Thank you for the info about the needle nose pliers. I also have arthritic hands and especially bad thumbs so am always looking for useful tools. Another that I found was a screwdriver that I use to remove the 1/4 screws from the bed of my machine when I need to clean it. AThe company is MorKo Products or
www.morkoproducts.com. Take a look you might see something that will help.
Also, I am going to look up weighted silverware as my brother's hands shake terribly. Again, thank you.