Abstract:

The study examined the effectiveness of microwave ovens in assisting elderly persons with disabilities with cooking food and involved 5 elderly persons with gross motor, fine motor or vision impairments but no cognitive impairments. Before the study, no respondent owned a microwave oven. In this single-subject design of four phases (ABAB) Training in microwave oven use was provided in the first A (baseline) and first B (intervention) phases. Participants had access to the microwave oven in their homes only during the B phases. Each phase lasted for 3 weeks, for a total of 12 weeks. The frequencly of using cooking appliances, the number of food items prepared, and the time spent preparing meals were recorded through daily self-reports. All particpants showed an increase in the frequency of using cooking appliances for at least one of the 2 B phases although they showed different patterns. The number of food items prepared increased in the B phases, except for 2 participants who were ill. With the introduction of the microwave oven, time spent preparing meals declined for all five participants and their participation in meal preparation increased . Although not measured in the study, results suggest that quality of diet also improved with microwave oven use. Occupational therapists who serve elderly clients should consider recommending microwave ovens for those who do not have cognitive impairment but who are having difficulty with cooking because of vision impairment or physical disabilities.