What this help covers

This help may concern a practical check of the kitchen: placing light and frequently used items at an accessible height, clearing a preparation area, avoiding the need to climb onto a chair, separating everyday items from rarely used items, keeping access clear to the sink, refrigerator, cooking hob or table, identifying a blocked drawer, an obstructive door, an unstable rug, a cable on the floor, insufficient lighting or an appliance placed too close to a wet or hot area.

The aim is not to impose a new organization or empty the kitchen. The aim is to make everyday use easier, respect the person’s habits, preserve their familiar reference points and clarify when a craftsperson, installer, occupational therapist or another qualified professional must intervene.

Specific points to watch in the kitchen

• An intervention involving gas, electricity, water, drainage or a cooking appliance must never be improvised.
• Pans, plates, bottles or heavy supplies placed too high can cause a fall, pain or loss of balance.
• A power strip, extension cord, cable or small appliance placed near the sink, cooking hob or a hot area represents a serious danger.
• A rug or non-slip accessory that is poorly chosen, poorly placed or worn can itself become an obstacle.
• A stool, chair or step stool used to reach a high cupboard can create a major risk, especially if the person is tired or fragile.
• For a person with cognitive difficulties or loss of reference points, changing the whole kitchen organization without agreement can disorient them and increase risks.
• Food, medication, personal products, utensils or familiar objects must not be moved, thrown away or replaced without clear agreement from the person or a legitimate reference person.

Preferred providers

Before the intervention

• Identify the difficulty precisely: items placed too high, pans that are too heavy, cluttered worktop, difficult access, insufficient lighting, obstructive rug or poorly placed appliance.
• Confirm with the person what may be moved, what must stay in place, what is used every day and what forms part of their important familiar reference points.
• Check whether the person reports fatigue, loss of balance, reduced vision, memory difficulty, fear of falling or difficulty cooking, without making a diagnosis.
• Confirm that the requested intervention does not involve gas, electricity, water, drainage, fixed furniture, built-in appliances or heavy loads.
• Observe cables, rugs, wet areas, hot areas, narrow passages, appliances placed at the edge of the worktop and items stored on the floor.
• Identify situations that force the person to climb onto a chair, bend too low, carry too much weight or cross the kitchen with a hot or fragile item.
• Refuse any intervention if it requires moving a heavy appliance, modifying a technical installation, fixing furniture or asking the person to test a dangerous situation.
• Plan a qualified referral if safety depends on a cooking appliance, an electrical installation, a water inlet, fixed furniture, a load-bearing support or an uncertain physical ability.

What DomusHelp does not cover

• Medical help, eating assistance, preparation of prescribed meals, management of a medical diet, distribution of medication or care task.
• Connection, repair or modification of gas, electricity, water, drainage, ventilation or a cooking appliance.
• Non-qualified installation of wall cabinets, heavy shelves, fixed pull-out storage, worktops, load-bearing supports or wall-mounted elements.
• Kitchen renovation, replacement of worktop, sink, taps, tiling, flooring, extractor hood, oven, hob or built-in installation.
• Moving or installing a refrigerator, oven, dishwasher, cooker, freezer or another heavy appliance.
• Choosing or installing a medical device, prescribed aid or equipment requiring professional validation.
• Moving, sorting, removing or replacing food, medication, documents, utensils or personal objects without clear agreement.
• Promising that a reorganization, accessory, storage solution or new location will prevent falls, burns, accidents or errors of use.

Need help making a kitchen more practical in the district of Brig?

DomusHelp can help clarify the request, identify possible simple tasks, preserve important habits and refer the person to an appropriate local provider when the intervention must be qualified.