Working in the kitchen can be quite hazardous for many people with chronic illness. Since chronic pain often makes it hard to grip things. 

One solution is to not cook while home alone, but this means we often need to turn to canned or packaged foods which are actually quite tricky to open!  

I know when I was living alone, I had to resort to eating raw veg from my fridge for a while because I couldn’t open my cans of mackerel and tuna for protein and I certainly couldn’t cook!

An electric can opener would make an excellent gift for anybody suffering with chronic pain.

In the previous post I mentioned some creative items, like markers and colouring books, but another of my favourite things to do while stuck in bed or on the sofa is painting!

Painting is very relaxing and therapeutic. It is a very low exertion activity that can be done with very little energy. 

Many people don’t know that they can now safely paint in bed without needing a glass of water to clean their brushes! 

My favourites are these Pentel brushes with a built in water barrel! It looks like very little water, but they last quite a while and are easy to refill when they run empty. They self-clean which is great and they won’t leak all over your bed.

A lovely set of watercolour paints would go well with these brushes, I’d suggest pan sets for somebody who is bedridden or those who can’t spend time at a table. Tube paints might be messy in bed.

If you don’t know where to start, these Reeves or these Artist’s Loft pan sets are great basic sets for beginners or these Winsor and Newton or Kuretake sets which are popular sets of excellent quality.

If your friend is often bedridden or on the sofa and has to use trays or a lap desk like the ones I discussed in part 1 of this series, then I would suggest getting some non-slip placemats! 

It might sound like a strange gift, but my laptop has actually gone sliding off my lap desk more than once and even my dinner has occasionally gone sliding too!

Not only do they stop our plates and laptops from sliding away, but for those of us who can still cook, they can be a great help in the kitchen. A good silicone mat can stop a chopping board from sliding around and protect counter-tops from hot pots and dishes. 

They come in all shapes, sizes and designs these days, depending on their purpose.

Something else that would make days at home alone much safer for people with chronic pain is a jug or kettle tipper!

A jug or kettle full of water is super heavy and really painful to lift, these incredible inventions hold all the weight and we simply have to tip it over to pour. A fantastic gift for those days when you’re flaring and simply too weak to even make a cup of tea.

You could add an assortment of teas or flavoured coffee and a beautiful teacup or a cute mug to complete the gift!

One thing that chronically ill people can’t have enough of is comfy sets of cosy pyjamas, or some comfy lounge wear! 

Spoonies are often too exhausted or weak to get dressed and normal everyday clothes can be quite uncomfortable and even hurt them if they suffer from sensitivity the way I do sometimes!

My staples, if I do get dressed, are leggings and a fitted t-shirt. During flares, I tend to opt for easy to put on things with no buttons or zips and sometimes even pockets can be uncomfortable with all that extra fabric. Usually it’s pjs all day! 

There’s nothing quite like the feeling of getting into a clean set of cute pyjamas!

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In the UK we have a great National Health Service, but many people with chronic illnesses cannot tolerate pharmaceuticals, natural alternatives are life changing! The problem is they cost money that we often don’t have and the NHS doesn’t pay for supplements.

An excellent gift for your spoonie friends would be an order / discount voucher for supplements! 

There are some great online stores that supply good quality supplements at much better prices than you’d find on the high street.

I’ve linked some of my favourites with some great deals for my readers!