Package Opening: An Evaluation of Opening Tools for the Elderly Population

Abstract

Opening packages is becoming more difficult with manufacturers making packaging harder to tamper with. Consumers must apply greater force or use tools to aid them in opening. With aging, the amount of force that can be applied reduces considerably which makes it important to view the packaging problem from the perspective of the older population. The objective of the current study was to determine the effectiveness of opening tools in opening different kinds of packages. The study revealed that the tools are mostly ineffective and do not improve performance beyond the use of the hands alone. In addition, the more complex the tool, the less effective the tool was as an aid to open packaging.