Now resigned I am no longer a “young spring chicken” even though my mind tells me I am, I am encountering problems others euphemistically dubbed “Seniors” undoubtedly experience as well. I thus offer some practical solutions to coping with them.
Aging arm muscles and arthritic hands and fingers result in an inability to tear open the simplest sealed bags. Tearing apart the tops of of a bag of chips or corn flakes is like figuratively trying to pull apart two pieces of glued wood. Ditto sealed bags of many vareties of foods that keep them airtight and fresh.
I’ve found a simple pair of scissors an essential tool to remedy otherwise frustrating experiences that cause blood pressures to rise or the rash act of trying to open bags with one’s teeth.
Scissors of any size are helpful, even children’s paper cutting ones, but adult sized pairs can be gotten for a dollar at the dollar stores. Their points are dull and not dangerous, but perfect for cutting paper and plastic wrapping. (So if any reader needs an idea for a retirement gift, include a pair of scissors; it’ll never become a dust catcher!)
Another source of frustration is opening jars. You could tap it slightly against a hard surface to break the seal, but then the contents might leak or fall out, or the jar could crack if tapped too hard. Or it might chip the surface of the counter or table used for tapping against. Simpler solutions include those round rubber pads with grips, but even t hose might not help some of us with weak arm strength. Better is a strap wrench. It has an adjustable loop that can fit around most bottle tops and inexpensive at most hardware stores.
If you’re like me and can’t pull up the rings on top of cans meant to skip needing a can opener, use a church key or even a study chopstick to pry it up.
Often those plastic strips keeping frozen juice cans sealed are also difficult to pull open. A plier to grip the end easily pulls it.
And what about reaching for boxes stored on cupboard shelves too high to reach without a safety step stool? You could buy a device that grabs them, but an inexpensive solution is to use a yardstick, or, better yet, an egg turner to pull the item forward so you can easily reach it and safely drop into your outstretched hands. Of course it should be light enough not to hurt you when it falls. Otherwise use a sturdy step stool; never stand on a chair or stool that could tip and cause a major fall.
Also, an important but often overlooked tool every senior with “aging eyes” should consider is a magnifying glass. Without squinting or claiming, “I can’t read it,” the fine print on directions and ingredients become legible and one need not be ignorant of something harmful or with caveats, just because the print was too tiny.
