74.
A moistened paper towel placed under your plate will keep it from slipping on a formica tabletop.
75.
The diameter of eating utensil handles can be increased with cylindrical foam (available as pipe insulation at the hardware store).
76.
Wide-handled plastic mugs are easier to lift when all four fingers can be placed inside the handle. This way a firm grasp isn't needed to hold and tip the cup toward the mouth. An inexpensive sip-a-mug can be purchased at most drugstores or supermarkets. This is a light plastic mug with a contoured handle which also serves as a straw.
77.
Lightweight plastic bowls are easier to handle than glass or ceramic dishes. A rubber mesh mat will keep them from slipping on the counter or in the lap.
78.
A sport-type plastic drink container often has a hole containing a straw in its cover which eases/allows access to its contents.
79.
Annoying phlegm can be decreased by limiting the ingestion of dairy foods, but be sure to get your daily calcium quotient in other ways. Citrus juice can "cut" thick saliva.
80.
Suck ice chips before eating if you have difficulty swallowing. It helps desensitize the gag reflex.
81.
Chewing licorice just before eating decreases the appetite because it dulls taste buds. Be careful not to overdo this. Too much licorice can decrease your serum potassium level.
82.
Where swallowing is difficult, a package of frozen peas placed on the front of the neck may prove of assistance by relaxing muscle spasm.
83.
When food gathers in the back of the mouth, tip the chin downward, not upward, to improve ingestion.
84.
A little Oscar's meat tenderizer (MSG) on the back of the tongue will help to break up thick saliva and aid swallowing.
85.
A damp dish towel wrapped around the base of a bowl will keep it from slipping on a smooth counter.
86.
A simple portable aid to help get the hand to the mouth can be made with any forearm support such as a flat length of wood or even split bamboo (with several slips of velcro tacked on to secure the arm) and attached in the middle on both sides with a pin to two large dowels which are fixed to a heavy wooden base. This forearm prop can be placed on a table where it acts like a seesaw, lifting the hand to the mouth when the elbow is dropped.
87.
A disposable plastic cup with a space cut out along the rim to fit about a child's nose will allow the youngster to drink in a better, more controlled position with his chin forward, rather than having to bend his head back.
88.
A child having trouble controlling a cup with one hand can often do better if it's fitted with two handles. This adapted cup is listed at low cost in ADL catalogs or you can ask a local potter to make one for you if a ceramic mug will not be too heavy to lift.
89.
An "octopus" soap holder which has multiple suction supports makes an effective plate, glass or cup stabilizer. This gadget can be purchased in most grocery stores.
90.
An extra-long plastic straw can be used to eliminate the need to lift a glass when drinking.
