Importance of a Kitchen Adaptation, a discussion by Kate Sheehan.
Do we need kitchen adaptations? Are they a necessity or actually just a desirable change to a property? These are questions we are pleased to see have been posed by leading occupational therapist, Kate Sheehan, who explores this topic from a clinical perspective of kitchen adaptations, drawing on projects she has worked on throughout her career, in her latest article with the OT Magazine.
Freedom Kitchen designed by Symphony.
Kate comments that “eating is a necessity as it supports our body to function physiologically. The preparation and cooking of food support the development of social skills, physical function, cognitive abilities and mental health well-being, it is, therefore, a purposeful and meaningful occupation.” Furthermore that “During the pandemic, cooking/baking has become a national hobby, with numerous people going back to cooking from scratch and realising the positive effects and impacts of immersing yourself in creative activities.”
So if anything the kitchen has become an even more important space both for our wellbeing and for social interaction.
Kate continues that “it is an activity that is not confined to one age group. As we start to learn cooking skills from a young age, children learn about food through their senses (sight, touch, smell, hearing, tasting) and teaching kitchen skills not only helps a child to learn about food but also teaches them an important life skill. Since children develop cooking skills at different rates, introducing children to skills that match their abilities, should be encouraged from a young age, therefore an accessible kitchen is essential.”
Here at Symphony we understand the importance of the kitchen and our Freedom range can ensure that a kitchen is accessible to anyone using it. However it does appear to be a room that is often overlooked. Given this Kate poses the question; “so why, if it is an essential activity for physical, social, and cognitive development, are there so few kitchen adaptation projects being recommended by occupational therapists?”
We encourage you to read more of the discussion by heading to the OT Magazine and reading the full article.
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