Getting a Grip on ADLs

Sometimes the smallest things can make the biggest differences in people’s lives. Aids for Daily Living (ADLs) would definitely fall under this category. For someone with arthritis, just getting dressed for the day can present significant obstacles, as can preparing and enjoying meals, having a cup of tea, or any attempt at going about a “normal” day. Luckily there are a wealth of low-cost ADLs available to enhance seniors’ lives, and they are ideal “impulse buys” for HME/DME providers to place around checkout counter areas where they’ll be sure to catch the eye of the senior customer. 

Improving Performance

Maddak is a leading supplier of ADLs in categories for dining and kitchen aids, aids for dressing, and for the bedroom and the bath, among many others. When it comes to food preparation, Maddak offers pot and pan holders with suction cups and wide frames to keep cooking vessels in place. There is also a simple silicon adhesive strip available for knife handles to ensure your grip while slicing and dicing. Jar, bottle and box openers provide extra gripping power for a variety of container shapes and materials, and there are non-skid mats, coasters and tray liners available as well.

“Arthritis and reduced hand function often make daily living activities difficult to perform,” according to Susan Tulanowski, marketing manager at Maddak. “This is especially true when it comes to eating, and it can compromise a person’s ability to live independently.

“Most handles on traditional flatware have relatively small diameters, making them difficult, painful and sometimes impossible for a person with arthritis or other hand limitations to grasp,” she says. “Increasing the diameter of the handle will make it easier to hold and will help reduce pain and cramping. Utensils with built-up handles, such as our Maddadapt or Comfort Grip utensils, provide one solution. This requires a person to purchase new cutlery, however, which they might be reluctant to do.”

Maddak’s new Universal Built-Up Handle is a solution designed to enlarge the gripping surfaces of many common household items such as pens, pencils, toothbrushes, crochet hooks and knitting needles, etc., including eating utensils. “This versatility allows the user to keep the flatware they already own,” Tulanowski says, “it reduces the need for individual specialized utensils, it saves on storage space and enables a person to easily take it along when traveling or dining out.”

Avoiding Accidents

Another company with a selection of ADLs meant for use in the kitchen and dining room is LS&S, which stands for “Learning, Sight & Sound.” According to Melissa Balbach, the company’s owner, “simple kitchen items are a great way to promote good health and independence in one’s own home.”

LS&S has an extensive line of cooking aids and appliances that are helpful for those concerned with safety in the kitchen. Among dozens of items to choose from are found “talking” microwave ovens, scales, timers and container lids where contents can be recorded in the owner’s voice. There are “cool touch” microwavable containers and extra-long oven mitts to avoid burns, and liquid measuring cups that vibrate when the desired level has been reached. There are guards to protect fingers from cuts while using knives and utensils that can be clipped to the hands while dining. There are also non-skid plates with raised edges to help keep food in place, compartmentalized plates and sturdy lap trays.
Carrying these products also promotes a healthy bottom line for the providers that carry them, Balbach points out. “Low price points don’t require a big financial commitment on the part of the end user, turning these items into quick cash sales.”

Effective Outreach

In addition to items including adaptive clothing and bags that attach to walkers, rollators, scooters, and wheelchairs, Granny Jo Products also offers unique aids for the dining room. “Losing the ability to easily feed yourself is a demoralizing event, but there are so many items in the marketplace that can help,” says Jo-Ann Tilghman, the company’s owner. “Among those are our two-handled Dignity Mug, our bibs and napkin clips in lieu of a bib.

“One of the problems consumers face is that they don’t know where to go to find these helpful items, whether it be a ‘brick and mortar’ store or online,” she says. “By HME/DME stores expanding their offerings they provide a much-needed resource for their community and the elderly or disabled who will benefit from their use.”

Providers more accustomed to relying primarily on referrals should consider actively reaching out to their surrounding community, developing relationships with senior centers and programs, churches and long-term care facilities. Traditional media advertising is effective, as is making use of social media platforms and developing e-mail distribution lists to announce sales and in-store events.

“Simply having these items in your store will not guarantee sales,” Tilghman says. “The next step is to let your community know that you have them. Consider an open house with small food offerings that will allow you to demonstrate how adaptive mugs, plates and silverware can assist the end user.”

Missed Opportunities

As is the case with all HME/DME supplies, there’s a growing number of people who can benefit from their use. Providers, themselves, can also enjoy certain benefits. “According to the CDC, approximately 50 million U.S. adults report doctor-diagnosed arthritis,” Tulanowski says. “HME/DME providers not carrying adaptive eating/kitchen aids are missing opportunities to capture these cash sales and increase their reach in the HME/DME market.”