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If you are a member of the public looking to access our rapid self-assessment tool, AskSARA, please contact your local authority to access this service.

If you are a local authority or organisation wishing to enquire about obtaining a license for your residents, please contact us at enquiries@livingmadeeasy.org.uk, where we will be happy to assist.

To see a list of current Local Authority & HSCP Licensees, click the button below.

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Food preparation equipment

This section includes equipment to assist with food preparation.

Food preparation boards assist with slicing and spreading bread, and keeping food items in place while they are being sliced or chopped, Some may anchor to a table or work surface, others may have a slip-resistant base. They may have a compartment to collect food that has been prepared.

Table top jar and bottle holders stabilise and grip a jar or bottle leaving the user with both hands free to grip the lid. Storage jars with features such as lids which can be released and resealed by applying pressure to a specific area. Salt and pepper grinders and shakers may have features to enhance grip or enable one-handed use. Some of these salt and pepper mills also grind herbs and spices.

Saucepans that stay cool to the touch, saucepan handles with enhanced grip, cooking baskets which allow you to transfer food from a saucepan without lifting the pan, and pan holders which stabilise the saucepan so it can be used with one hand may provide assistance.

Some equipment may have features that could assist blind and partially sighted users, or may be available in colours that may help people with memory loss. toasting.

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Ornamin Small Non Slip Board with Food Preparation Aid
Non-slip spreading board. Comprises: raised on three sides, designed to keep food items in place; made from melamine. Options: range of colours; spike...
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Pot/Pan Handle Holder
Pan handle holder. Comprises: designed to prevent a pan from turning while stirring with one hand; suction cups.
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Food Workstation
Food workstation designed to give assistance with a variety of kitchen tasks. Comprises: clamp for gripping food, jars, bowls or bottles; removable st...
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Swedish Fix It Food Preparation Board
Plastic cutting board with slip-resistant base. Comprises: sliding vice with a large knob handle for clamping vegetables or tins; small removable pane...
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Belliclamp Jar & Bottle Opener
Worktop clamp for holding jars or bottles, leaving the user's hands free to open the top. Comprises: plastic clamp with slip-resistant base; plastic r...
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Kitchen Workstation
Multi-function food preparation board. Comprises: plastic slip-resistant base; detachable grater and slicer with protective cover and food collector; ...
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One Handed Box Set
One-handed storage boxes. Comprises: clear storage jars; plastic lid; central release spot; resealable lid; dishwasher safe; three sizes.
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NRS Healthcare Kitchen Spread Board with Spikes
Plastic spread board. Comprises: injection moulded board; 'L' shape; two raised edges; six stainless steel spikes.
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Small Sandwich Board
Small aluminium board with raised edges and a slip-resistant base designed to enable one-handed spreading of food items for example a slice of bread.
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Spill Not Jar Holder
Table top device which grips the base of jars and bottles while the user turns the top. Comprises: moulded plastic unit; slip-resistant base; three di...
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Food Preparation Board
Moulded plastic bread board with slip-resistant base and one curved side to hook onto table edge. Board is angled at the opposite end with lipped edge...
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Stainless Steel Cooking Basket
Mesh cooking basket with a flame retardant nylon handle. Fits in the saucepan and holds food whilst cooking. When food is ready the basket is lifted o...
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Chopping Board
Waterproof polyethylene chopping board. Comprises: slip-resistant base; two raised edges on one corner; aluminium spikes to secure food for chopping. ...
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Bread Board
Wooden board. Comprises: slip-resistant base; stainless steel spikes to hold bread whilst cutting; two raised angled borders to hold slice of bread wh...
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Staybowlizer Mixing Bowl Stabiliser
Mixing bowl stabiliser. Comprises: designed to hold a bowl securely in place; height resistant to 260 degrees centigrade; can be placed in the oven, m...
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Pan Handle Holder
Plastic coated steel 'U' shaped saucepan handle holder. Attaches to cooker top with suction cup feet. Prevents a pan from turning while stirring with ...
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Automatic Salt or Pepper Mill
Salt and pepper mills with accessible features. Comprises: battery operated grinding mechanism via push button on top of mill; soft-touch exterior; ca...
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Rechargeable Electric Salt & Pepper Seasoning Mill
Rechargeable salt and pepper mill that can be used one-handed. Comprises: two removable containers that dispense grinded contents when pointed downwar...
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Water Boil Alert
Circular stainless steel device which when placed in the bottom of a saucepan will rattle once the liquid starts to boil and will also prevent liquids...
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Toastabags
Rectangular bag made of fire resistant material. Suitable for cooking dishes such as omelettes, baked beans and toasted sandwiches in most wide slot t...
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Stainless Steel Electronic Mills
Electronic salt and pepper mill set. Comprises: push-button control; battery operated; stainless steel top and base and ceramic grinding mechanism; ba...
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NRS Healthcare Economy Bread Board
Plastic board with lipped edges along two sides which form an 'L' shaped guard to hold bread in place for spreading.
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Pan Pickle Anti Slip Guide For Induction Hobs
Device designed to secure a saucepan in place on an induction hob. Comprises: flexible silicone construction; grips to glass surface of hob in positio...
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Ortwo One-handed Salt-pepper Mill
Grinder suitable for one-handed use. Comprises: squeeze grip handles that enable one-handed grinding; rust-resistant ceramic grinders; removable glass...
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Buying equipment

There are several factors to consider when purchasing equipment.

Get advice and an assessment

Experienced therapists or trusted assessors know a lot about products and will help you make sure the product is right for you now and will continue to be suitable in the future. 

 

You may be able to get an assessment and advice from social services. GOV.UK website
Alternatively you may choose to pay for a private occupational therapist. If you wish to request a private appointment with an occupational therapist then you can obtain details of local private occupational therapists from the 'College of Occupational Therapists Specialist Section - Independent Practice' (COTSS-IP) website. www.cotss-ip.org.uk or phone their enquiry Line: 0845 129 7699.
You can check whether a therapist is state registered with the Health Care professions Council (HCPC) at www.hcpc-uk.org/audiences/

Try before you buy

You can find out about products and try them out, with independent advice at an Independent Living Centre (ILC). There are about 30 ILCs in the UK. Most do not sell products but they will be able to tell you where to buy them. We recommend you make an appointment before you visit

You could view equipment at an exhibition. They are a good opportunity to see what's available and meet the competing suppliers. The main exhibition of equipment is NAIDEX, held annually at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham, and Glasgow. www.naidex.co.uk

Buying from a private person

Buying from a private person gives you fewer rights. You will only be able to claim against the seller if the product doesn't match its description or if the seller did not own it. Consequently, some firms occasionally pretend to be private sellers to avoid their legal responsibilities towards customers. If you suspect this has happened to you find out about your rights and what action to take on the Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) website https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/ or call 0345 404 0506 to speak to the Citizen Advice consumer helpline.

Membership of trade associations

Some suppliers are members of a trade association. Many of these trade associations have a code of practice that governs their members' customer service, and thus may help to project you from unscrupulous selling practices. For example, some trade associations prohibit their members from contacting people uninvited to try and sell their products. They may also prohibit their members from using high pressure selling tactics such as offering a discount if you order that day, or phoning their manager while demonstrating the equipment to you to agree a 'special discount/deal'. Thus if you have a choice of suppliers for the product you wish to purchase we recommend you consider the suppliers who are members of trade association.

We record suppliers' membership of several trade associations (see a list of these trade associations) and our ratings give greater weighting to trade associations with codes of practice which are approved by the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) (e.g. the British Healthcare Trade Association) or governed by an audit scheme which meets the requirements of the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS).

We also record whether suppliers meet the ISO 9000 series of standards. These standards define a Quality System which certifies that formalised business processes are being applied, and thus may be another indicator to look for if you have a choice of suppliers.

VAT

You may be able to purchase equipment designed for use by disabled people without paying the VAT if you are 'chronically sick or disabled', and you are buying the item/s for your own personal or domestic use. For VAT purposes, a person is 'chronically sick or disabled' if they:

  • Have a physical or mental impairment which has a long-term and substantial adverse effect on their ability to carry out everyday activities.
  • Have a condition that the medical profession treats as a chronic sickness (e.g. diabetes).
  • Are terminally ill.

 

So, you won't qualify if you're only temporarily disabled or incapacitated (e.g. if you have a broken leg).

Examples of products which are likely to qualify for VAT relief (if intended for the personal or domestic use of a chronically sick or disabled person) include:

 

  • wheelchairs
  • stairlifts
  • computer software or hardware designed specifically for disabled individuals
  • kettle tippers, tap turners, button hooks and similar gadgets or devices that are designed solely to make everyday tasks easier for disabled individuals
  • artificial limbs
  • vehicles that have been adapted for use by a wheelchair or stretcher user

Price

Price is important but, if we list more than one supplier, it is important to look for more than just the cheapest price. Check when the prices were last updated (this should be stated under each price). Consider whether:

  • Postage/delivery is included (if shopping by mail order or online)
  • Is the supplier a member of a trade association? (see below)
  • Is one supplier listing the price with VAT and another without VAT?
  • Check the suppliers' returns policies and any guarantees / warranties (see below).
  • For complex equipment that requires maintenance and/or servicing check what's included in the price and what the ongoing costs will be.

Guarantee

The length of the manufacturer's guarantee does not limit any claim you may make to the seller as if a product develops a fault outside the guarantee period you can still claim against the seller if you can show that the fault was unreasonable at that period in the products life.

 

You may be asked whether you would like to purchase an extended warranty. Remember that your statutory rights exist, under the Sale of Goods Act, whether or not you choose to buy their warranty and whether or not the goods came with any guarantee. Manufacturers' guarantees are separate from the automatic rights you have against the seller, and may be more limited. For more information read the Citizens Advice Bureau guide to guarantees and warranties.

Maintenance and insurance

For large complex items, such as a stairlift, check what kind of maintenance contract the supplier offers.

Making complaints and reporting unsafe products

In most instances a complaint should initially be made to the supplier who provided you with the item. CAB has a range of guidelines on their website on making a complaint about poor service or faulty goods. These include complaining by phone, complaining in writing and template letters. CAB advice about making a complaint.
If you are not satisfied with the supplier's response then you may choose to complain to:

  • an ombudsman scheme
  • a regulator
  • an independent mediator
  • a trade association (if the supplier is a member of one)

 

Safety incidents involving medical devices can be reported to the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) on the GOV UK website www.mhra.gov.uk or their Adverse incident centre hotline 020 3080 7080. The MHRA is the government agency responsible for ensuring that medical devices and medicines work and are acceptably safe. Their definition of 'Medical devices' includes devices used for assisting patients and users, thus many daily living aids such as bath lifts, commodes and walking sticks are medical devices. Any incident involving the safety of a medical device (including safety issues with its instructions for use) should be reported to the MHRA, especially if the incident contributed to, or could have caused injury, life-threatening illness or death.

Need More Help?

If you know that there is a certain product that will help you, feel free to browse through our online catalogue or use our search tool for specific product names. National retailers are listed against each product and you can click on their link to go directly to their website to order that product or contact the retailer for more information. Don't forget to tell them you found their information on our site.

If you are unsure about what you need why not try our AskSARA tool to narrow down your search by considering what areas of daily living you need help with.

If you would prefer to speak to someone for advice about daily living equipment, please contact our Helpline on 0300 999 0004.

Our experienced advisors will help you find the solution to your problem and can send you information on products that might help you, where you can buy equipment and other useful organisations that might be able to help you.

You can also post a question on the Youreable forum. it’s free to join the forum and the community is supportive and knowledgeable. The forum is an online community of and for disabled and older people and their families/carers.


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