Bernie’s top equipment and gadgets – eating and drinking

Neater Eater

This piece of equipment allows me to feed myself, using a spoon. I have Cerebral Palsy so controlling my movements can be difficult but this feeding aid really makes a difference to my daily life, read my blog about the Neater Eater for a more detailed explanation of the aid.

Plastic Cutlery

As I have sudden hand movements because of my Cerebral Palsy, I am not able to use metal cutlery. If I was to move the wrong way while using metal cutlery, I could hurt my mouth. I can feed myself with certain foods so I use plastic cutlery, which I feel more confident using as I know that if I was to move I couldn’t hurt myself. The plastic cutlery comes in a pack with forks, knifes and spoons (6 of each), they are a bit thicker which makes it easier to hold and they come in light colours too- grey turquoise and pink. Where to purchase the plastic cutlery – Ikea, in the cutlery section of the store, or alternatively online.

Plate Guard

This is a plastic guard that fits tightly around the rim of any plate, it fits on a smaller size of plate better. The plate guard is curved and it prevents food from falling off of the plate. The aid acts as a barrier too, you can push the food against it while you scoop your food onto a fork or spoon and it works better with certain foods such as mashed potatoes. It really helps people who only can use one hand as you don’t have to hold another piece of cutlery in order to get the food on the spoon. The plate guard clips securely onto the edge of a standard plate and it is easy to get on and off. The product can be purchased from the following website.

Dycem

This is a non-slip mat, it is a rubber texture, that is designed to grip and hold things still. Dycem prevents most things from slipping and is really helpful to people who have Cerebral Palsy. It can be even more challenging if items are moving about while you are trying so hard to do a task. Dycem stops movement and this makes life a lot easier. The mat works best on hard surfaces and needs to be totally dry in order for it to grip items. I use Dycem daily to help keeps things steady- at meals times to hold the plate, using my roller ball mouse when I am on a computer, writing and drawing- Dycem can grip paper and many other items. This aid is essential to me and I properly wouldn’t be able to do tasks without the non-slip mat as it would be a real struggle for me. The Dycem product can be purchased online.

Safe-Sip

This is a silicone drinks cover that fits over cups, glasses and cans. It basically stops your drink from spilling even if you accidentally knock it over or find it difficult to hold a cup or glass still, like myself. The Safe-Sip cover prevents any leaks. It really is an amazing aid that allows me to drink out of a cup or glass independently and I don’t have the worry about it spilling. The covers are easy to put on and off although you have to be careful as the silicone can rip easily. In order for the covers to grip onto cups or glasses, they both need to be completely dry. Another point about the covers is that they hold straws in place….there is nothing worse than having a straw moving about while you are trying to have a drink. This product has made a big difference to me, I now can have my tea out of a mug whereas before I had to use a plastic bottle with a straw so I love the drink covers and I would highly recommend the product to anyone. Visit Safe-Sip’s website to purchase a pack.