This report is one that argues for our company's expansion into the area of designing and manufacturing (and possibly marketing and selling) new household products which will be increasingly in demand as well as of benefit to our societies aging populations. There already exist new, innovative companies, selling products on the web, which are geared to aging, elderly and disabled people. As the percentage of the population of the industrialized world reaching retirement age grows larger, due to the fact that the baby boomer generation are now reaching old age, it is important that companies realize that new consumer markets are going to be needed as our aging population desires to maintain their independence for as long as possible. If good, durable, and functional products are designed now, then even better ones will emerge as a result of the investment put into research and design today. People like to drink tea, which is why this report proposes company investment in research and development of very accessible products aimed at people who enjoy afternoon tea. Diseases that impact older people, such as osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis, limit the range of motion of the hands. We take our hands for granted; and we use them for so many things. Only when they are swollen, in chronic pain, with decrease in strength and mobility will we realize how much we take for granted all of the things that we use our hands to do, from pouring tea to cutting up and buttering bread. This report describes osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis, considers how these conditions relate to aging, and suggests both exercises, as well as new products, which may improve quality of life.
[...] Operating machinery at work, cutting food to prepare for cooking, cleaning, making coffee and tea, holding forks and knives and cups, pouring motions, opening and closing drawers, using can openers all of these daily activities, among others, can be negatively impacted, with it becoming increasingly difficult for an elderly person to take care of themselves and remain autonomous and independent. Lefler and Armstrong's article is written from the perspective of professional kinesiology. Studies with elderly people reveal that older people who actively engage in programs to help them improve their strength, dexterity and mobility, reveal that strength training can improve mobility. [...]
[...] Practically, this allows the user, if need be, to hold the cup in both hands, either by placing the hands around the narrow width, or putting one hand on the side and the other on the bottom stem for balance. The design also allows people who have problems gripping to hold this cup without anxiety that they will drop it. One additional feature is that the cup slopes down from the mouth, making it easier to drink from. Patients with RA or OA can often have limited mobility from the elbow down to the forearm and into the fingers. [...]
[...] Toensmeier (2006) writes that demographic trends reveal there is an “increasing number of people 50 and over in North America, Europe, Scandinavia, and Japan.” As a result, he adds, these “societies are for the first time facing issues of how best to ensure that older workers, many of whom will be employed beyond traditional retirement age, remain capable of working productively with a variety of equipment.” (Toensmeier: 10) As a result, there is the need for companies to consider new kinds of design for products which can be used by an aging population. [...]
[...] The pot lids also have a handle designed for easy lifting, large enough to grasp and remove with ease. There is a second front handle, above the spout top, which would enable a client with weaker hands or shakier grip to hold the pot more firmly. Sometimes in osteoarthritis hand weakness affects how much weight a person can comfortably lift. The light materials combined with the design of the Tekability tea pot, accommodate for these possible limitations. Depression and frustration can also accompany age-related changes, as well as be consequences of living in chronic pain. [...]
[...] One idea would be a design which also has a place to put a standard tea mug or cup, so that both cup and pot are secured during pouring. This would reduce chance f spill accidents, burns and dropping. A second improvement would be to design the tipper in a way that the movable parts are not in need of setting and adjusting. This device now requires pinching motions, which researchers have proven are among the least likely of arthritic symptoms to show improvement, even with regular isometric exercise. [...]
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