practical issue

[postigen]

Hello all. Not posted for a while. I was wondering if anyone had any ideas on how to make a microwave easier to use. My hub so wants to help me and gets a kick out of the smallest things bless him. At the moment tea and toast is the only thing he can manage although using the kettle is a bit dodgy

 

[Trisha4]

Hello all. Not posted for a while. I was wondering if anyone had any ideas on how to make a microwave easier to use. My hub so wants to help me and gets a kick out of the smallest things bless him. At the moment tea and toast is the only thing he can manage although using the kettle is a bit dodgy

My husband is the same, so keen to help all the time. Sometimes it's difficult to come up with things as many things just give me more work or it means I have to stop what I'm doing to help him help me.
Sorry, no suggestions for the microwave, just empathy and understanding.


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[nitram]

"...Hello all. Not posted for a while. I was wondering if anyone had any ideas on how to make a microwave easier to use..."

The easy answer is to try a microwave with no grill or conventional oven function and easy controls - power and duration knobs or push buttons.

This solution may not work or may not work for long and does not remove the safety issues:-

Using unsafe cooking materials like tinfoil or metal pans can cause sparking and fires.

Cooking eggs in the shell or cans of soup which may explode.

Plastic containers can warp and spill scalding liquids, spreads and margarine are especially dangerous.

Scalding hands when removing a drink which has been warmed up in a cup.

Excessive cooking time/power can cause a fire especially with high fat content eg cheese.

Other unsafe uses like attempting to dry wet underwear and then taking the items out which can cause severe scalds.

Incorrectly used microwave ovens can be as dangerous as cooking on a hob or using a conventional oven, in some ways they are more dangerous as they don't send out the 'I'm hot and dangerous' message.

 

[Grace L]

Could you buy a new simple to use microwave? As few buttons and controls as possible.

My husband VaD, struggled with all kitchen equipment, and gave up (anger and frustration).

I've just googled... and found Argos (other shops available) do simple easy to use microwaves.
They have one called a solo microwave.

I know you can buy a fancy kettle that supplies 'instant hot water', but these are expensive.
MiL (Alz) has been getting really angry with me for using a kettle, and has asked me to boil a pan of water instead. I think she is getting confused over the kettle, and takes her frustration out on me.

 

[marionq]

Building on the tea and toast he can do why not get him to set that up and while the toaster is on - grate some cheese, put it in a bowl with a raw egg and a spoonful of mustard. Get him to stir this and pile it on the toast. Meanwhile you can heat the grill and do the actual grilling (5 or 10 minutes) but he will have done most of what makes a good lunch.

 

[Prospector]

Hello all.
My wife has trouble remembering sequences, but I usually get her to set up our oven under my supervision. I have put red stickers with numbers on by each button or dial that she needs to use on the control panel, and then instruct her in what to do step by step. I plan to change to different colour stickers soon as the numbers no longer mean anything to her.
She is also our vegetable peeler and cutter, though fine cuts are beyond her, so julienne carrots have disappeared off the menu and we just accept missed bits of peel . I also get her to stir soups, sauces, gravy, frying onions etc. It all has to be done under supervision but I really value her contribution.
Sadly she can no longer make tea unsupervised as she couldn't work out what to put where. Unsupervised, we have had hot water in the cups, milk in the teapot, cold water tea etc. At least she is a willing helper and long may it stay that way.



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[Chuggalug]

Other unsafe uses like attempting to dry wet underwear and then taking the items out which can cause severe scalds.

Incorrectly used microwave ovens can be as dangerous as cooking on a hob or using a conventional oven, in some ways they are more dangerous as they don't send out the 'I'm hot and dangerous' message.

Very good points, nitram. I once found a pair of socks hubby had got wet and had shoved in our microwave to dry them. They got burn marks on them.

He's always been able to use it for warming up tea, (uuurrr!) and can use the kettle reasonably all right. But the forgetfulness is the worst part as he'll have one cup in the microwave to warm; then he'll be making a second cuppa from scratch at the same time. That's been going on for as long as I can remember. We're now into our sixth year of the active disease.

You know - when you look at these things, at first, you think of all the things that could go wrong. A few years down the line, I've actually got so used to living like this, I've got used to it, and am not as panicked as I used to be. I think that's when things are likely to be more dangerous...

Wishing us all safe days to come, and to be on our guard.

 

[pamann]

My hubby puts tea bags in the kettle, he always used to make such a good cup of tea, but now he has given up !!!!!♥♥♥

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[postigen]

Thank you all for your comments. Think maybe the safety issues mentioned need carefull consideration, so the idea of building on the toast theme maybe the way to go.

 

[postigen]

Hello just thought I would tell youni have decided tk get the solo microwave. Discovered it on very.Co.UK. I had a £15 voucher thro the door, and also it was in their sale so win win. Thank you for the suggestion. Decided, even with safety issues, to let him try just ready meals with supervision as it would boost his confidence no end. Pj

 

[Chuggalug]

Hello just thought I would tell youni have decided tk get the solo microwave. Discovered it on very.Co.UK. I had a £15 voucher thro the door, and also it was in their sale so win win. Thank you for the suggestion. Decided, even with safety issues, to let him try just ready meals with supervision as it would boost his confidence no end. Pj

Nice work, postigen! Hope it arrives soon, and that the microwave proves to be helpful

 

[tre]

A few years back when my husband was still OK to be left at home for a little while I was at work he wanted to cook his lunch using the microwave as he had previously done but now could no longer master. I found that he could not set the time etc but what worked for a few months was this. He had a ready meal to reheat. When I left for work at 7.45 am I put frozen ready meal with film pierced in the microwave and set the correct time etc (allowing that it would defrostby the time he cooked it) but the oven was switched off at the socket. When prompted by the 1.00pm news on his radio my husband was able to switch the socket on ( I stuck a big red arrow pointing to the switch on the wall) and the cooking began with the settings and timings that I had preset. He was very pleased that he could again manage this for himself. I do not know whether this will work for anyone else but it may be worth a try.
We are now a long way further along from this and he needs me with him all the time but we just have to constantly adapt. Some times we go through a difficult stage and he becomes unable to do something but it is not always a permanent and things on several occasions have improved. Perhaps we have been lucky.
Tre

 

[Chuggalug]

A few years back when my husband was still OK to be left at home for a little while I was at work he wanted to cook his lunch using the microwave as he had previously done but now could no longer master. I found that he could not set the time etc but what worked for a few months was this. He had a ready meal to reheat. When I left for work at 7.45 am I put frozen ready meal with film pierced in the microwave and set the correct time etc (allowing that it would defrostby the time he cooked it) but the oven was switched off at the socket. When prompted by the 1.00pm news on his radio my husband was able to switch the socket on ( I stuck a big red arrow pointing to the switch on the wall) and the cooking began with the settings and timings that I had preset. He was very pleased that he could again manage this for himself. I do not know whether this will work for anyone else but it may be worth a try.
We are now a long way further along from this and he needs me with him all the time but we just have to constantly adapt. Some times we go through a difficult stage and he becomes unable to do something but it is not always a permanent and things on several occasions have improved. Perhaps we have been lucky.
Tre

Just goes to show, Tre, that there is some encouragement for us, sometimes. Long may it last.

 

[MReader]

My husband can still (just about) make a cup of tea but was dangerous with a kettle - overfilling it etc. So I bought a B******e Hot Cup (other brands are available!!!) He puts a cup under the spout & boiling/hot water is discharged straight into his cup - bingo!!!