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Cutlery following chemotherapy: What utensils can help my client who is experiencing weakness and tremor following chemotherapy?

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What utensils can help my client who is experiencing weakness and tremor following chemotherapy?

Question

I have a client who, due to chemotherapy-induced neuropathy, presents weakness and a resting tremor in his hands, which makes eating with utensils more difficult. What are some types of utensils or strategies to assist with these problems? In other words, how can he successfully get the food from plate to mouth? He does fine with finger foods, it's just those requiring a utensil that are more challenging.

Our answer

Products mentioned in our answer below are provided to inform you about the types of technologies available and have not been evaluated by CanAssist. They may or may not be appropriate for your particular situation. Some technologies and devices may require an in-person assessment. Speak with your health care provider for additional information and support.

Hand weakness and tremors certainly can make holding and moving cutlery very difficult for people with tremors and weakness. Thankfully, there are a number of products on the market designed to address these concerns – many of them quite reasonably priced.

One of the most common solutions in these types of situations are utensils with easy-to-grip handles. The weighted versions of these tools can be particularly helpful to people with tremors by acting as a counterbalance – though some prefer the non-weighted versions. Here are examples of each:

Weighted cutlery

  • Weighted Utensils by Sammons Preston (at Amazon Canada), which sells for about $17 to $27 (CDN) each, plus shipping.
  • Good Grips Weighted & Bendable Utensils (at Amazon Canada). Six ounces of added weight in the built-up handle provides more control so that the utensil reaches the mouth easier. About $25 to $30 (CDN) plus shipping per utensil.

Non-weighted, non-slipping cutlery

  • A popular non-weighted option is the 4-Piece Kitchen Set of Adaptive Utensils (at Amazon Canada), which sells for about $20 (CDN) plus shipping.
  • Another simple solution when gripping the utensil is a problem is a 6-Pack of Foam Grip Tubing (at Amazon Canada), where you can slip on foam tube handle to almost any piece of cutlery. These sell for $10 (CDN) plus shipping.

Covered Spoon, by ParsonsADLTo avoid spilling

  • Covered Spoon by Parsons ADL (at emso.ca). For eating soup and easy-to-spill foods, some people benefit from using a partially covered spoon. The lid covers about two-thirds of the spoon, limiting the amount of spillage. Costs about $18 (CDN) for two spoons.
  • “Scooper” bowls and plates, which have rounded edges also help make it easier for the person with tremor to get the food onto their cutlery. Here’s an example: the Scoop Dish (at SeniorsStore.ca), which sells for about $30 (CDN) plus shipping.

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