessories on for £60 in the same area as the care home. I'm assuming from the photos that it would take a bit of cleaning up afterwards...

OP posts:
Kez200 · 07/07/2019 16:17

Nespresso small machines are just black coffee. You can get bigger ones with milk, or an added aero chino machine (for a higher subscription) for making the coffee milk whisked and hot. Once you involve milk the space needed gets bigger and the hassle of cleaning more.

Original poster
Fortysix · 07/07/2019 17:41

Have just popped out to my local Curry's PC World and had a demo - so now i understand! The Nespresso small machines are simple and easy.
The Delonghi machine I saw on Gumtree is far too complicated (was about £199 new). The aero chini machine throws in a few more cleaning challenges. And the Dolce Gusto ones give the option of hot chocolate. Thank you to all. help gratefully appreciated. Off to look at gumtree again.

OP posts:
EllenEyewater · 07/07/2019 17:56

If she likes filtered coffee with milk, then a basic plastic coffee filter and papers would do. Possibly with a temperature-adjustable kettle.

Kez200 · 07/07/2019 18:01

What Ellen says sounds good. Individual filters with coffee, requiring a kettle but not a machine.

Could even get an areochino milk frother and take it with you and home again for cleaning at each visit. They are easy to clean in a home kitchen sense, just more of a challenge in a residential home bedroom.

mycatisawesome · 07/07/2019 18:28

What about coffee bags , Same as tea bags but just with ground coffee in them , might be easier for the home to make

Original poster
Fortysix · 07/07/2019 22:14

Yes, looking more simply now at coffee filter and options; she always resisted a cafetière with a passion so out of respect to the feisty person she used to be, I won’t go down that route...
Have been using Home Bargain plastic filter one off cups which you just pour boiling water into but she doesn’t like them.
Going to explore milk frothers too. Thank you to everyone. Making progress Brew

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