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A person may display a poor appetite, but underlying this might be depression, difficulty communicating, pain and/or tiredness. In later stages of dementia a person may not recognise food and drink. Concentration may also be poor. Keeping eating times regular, simple, calm and familiar might help. Drinks brands such as Coca-Cola have latched on to the ring pull with great enthusiasm. The beverage giant currently distributes 1.6 billion global servings per day, most of them in cans and bottles. The ring pull has transformed the distribution of Coca-Cola and other drinks companies – including most beer brands – offering a hassle-free way for consumers to open cans. Screw lid openers grip the lid to enable easier opening. They may have a handle which provides extra leverage for turning, or may be made of slip-resistant material. Some have a fixed gripping surface, others have an adjustable length band which needs to be tightened around the lid. Battery operated screw lid openers automatically grip both the jar and the lid, and turn the lid to open the jar. Some openers are designed to open childproof safety caps. Since its amendment in 1975 into a stay-on tab, the design of the ring pull has altered very little, as manufacturers and consumers alike remain satisfied with the blueprint. Increasing numbers of food tins are now produced with ring pull tops, to enable people to access the contents with greater ease. And today the device is used on other containers, such as tennis ball tubes. It’s easy to forget what a huge difference a simple invention such as the ring pull has made to everyday life. Prior to its existence, people had to carry special can openers every time they wanted to open a can of beer or coke – which was highly inconvenient at times. While canning food and drink was already popular, accessing the contents of the can was not so straightforward.
How: The idea for the ring pull came about while Ermal Cleon Fraze was having a picnic and couldn’t open his beer can after forgetting his opener The idea for the ring pull, sometimes known as the pull-tab, came about out of necessity. Before its invention, cans were opened using implements called churchkeys. However when people inevitably found themselves without such an instrument, they were unable to open their cans. It was while having a picnic in 1959 that Ermal Fraze, from Dayton, Ohio, found himself unable to get into his beer can. He decided there must be a solution to this dilemma, and so set about designing an opener on the can itself.If you have not had an opportunity to discuss your eating and drinking difficulties with a professional, you are strongly advised to seek an assessment of your situation. For all their convenience, the original pull-tabs created a large amount of controversy, namely for their environmental impact. For 10 years people opened cans by ripping off the pull-tabs and discarding them. The discarded tabs were a danger to wild animals, which suffered death from ingesting the metal pieces. There were also cases of people choking on the tabs, having dropped them into their can by mistake. The stay-on tab solved this dilemma and is the opening device we know today. What does the ring pull market look like today?
If you find that eating and drinking causes spillage onto your clothes, you may want to consider wearing an apron or bib. There is a large range of designs, some more discreet than others. They are available in disposable plastic or washable/wipeable materials. Consider what is the best fastening system for you, whether the bib/apron pulls over the head, is tied, has a Velcro hook and loop system, a popper, or some other way of fixing.Handheld tin openers may be manually or electrically operated, and may have features such as larger or contoured handles. Electric handheld openers may be used one-handed. Freestanding tin openers are mains powered and are operated either one-handed or hands-free. Fraze’s first version used a lever that pierced a hole in the can but resulted in sharp and sometimes dangerous edges and led to a number of complaints from customers who had cut fingers and lips on the device. He then set about creating the pull-tab. Difficulties with initiating or carrying out movement may occur in later stages. This might affect all actions required to get food to the mouth and then to eat it. Verbal prompting and physical assistance may be needed. Finger foods or less ‘messy’ foods might help. As dementia progresses, swallowing difficulties (dysphagia) become more common. If a person has difficulty chewing and swallowing, you are advised to seek an appointment with a speech and language therapist. Having softer foods might help. In many areas a range of the simple aids to daily living may be available on prescription, issued by the assessor. If you receive a prescription for equipment you can take it to a local accredited retailer, which may be a local pharmacy, who will provide you with the item. You can pay extra for an alternative item, so long as it does what the specific item prescribed would do. Your choice may offer extra features, or perhaps you prefer its appearance.
If you find the idea of wearing a bib difficult, you might like to consider wearing a standard cooking apron, although they are not generally waterproof and will need washing. Eating and drinking both involve many different decisions, actions and movements. They are complex activities and can be disrupted in many ways. For anyone, whether able bodied or not, it is best to be sitting upright in a well-supported position. You should be sat close to the table or tray, which should be roughly at the height of your elbow. This means that the table can be used to support your forearms if required. You may be provided with equipment and services as a preventative measure, before a needs assessment is done. If, on assessment, your needs are high enough to qualify for help from the local authority, they will then look at your income and savings to see whether you will need to pay towards any future services you receive. These services might include disability equipment including alarms or telecare, adaptations to your home, help from a carer, or the delivery of meals or residential care.
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These support the user's forearm in a trough-shaped device that tilts to bring the hand down and upwards. Some are also mounted on a swivel that glides in the horizontal plane, and powered versions will raise and lower the whole device. People with dementia often experience difficulties with eating and drinking, although everyone will be different.
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