Kitchen design aspects I might need to consider for cognitive impairment and attention issues

Last Updated 21st January 2020

Basic ideas include storing dangerous items in locked cabinets or use hidden switches and control lockouts. Smart stoves are a useful innovation.

Smart stoves turn themselves off and cool down instantly. The iguardfire is a US product designed to switch off a stove when no-one is in the room. For instance, once you have left the kitchen the iGuardStove turns the stove top off after 5 minutes. it works with a smart phone https://iguardfire.com/new-iguardstove-page/

Another US device is the Agate 'cook stop' see https://www.smarthome.com/cookstop-csa-dw-irf-oven-auto-shutoff-direct-wire-kit.html. If you thought either would be helpful you would need to get further advice from a qualified Australian Electrician to ensure that either of these devices or a locally available equivalent meet all the Australian wiring requirements etc.

For more information about the ways that stove shut off can be achieved see http://www.thiscaringhome.org/products/kitchen.php

Induction cooking cooks food as much as 50 percent faster with induction. When you change the temperature setting, the electromagnetic field adjusts almost instantly, giving you excellent control over cooking temperatures. Disabled people and children can work safely near the stay-cool cooktop, and spills are easy to wipe up. Induction cooktops provide energy savings, because the magnetic energy goes directly to the pan and there is little heat wasted.

Australian choice: Induction cookware buying guide (https://www.choice.com.au/home-and-living/kitchen/cookware/buying-guides/induction-cookware) and Induction cooktop buying guide (https://www.choice.com.au/home-and-living/kitchen/cooktops/buying-guides/induction-cooktops)

A particularly helpful website is the Kitchen Design for Dementia Home (https://www.enablingenvironments.com.au/).

I would definitely recommend that you also seek an Occupational Therapy assessment and the information on how to get this going can be found in the Arranging Home Modification Factsheet. An individualised assessment would assist in making specific recommendation related to the home and the preferred type and approach to food prepartyion, storage, preparation and cooking activities.