Cooker hob / oven for elderly person advice please.

[FD]

My dad (in his eighties, losing sight in one eye) is away for a couple of weeks so I'm finishing the conversion of his flat for his abilities and in readiness for getting a new combi boiler fitted sometime on an Energy Assistance Package grant arranged through the Energy Saving Trust This will involve finally losing the DHW cylinder cupboard, thus freeing up scarce space to extend worktop.
Because the kitchen is small he was limited to a 500mm wide freestanding cooker. It has a sealed hob, it takes ages to heat up. So with more worktop space he will have more options open to him for cooking appliances.

I'm looking for advice on what is the most suitable fitted cooking appliances for someone his age and abilities. I'm not sure what to buy him.
Is a gas hob necessarily a bad idea, due to naked flame?
I like the idea of induction hobs (pans are all ferrous) but the ones I have seen had electronic pushbiuton controls, not particulary intuitive for somone who can't work the television remote control. Are there induction hobs with rotary knobs and 'pilots neons/ LEDs'?

What are typical power ratings for separate dmestic electric hobs and ovens?

He is away just now for a couple of weeks so I'm using the opportunity to do all the jobs round his house which create dust, including the raggling for the kitchen, raggling for raising sockets to useable height, underfloor insulation.
I've raggled in the kitchen sockets, separate boiler supply, washing machine supply, fridge freezer supply I'll also be replacing wiring devices with high contrast ones. Also have to sort out the kitchen installer's bodge ups.
He is back on Friday so I'd like to at least get the raggling of boxes, and conduit drops plastering and messy bits out of the way.

I'm not particularly up to date on modern kitchen appliances and the showroom people were more interested in upselling installation than advising.

If he does opt for an electric hob and an electric oven are separate circuits required for each at the consumer unit?
Existing cooker is wired in 6mm T&E on a Cooker Control Unit on a 32A MCB . That will be rewired in ZH LSF anyway and will need to be moved away from hob.

Not sure what to raggle in now while I can.

 

[cumbriahandyman]

A few ideas for you.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-11893452

http://www.livingmadeeasy.org.uk/

 

[jj4091]

Not an expert in care for the disabled/elderly but when my mother had similar problems to your father the answer for us was fresh & frozen ready meals & a microwave in order to maintain her fiercely guarded independance. Cooking on a hob when frail & especially partially sighted was potentially far too dangerous. Your best bet would be to have his limitations professionally assessed by someone like social services who can then offer more appropriate advice on his needs for now & the near future.

 

[bernardgreen]

Ready meals and microwave are probably the safest option for a frail but stubborn person but the choice has to be influenced by a proper assessment of the person. But by enforcing that by removing the ordinary oven you might seriously affect the person's confidence in them selves to cope.

Are you committed to removing the hot water tank and then relying on the combi boiler as the source of instant hot water ? Reason I ask is that some combi-boilers seem to have very poor control of the temperature of the hot water they provide. Frail people may not be able to cope with un-expected changes of water temperature that some combi-boilers aeem prone to.

With the hot water tank sudden changes of temperature will not occur and the maximum temperature can be set by the tank thermostat and not by the way the combi modulates the amount of gas being burnt.

 

[flameport]

A 32A circuit will be suitable for the majority of installations, unless for some reason you want a huge double oven and a grossly overpowered 5 ring electric hob.

Oven should be positioned in a tall cabinet at worktop height (not on the floor where they usually fitted). Oven doors which are hinged at the side are easier than the usual 'drop down' type.

As bernardgreen has pointed out, the combi boiler is useless. Far better to have a mains pressure hot water cylinder and a thermostatic blending valve at each sink/bath/shower outlet.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

He's losing sight in one eye - that doesn't make him frail or "easily confused"...

Allow the OP to know whether his Dad just needs something with controls he can easily see or something safe if he forgets it's on or sits the cat on it.

some combi-boilers seem to have very poor control of the temperature of the hot water they provide.

TBR - ours drives us mad.

Gonna have to get a man in to whack it with a special Argi magic hammer.

Frail people may not be able to cope with un-expected changes of water temperature that some combi-boilers aeem prone to.

It sounds like the space gained from losing the cylinder will be welcome, so how about thermostatic mixer taps?

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Oven doors which are hinged at the side are easier than the usual 'drop down' type.

OTOH (subject to what the makers say about loading) a drop down door can be a very useful staging area when transferring dishes in/out of the oven, or stirring, if your dexterity isn't what it used to be.

 

[OwainDIYer]

I've got sealed rings and they don't seem to be too bad for heating up.

Or do you mean a ceramic or halogen hob? No experience of those.

Gas hobs are actually safer for cooking fires etc, as when you turn them off the heat stops instantly. But they do have other issues (especially if he can't smell gas).

At eighty, I would suggest sticking with what he's used to. Make sure the main cooker control switch is accessible and the 'on' neon is clearly visible.

If he doesn't have a microwave yet it would be worth getting him one, and him getting used to using it, as that will carry on being useful if in the future he is less able to use a cooker.

An door entry intercom might be useful for him to check the identity of callers before opening the door - they can also help avoid trips/falls from trying to rush to the door.

 

[bernardgreen]

He's losing sight in one eye - that doesn't make him frail or "easily confused"...

The reduction / loss of three dimensional vision that occurs with the loss of a eye is often considered to be a frailty and hand to eye co-ordination can suffer badly for a while.

Another thing would be the installation of an emergency lamp that came on if there was power failure or tripped RCU

 

[FD]

Many thanks all. Not able to reply promptly because I had to get to the wholesalers today and I'm up to my neck trying to get things done before he comes back. Plaster was off and the wholesaler have given me 1.5 FP instead of 2.5. Already a few day behind in wiring because the wholesalers all closed early on Friday.

Cumbriahandyman
Thanks for those links. I've contacted the livingmadeeasy and they've supplied reviews on appliances and talking microwaves.

jj4091
I visited the carers centre in town a couple of months ago. They put me in touch with an occupational therapist who said more or less it is up to me. They didn't recommend any intervention at this stage. He cooks quite a lot for the freezer uses the oven a lot .


Flameport
It is just a 4 ring hob and a single oven he is after. He uses the oven a lot but the current one is rather large for his needs and his pocket.
I'm not quite sure how to work in an oven at worktop height. I'll discuss with him when he gets back.

Banallsheds.
He's delighted to get more space in the kitchen, which is quite small 3200x 1850 gross and a pantry bit off the side. The clutter is probably responsible for the falls leading to the retinal detachment.

The tank stat doesn't always work anyway. it was wired wrong since its installation in the 1980sm the SAT wasn't wired in. It was only because he had the circulating temperature low that he didn't scald himself. There are mixers in the shower room basing and the kitchen sink. Not sure whether they are thermostatic or not. Kitchen one has hot and cold knobs, the shower room has only a lever so possibly thermostatic.


OwainDIYer
It's sealed ring cooker Triity Bendix 303Si
Front Left 230V 2000W 180mm 013.18474.040 6 Heat high-speed Hotplate
Front Right 230V 1500W 145mm 013.14474.040 6 Heat high-speed Hotplate
Back Left 230V 1000W 145mm 013.14453.040 6-Heat Hotplate
Back Right 230V 1500W 180mm 013.18453.040 6-Heat Hotplate.

Two of the rings are broken it's about 30 ea for replacement rings, otherwise it's a rustbucket
When I've used it I left it on and forgot about it too ... frequently. He liked the induction hob his girfliend had. Her son in law disconnected the gas built over the hob with chip and he used a portable induction hob to warm her meals. Her Alzheimers has gotten much worse and she went into a care home a year ago.
The livingmadeeasy said best to install what he's used to as well, which is unfortunately a broken cooker that is rusted to bits.
I'll need to get round to a door entry sstem when I have money for it.


Bernardgreen
Yeah losing vision in one eye does affect hand-eye co-ordination on top of the loss of proprioceptive function.
Planning geting him a microwave for ease of use and for saving on his electric. Last one he had broke, so looking at replacing it..
At the momnet what he is used to is a broken cooker. I offered to get replacement rings but he said leave it , the cooker's done. Think he was holding on for me to get a combi, the HW cupboard out and the kitchen finished.
I've an emergency exit light & test switch fitted already and smoke and heat detectors to fit. I've some LED low level lights to fit because he's stubborn about going to the loo at night in the dark and tripping. He seems OK wit the idea of burning a few watts


Also changing the irregularly-patterned carpet to a single colour one so he doesn't mistake pattern for objects.
Local care organisation can supply a telephone with warden call button and warden call pull cords around the house.
Rest of house is in hand really, just concentrating on the kitchen ATM.