The kitchen is where independence lives and where most of the risk is. Families often go straight to removing the stove. Sometimes that is right. Often there are steps before it.
Small changes first
- An automatic stove shut-off timer, which cuts power if a burner is left on with nobody nearby.
- A kettle that switches itself off, and only one kettle.
- Sharp knives out of the everyday drawer.
- Labels on cupboards with a word and a picture.
- The good pan at the front and the rest put away, so there is one obvious choice.
Watch the fridge
Spoiled food is the quiet signal that someone has stopped cooking and started saying they have eaten. Our caregivers check the fridge at every visit and tell you what they found, without making a drama of it.
When it is time
If there has been a burn, a pan fire or a forgotten burner, it is time to disconnect the stove and move to prepared meals and supervised cooking. That is a loss, and it is worth saying so to your parent rather than pretending it is a minor change.
