CASE STUDY: Bespoke accessible kitchen helps young girl prepare meals with family and friends
A bespoke, accessible kitchen from Ropox is helping a young girl cook independently, which has boosted her confidence and enables her to prepare meals with her family and friends.
Saline Frydkaer, who lives with her family in Glyngoere, Denmark, was left paralysed from the chest down as a result of nerve damage caused by cancer.
Now cancer-free, Saline is a bright, outgoing, fun-loving child who attends the local school with her friends and has refused to let her cancer and subsequent disability stop her enjoying life to the full.
However, as with many wheelchair users, Saline was unable to help in the kitchen due to the fact she could not reach the worktops and taps, or obtain items from the cupboards, leaving her dependent on her family to prepare meals.
For Saline’s parents and younger brother, watching her be unable to get involved in the kitchen was, at times, very upsetting, so they set about researching companies which could offer a potential solution.
It was during this research that the family first got in touch with Ropox and quickly discovered there was a solution which would enable Saline to not only help her family in the kitchen, but also cook independently, which they felt would help with her confidence.
After several meetings and assessments, it was agreed that a Ropox FlexiCorner worktop with integrated hob and sink was the answer.
As Saline is a wheelchair user, there are no cupboards under the FlexiCorner. This allows Saline to position herself right up to the worktop with her wheelchair beneath the surface.
As a result of her condition, Saline has no feeling in her lower limbs so would be unaware if she was to become trapped or suffer a burn. Therefore, for increased safety, the worktop has an ‘auto-stop’ should anything become trapped under the fascia while it is being raised or lowered and a shallow, insulated sink ensures Saline’s legs are not near the bottom of the sink at any time.
You can see Saline in her new, accessible kitchen in the short video below:
The family now has a stylish, bespoke kitchen which meets the requirements of Saline and the rest of her family. Saline can now help with the preparation of family meals and also cook for herself and friends when they visit.
This has resulted in Saline becoming more independent which has, in turn, increased her confidence, something her parents are delighted to see. Ropox has not only changed the family’s kitchen but also changed their lives.
For more information on the full range of accessible kitchen and bathroom solutions available from Ropox or to book an assessment, call 07831 401118, email pd@ropox.com or visit www.ropox.com