What are some safety considerations in the kitchen?
CHRISTINA BALDASARI, LPT: It is important to assess how they move about in the kitchen, especially if they have a walker or a wheelchair and they need to carry a plate of food from the counter to the kitchen table. We have to assess their mobility carrying, maneuvering the walker, and moving around. Sometimes, we recommend putting food on a tray if they are in a wheelchair or sliding the tray along a counter closer to the kitchen table. We also look at how the patient is reaching for items in their cabinets. If the items are too high, then we suggest that they be moved closer to eye level or waist level so that they become easier to reach. WILLIAM BULMAN, MD: Not everyone requires a wheelchair or a walker, but even older persons who are otherwise very independent and very healthy can have difficulties that present significant problems in the kitchen. Somebody with very bad arthritis in the hand is going to have a lot of difficulty operating even a simple sink faucet. You can make easy
