How to Open Doors, Drawers and Laptops When Your Grip Is Weak

Weak grip is one of those things that creeps up on you. A drawer handle that used to be fine becomes awkward. The laptop lid needs a fingernail you no longer have the strength for. Cupboard doors with small knobs feel like a puzzle.

Reduced grip strength can have many causes, from arthritis to an injury. Whatever the cause, there are simple changes that can make your home much easier to use.

Make handles bigger and easier to turn

Small knobs and thin handles are the hardest to grip. Arthritis charities recommend built-up and oversized handles: foam or rubber grips for pens, cutlery with large cushioned handles, and peelers with oversized rubber handles. Taps can be swapped for lever-handled ones, or fitted with easy-turn tap levers, and key turners with a curved handle make unlocking doors easier.

Small tricks that reduce the grip needed

• Wrap an elastic band around a pen or pencil to stop it slipping.
• Put a damp dish cloth on a jar lid before turning it.
• Use a non-slip jar opener or an electric can or jar opener.
• Steady things on a non-slip mat rather than holding them tight.

Create a handle where there isn't one

Laptops, flat cupboard doors, fridge drawers and sliding panels often have nothing to hold at all. This is where the Grip Toggle comes in.

The Grip Toggle is a small silicone grip aid with a hexagonal suction end. Press it onto a flat, smooth surface and it gives you a soft handle you can pull, so you can open a laptop lid, a drawer or a cupboard door without gripping hard. The stretchy stalk sits comfortably in the hand and, unlike a full silicone band, it does not trap your fingers.

It works for holding things too. Its loop slides over the handles of cutlery, toothbrushes and kitchen tools, giving you a more secure, comfortable grip on the things you use every day. And because the suction end sticks to smooth surfaces, you can also use it to stop an item being knocked off the table.

Carrying without a tight grip

Gripping a hot mug while you walk is one of the harder jobs with weak hands. The Topple Tray is held from above by its handle, so your drinks hang beneath and stay level, and you do not need to grip any of the cups themselves. It carries up to four glasses at once.

Easy to clean, easy to share

The Grip Toggle comes in a pack of four, in two sizes, which is often enough to cover the essential items for one person. It is dishwasher and autoclave safe, or you can wash it with warm soapy water, which makes it practical for care homes and shared kitchens as well as at home.

Get personalised advice

If weak grip is affecting your daily life, ask your GP for a referral to an occupational therapist. They can look at how you use your hands and suggest aids and home adaptations that suit you.

Get a grip on everyday items. Shop the Grip Toggle 4 pack here.

Source: Arthritis Action, Gadgets and Aids for Arthritis. This article is general information, not medical advice.