Well, as you know the month is October, and we have a contest to make Assistive Technology to help someone. October is also the month of my grandmothers birthday and about 10 years ago she was diagnosed with Alzheimer. A debilitating disease that would eventually lead too her death. In the approximate 8 years she lived prior to her death she slowly withered away. It is my experiences in the nursing homes and hospitals where I would spend most of my time watching family caring for my grandmother that I began imagining ideas to help her. When looking back at those experiences I found inspiration to create Grip_Zz. I designed this based on a motorcycle grip combined with integrated pressure plates to contain objects.

The Objective of Grip_Zz is to integrate the ability to comfortably hold a toothbrush, spoon, or fork without slippage. The grip_Zz extends the average handle of the object placed in the receptacle allowing for easier handling. This means that patients who have difficult times brushing their teeth due to most debilitating diseases can now hold a toothbrush or other utensils with much more ease. In my own experience, where my grandmother couldn't remember to hold a toothbrush, a Grip_Zz would have much improved the cleaning process of her mouth. This is due to the nurses being able to gently use the Grip_Zz in the hands of the patient as they guide the tool around. I Dearly wish my grandmother was still around, but I know if she was, the care gone into making a tool to extend her handle on daily objects would have greatly improved her attitude at some of the stages in her disease.

Features:

Interior pressure tabs
Spoon/ Fork slot
safety ring

At the moment, this model is a rough version, ((Mach 1.) but I plan on updating it a bit every day with possible videos and new versions. Here is what I plan to accomplish with the Grip_Zz before the contest deadline.

Round edges
Comfort options
test print
test video
test use
included printed lanyard
Size options
rear brim
Spoon fork addition
switchblade effect
Upgrade Teeth

Please leave a comment, if you feel comfortable, related to your loved ones and any issues you feel important to share with the world. Thanks.