Maison · 20 min
A kitchen you can use sitting down
Move the everyday things to between hip and shoulder height, and make one place where food can be prepared from a chair.
Kitchens are often set up for someone who can stand for an hour without trouble. When backs ache, energy is low, or someone uses a wheelchair or needs to sit, the high shelves and low cupboards become hard work. A few changes can make it easier to cook, or make a drink, from a seat.
The steps
Four small steps,in your own time.
Make a hot drink, slowly, and notice every time you bend low, reach high or carry something across the room.
Move what you use every day to the shelves and drawers between hip and shoulder height. Put rarely used things up high or down low.
Clear a stretch of counter or a table near the stove and sink where you can sit to chop, mix and stir. Bring a stable chair and keep a towel and a chopping board there.
Keep light versions of what you use most: a small pan, a half-filled kettle, a lighter jug. Slide things along the counter rather than carrying them.
The reason
Why it helps
Much of the effort in a kitchen comes from reaching, bending and carrying, not from the cooking itself. Bringing things into reach and giving yourself a seat can save energy for the parts you enjoy. It can also make the kitchen usable again on the days you would otherwise skip a meal.
A gentle variation
If you cannot change the shelves, keep one tray or basket with the things for a simple meal or a hot drink, and leave it on the counter. A nurse or occupational therapist can advise on aids such as perching stools or easy-grip tools.
WE · TRIBE
Try itwith someone.
If someone you live with or look after would like to cook again, set the kitchen up with them, at their height and their reach. Cook one simple thing together, with them doing what they can and you doing the rest.
Try it today
Today, move the three things you use most in the kitchen to a shelf you can reach without bending or stretching.
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