A Liquid level indicator is not something I had heard of until my husband was diagnosed with severe sight loss-blind.
It is surprising all the little things you take for granted when you are sighted and how much you need to relearn or adapt with sight loss.
Simply making a hot drink, a tea, a coffee had become some thing just a little more difficult for my husband. We did not know what he was supposed to do to know how high the hot water was. Did he just put his finger at the top of the mug and risk being burned, or did he give up making hot drinks altogether?
Even cold drinks were an issue as unless made over the sink we could have many spills to clear up.
Making a hot drink became a real challenge. We worried that he would burn himself or spill hot or cold liquids over the worktops and floor, it then itself becoming a safety hazard, or put his hand in hot liquids. Suddenly something that most adults take for granted became an issue and a lack of independence.
We went to an information session soon after he was diagnosed. It was all a little overwhelming but we noticed that the drinks were being made by a blind person and we kept hearing these little bleeps and I noticed a small device hung over the mugs. It wasn't long before the session began and drinks were handed out. So I asked what is that device you used and he started to explain.
In this article we will be using the terms severe sight impaired, blind, low vision, partially sighted and sight loss as these are the current acceptable terms in my country for people with sight loss. This may change over time and be different in different countries. No offence is intended by any of these terms.
What Is a Liquid Level Indicator And How Does It Work?
It is a small device that clips or hangs onto the edge of a cup, mug, soup mug or glass.
1. Place it so that the metal prongs are on the inside of the container. Often there are two levels of prongs one for a general alert - this is when you should stop pouring. However, If you carry on pouring there is often an emergency alert when you must stop pouring.
2.Then you simply pour the liquid as usual from the kettle, tap or jug.
3. As the level of the liquid rises the liquid touches the metal prongs and device uses sound or vibration to let you know when the mug, glass, jug or whatever is nearly full.
4. These alerts give you enough time to stop pouring before the liquid reaches the top.
5. Then you stop and take the device off the mug or glass. Simple as that !
There are different models to choose from but that is the essentials of every Liquid level indicator. It then all depends what you are wanting and what is most helpful to a person individually.
- Most have an alert when the liquid nearly reaches the top.
- Many have two alert levels, one when the mug or glass is nearly full and one emergency alert when it is nearly to the top.
- Some have bleeping and vibration when liquid is reaching the top.
- Some advanced models differentiate between hot and cold liquids, offering stronger alerts for hot drinks to enhance safety. We don't have that one, but may consider it for the future.
- I have also heard of "smart" models which link to a smartphone but these are not common and I have not experienced one.
My husband is happy with our quite straightforward model which bleeps and vibrates when the liquid is close to the top. It is clear, simple and effective.
It takes only a very little time to get used to using it and to remember to use it, but it is not a steep learning curve. There are no courses to go on or skills you need to know. It is just practice and habit.
My husband said it is very easy for him to use. It is a good idea to start with a cold drink and then progress to hot drinks once you feel confident.
Why Does Being Able To Make A Simple Drink Matter?
For many people with severe sight loss, pouring drinks is a significant and frequent challenging task throughout the day. Think about how many times you make a drink in a typical day !
Especially when making hot drinks, it becomes a safety issue and can carry a real risk of burns. Not being able to make a drink safely robs a person of autonomy and independence.
A liquid level indicator helps
- Preventing burns from overfilled hot drinks, or feeling the need to stick a finger in the cup to test how far the liquid has reached, which is a significant safety risk.
- Reducing spills and cleaning them up.
- Reducing the risk of slipping on wet floors
- Supporting independence and confidence in normal, everyday tasks
- Supports a person with sight loss still being able to make drinks for themselves and friends and family.
- For people who live alone it is essential to be able to make a drink safely.
- Even if living with other people or at work, the ability to make a drink for yourself and others is a small but significant sign of independence. My husband now loves to make me a hot drink of coffee in the morning and it is a lovely start the day !
- Although primarily used by people who are diagnosed severe sight impaired or partially sighted, this device can also be useful to people who have tremors or motor impairments and people who may have declining vision, macular degeneration, cataracts or other sight issues.
Features To Consider In A Liquid Level Indicator
- Audible alerts, look for clear, loud beeps
- Vibration mode is useful if the person also has hearing loss or just prefers a vibration rather than a noise. The vibration should be strong enough to feel through the hand holding the container.
- Some have both audible and vibration alerts which can be useful in busy, noisy places.
- Magnetic can be useful. We love ours as it sticks the fridge freezer so takes up no room on worktops and is vey easy for my husband to find.
- Lightweight and easy to carry so it can be taken when travelling and visiting friends and family, to hotels etc.
- Heat resistant as clearly it needs to be safe to use with very hot drinks.
- A good battery and/or rechargeable battery
- A good price, many are not expensive, it all depends how sophisticated you would like it to be, but a basic model works well. Some organisations and sight loss charities provide them at a reduced cost.
So a liquid level indicator is another example of a low tech, reasonably priced and simple device that can make a huge difference to independence, confidence, dignity and safety for a person with sight loss. It is now just a part of our kitchen devices and appliances and we would not be without it.
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