• NEW When making soups, rice dishes or casseroles, cook double the quantity. Store the extra in airtight containers and freeze for a quick meal for those high pain or low energy days.
  
  
• NEW Packets or frozen diced onion is available in most supermarkets. It is much easier to use than peeling and chopping fresh onion.
  
  
• NEW Vegetables are easier to chop after they are cooked. Just make sure you wash them well and allow longer for the cooking time if you leave them whole
  
  
• NEW Use a hand held stab mixer to puree foods rather than putting them into a blender or food processor.
  
  
• NEW Most supermarkets stock frozen chopped vegetables (including onion), which can be used in place of fresh vegetables if your hands are really sore.
  
  
• NEW Use scissors to chop herbs and soft or leafy vegetables. They can also be used to chop things like bacon, sliced deli meats and smoked salmon.
  
  
• NEW Lining trays or cake tins with non-stick baking paper makes it easier to remove the item once it is cooked / set. It also saves you from having to grease the tins. A few drops of water can be sprinkled under the paper to help keep it in place until you have placed the mixture on it.
  
  
• NEW If you have difficulty carrying saucepans and draining the water when cooking pasta or veggies, use a metal colander or wire basket slightly smaller than the saucepan. Place this inside the saucepan with whatever you are cooking inside it. Once it is cooked, just lift out the colander / basket. All the water stays in the pan and you just have the food left.

• NEW Rather than carrying cleaning supplies around from room to room, get a bucket for each of the main areas (like bathroom and kitchen) and store the relevant cleaning items (including rubber gloves) for that area in the bucket. As well as limiting the amount of carrying for regular cleaning, you will always have the items on hand for those emergency clean up jobs.
  
  
• One of the most difficult tasks for someone with wrist problems is opening jars with a vacuum seal. I have purchased a tool from K-Mart called a "Jar Popper". This is very simple to use and easily breaks the seal.
  
  
• If you have trouble opening screw top jars / bottles, consider purchasing a jar opener. This come in a variety of designs so shop around until you find the most suitable one for you.
  
  
• I have a lot of trouble removing cork's from bottles using conventional cork screws. You will need to shop around and probably try specialty kitchen supply stores or wine merchants but there are cork screws available now which are easy to use. The most expensive type is the gas cartridge ones but there are other manual ones. My favourites are one with a handle on the top that sits at right angles to the bottle and one with 2 handles that are pulled down to release the cork (see photo).
  
  
• Here is yet another very easy to use corkscrew. Since finding this one in a specialty bar supplies store, I have seen it in department stores and I have also seen cheaper versions. This one is called the Pull It Corkscrew. It does require 2 hands to operate and the ability to squeeze the handles that go around the bottle but the actual cork removing action is the easiest I have found. (see photo).
  
  
• Have difficulty lifting the mattress to tuck in the sheets? - Try using a shoe horn with a long handle. The flat base of the shoe horn is ideal to slide in beneath the mattress to tuck in sheets.
  
  
• Try using plastic baskets in your cupboards. They come in a variety of sizes and make it easier to reach those things at the back of the cupboard. Just slide the basket out until you can easily reach what you want. They are also great for keeping smaller items from getting lost in the cupboard and keeping similar items together.
  
  
• When purchasing a washing machine, consider a front loading one. While they are a little dearer than the normal "top loaders", they are much easier to load and unload if you have trouble lifting and bending. The machine can be placed on a raised platform so the door is at waist height. Clothes can then be loaded and unloaded without the need to bend over.
  
  
• When purchasing kitchen utensils, shop around for the ones with chunky rubber handles. A number of companies manufacture them now (such as "Good Grips" and "OXO") and they are becoming widely available in major retail outlets. The larger handles make them easier to grip and the rubber is much more comfortable to hold.
  
  
  
• Consider installing mixer taps. They are a lot easier to operate with stiff and sore hands / wrists and you only have 1 tap to operate. The longer handles on mixer taps also allow you to operate them without having to actually grip them with your hand.
  
  
• If you have the opportunity to redesign your kitchen, do away with the cupboards and make greater use of drawers. These can be made in various depths to hold anything you currently store in cupboards. The benefit of drawers is that they can be pulled out to make accessing things at the back a lot easier. Alternatively, consider installing sliding shelves in existing cupboards to get the same benefit.

• NEW Items like dishwashing liquid and shampoo normally come in bottles than need to be squeezed to dispense the contents. Often this is difficult to do if arthritis affects your hands. To overcome this, purchase empty bottles that have a pump dispenser nozzle (the ones you push down on, like on liquid soap bottles – see picture) or save up your old ones as you empty them. Get a kind and caring friend to dispense the product from its normal bottle into the new one with the pump dispenser nozzle on it. The contents can then be dispensed by simply pushing down on the pump nozzle with your hand or even wrist / lower arm.
  
  
• NEW If you have trouble removing toothpaste from its tube, lay the tube on the edge of the basin with the nozzle just over the edge (on the inside of the basin). Plash your toothbrush under the nozzle and simply push slowly down on the toothpaste tube. If you push too hard and miss the toothbrush, just wash the spilt toothpaste down the drain.
  
  
• NEW If you find it difficult to hold or use a regular toothbrush, switch to an electric or battery operated one. These have chunky handles that are easier to grip and the movement of the bristles makes it easier to get your teeth clean.
  
  
• If you have limited mobility with your shoulders, arms or neck, you can purchase special combs and brushes. These come with longer handles and are hinged to get the right angle. These can be purchased from stores specialising in mobility aids.
  
  
• Two things I can't live without are my lavander and wheat filled heat pad and my foot spa. The heat pad is warmed in 1-2 minutes in the microwave and can be placed on any sore joint to help gain some relief. My foot spa is one of the more fancy ones with a heat setting, spa setting (bubbles) and massage setting. Great for those days when your ankles or feet are playing up. I have also placed it on a table and put my hands in it as well. Pure luxury!
  
  
• Another good device to assist in dressing is a hook attached to a length of dowel or an old telescopic arial (like those found on radios). These can be used to assist in pulling up things or helping put on shoes. They can also be used to assist you in reaching items at the back of cupboards or above your normal reach.
  
  
• Sore hips, knees, ankles or feet can make walking difficult. This can be made easier by using a walking stick. I have purchased one that folds into 4 sections. It has elastic down the middle so it goes back together easily. When folded, I can store it in my handbag or glove box or carry it in a carry bag I made out of a large tea-towel. That way, I have it with me whenever I need it.
  
  
• If you have trouble gripping zippers, try attaching a nappy pin or key ring to the pull part of the zipper. Both give you a larger area to hold onto and make operating the zipper a lot easier. A piece of ribbon can also be attched to zippers in hard to reach places (like the back of a skirt or dress). The ribbon gives you extra leverage and is easier to reach. Just tuck it into the top of the clothing when zipped up.
  
  
• When my arthritis is bad, I find I tend to get night fevers. Some of the medications can also cause excessive sweating. Both of these can make sleeping uncomfortable. My solution was to invest in a small desk fan (mine is 11cm) which we modified with the addition of a large peg like device on the base. The peg then hooks to my bedhead so that the fan blows on me all night without affecting my partner.
  
  
• Hot showers are a great way to relieve some of the stiffness associated with Arthritis, especially on a cold morning. If you have trouble standing up long enough to get the benefit, try placing a plastic chair in the shower.
  
  
• The best thing I have found for helping me to relax after a bad day is a lavender bath. Many places now sell lavender oil or use a lavender bath bomb (just try to find one that uses real lavender or lavender oil. The best one I have found is made by "Lush" but they are not available all year round).

• If you have trouble squeezing a stabler, place it on a bench and use your forearm to press down on it. You can also use you other hand or fore-arm on top of the first one for extra pressure if needed.

• NEW Heat packs are something most people with arthritis say they couldn’t live without. Some of the best ones are those filled with wheat and lavender but these can be a bit expensive and not always the right size or shape. A cheap alternative is to make your own Rice Socks.
  “Ingredients”
  Clean Cotton Socks – any size or colour but it must to be cotton as synthetics can melt in the microwave.
  Dry, uncooked rice
  Potpourri / dry herbs / essential oil (optional)
  ”Directions”
  Take a cotton sock and fill with rice. Tie or stitch the end closed. Heat it in the microwave for about three minutes. Remove carefully as it will be hot! (If you find that rice is too heavy on your sore joints, try using oats instead.)
  If you want to use potpourri or herbs or essential oils, mix these in with the rice first. You will only need a small amount but may need to experiment to get the right mixture for your own preference. However, only ever use a few drops of essential oil as you don’t want to make the rice moist. You could also try sprinkling essential oil on the sock instead. Aromatherapy books and websites can give hints on what type of additives to use for different purposes. For example, lavender is used for relaxation, basil can help with mental fatigue and poor concentration while eucalyptus is said to be purifying and gives energy and relief from disease.
  ”Uses”
  Place it on or wrap around a joint. The heat lasts for about 30 minutes. A rice sock also makes a very nice wrist rest for your computer mouse or keyboard. Just heat it up, and place it in front of your mouse. Lay your wrist on it while you are using the computer.
  Fill one only about 1/3 full. Tie at halfway point. Heat, fold top down and insert your hand - a rice glove!
  
  
• NEW Some people find that cold works better than heat on sore joints and some prefer using a combination. As with the rice filled Heat Packs, it is possible to make your own Ice / Cold Packs (so you won't need to use the packet of frozen peas again).
  Option 1 - Rice Sock
  Make up the rice sock as per the instructions provided in Issue 1. Instead of heating the rice sock, it can be stored in the freezer for use as a cold pack. Because there is no moisture in the rice sock, it will maintain its pliable shape. This makes it ideal for moulding to whichever part of your body you need to apply it to.
  
  Option 2 - Ice Gel Pack
  Ingredients
  Snap Lock Bags of desired size
  Rubbing Alcohol
  Water
  Directions
  Using 1 part alcohol to 3 parts water, make up enough mixture to fill the bag you are using. Do not over fill. Seal the bag and place in the freezer. The ice pack is ready to use when the mixture becomes slushy.
  
  Option 3 - Water Crystal Packs
  These is a great way to not only make cold packs for sore joints or muscles but to also make cool wraps which you can tie around your neck in summer.
  Ingredients
  Light Cotton Material (or a material that will allow water to pass through it)
  Dry Water Crystals (available from hardware stores or gardening centres – often sold as Rainsaver Crystals)
  Directions
  Before beginning, you will need to test how much water the crystals you are using will absorb (so you can determine how many to use). Use 1 teaspoon of dry water crystals and place in a large container. Pour water over them and stand until they are fully hydrated. Top up the water if needed until no more is absorbed. Once this is done, you can work out how much of the dry crystal you will need (as a general rule, each crystal should swell to between 1cm and 2cm). The aim is to use enough so that it just fills the material shape when hydrated.
  Sew the material into the desired shape and size, leaving an opening for inserting the crystals. If the opening is small, you can use a funnel to help insert the crystals. Place the necessary amount of dry crystals into the material shape and sew up the opening.
  If you are making a cool wrap to tie around your neck, sew on some cord or extra material on the ends for tying (as you won’t be able to knot the material containing the crystals once they are hydrated).
  To Use
  Place the water crystal pack into cold water and leave until the crystals are fully hydrated. To make extra cold, you can then place it in the fridge or freezer.
  
  
• Turning taps on and off can sometimes be quite difficult. There are commercial tap turners available from stores specialising in mobility aids but I have a homemade one that works quite well and was made especially for the shape of my taps. This was made using 4 sheets of scrap perspex, a tube of plastic glue and a tool for cutting out the shape (mine was made using a handheld rotary tool but a jigsaw or similar would also work).
  
  
• If you have problems with your hands or wrists, opening the fuel cap on your car can be quite difficult. If you have a handy friend, get them to make you up your own device to make this task easier. This one was made using a length of pipe with notches cut out of the bottom that sit over the raised part of the cap. Holes were drilled through the top and a smaller diameter pipe was inserted as the handle.
  
  
• A lot of parking stations now require you to take a ticket when entering. If you have trouble reaching the ticket machine without getting out of your seat or even the car, try using a long handled pair of tongs (you can get "normal" tongs with longer handles or BBQ tongs which sometimes have better grips on the handle). These sit easily beside your seat when not in use and eliminate the need to stretch as far. Just make sure you practice at home first to make sure you can grip a piece of paper with them and get it back inside your car.
  
  
• Paying the toll on our many toll roads is another area that can cause problems for those with reduced upper body mobility. If you are a regular user of toll roads, it is worth getting an E-TAG. These eliminate the need to stop at the toll booth and physically pay the toll. However, if you are only an occassional user of tolls, consider purchasing something like a small fish net (like the ones you get in pet stores for catching the fish in your fish tank). Just place the change in the net and use it to give you that extra reach to either hand the toll to the person in the booth or tip it in the toll collection bucket. If the handle is still not long enough to give you the reach you need, the handle of the net can be tied or glued to a suitable length of dowel or plastic pipe (whatever is easier for you to hold).
  
  
• Find it difficult turning the key when opening a door? Try using a nail brush (one of the ones that have the handle you can slide your fingers through). Stick the key in the door, place the rounded side of the handle over the key (so that the plastic wraps around one side of the key) & turn it. The plastic will give you greater leverage.
  
  
• I have a great gadget that makes carrying plastic shopping bags easier. They are made of rubber and I got them from the major department stores (they are made by OXO) in the kitchen section. You slip the handle of the plastic bag into them. Because they are wider and made of rubber, they are easier to hold than the plastic bag handles and it won't cut into your hand.
  
  
• Sometimes, the best gadgets are not the ones you find in a store. If you have trouble turning an ordinary key and the commercial key grips don't help, go to the hardware store an get a wooden or plastic handle (like those used on cupboards) that is easy for you to grip. Cut a notch in the end to slip the key into and you have your very own key grip.

Disclaimer
The information provided on this site should not replace the advice and guidance of your own health-care providers. All material is provided for educational and informational purposes only and is the opinion of the authors. Please check with your doctor before making any changes to your treatment.

Copyright 2002 NSW Young Adults with Arthritis.
Site Developed by Leanne Way. All feedback to yawa@arthritisnsw.org.au