by Barbara Twardowski

In the movie, Pretty Woman, Julia Roberts attends a business dinner in a posh restaurant. She is served escargot and attempts to grasp one with a snail tong. With a snap, the appetizer is sent sailing across the room and deftly caught by a waiter. Although Julia's struggle with her meal is humorous, people suffering with disabilities are not as quick to laugh when their lack of dexterity is the center of attention. According to Disaboom, the largest online community for people with disabilities, people suffering from Parkinson's Disease often require their significant other to cut their steak or peel their shrimp due to weakness in their hands.

See an Expert
If a person has weak hands and difficulties at meal time; they may need to see a physical therapist, occupational therapist or certified hand therapist. The therapist will assess the person's motor function, strength, range-of-motion, severity of weakness, and medical history.

Typical questions might include:

• Are you feeling clumsy or dropping things?
• Are you having any difficulty cutting your food?
• Have you changed what you eat or prepare because of your hands?

Behavioral changes such as these can indicate if the person is compensating for their weak hands. Many times the person has changed habits and did not consciously realize that their hand weakness was progressing.

Therapists may test swelling, sensation, and strength where appropriate. Therapists assess any problems in functional use of the hands, starting with general weakness, and narrowing down to specific activities of living, such as starting the car, eating or opening a jar.

Tools
With a therapist's assistance, a person can find a variety ofmodified and adaptive tools for use in the kitchen and dining room. Some examples include built-up handled silverware for weak or incomplete grasp, rocker knives, special cutting boards, non-skid placemats to prevent food from sliding across the table, and even stirring and pouring assists.

Coping Strategies
Living with a disability means adapting to change. If the person is dining in a restaurant, they may want to bring adaptive utensils or ask the waiter to have their steak cut in the kitchen or get assistance from their dining partner. Straws are recommended in beverages to minimize lifting and moving glassware.

Since its launch in 2007, Disaboom has been dedicated to improving the lives of people with disabilities. Disaboom's collective resources make it possible to live forward. To discover more on Parkinson's Disease, visit disaboom.com.