One of the best gifts you can give a person living with a disability is to give them a safe, accessible, and comfortable living space. Home is the one place where they can reasonably expect to have their special needs catered to, and so should they.
However, there is a lot of work that goes into remodeling a home for disabled living to make it comfortable and accessible. The Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Fair Housing Act sets out some standards for accessibility, but you will have to go beyond the basics to create the safe and comfortable living space you want for your loved one.
Often, caregivers and the people closest to the disabled person are best able to discern what the most pressing needs are in terms of making your home comfortable for them. However, experts in remodeling will also have some good ideas on what you need to do. Here are some of the considerations Gilad Baron, the owner of a home remodeling company in San Jose, Ca., suggested you might want to keep in mind.
Matthew Voralik grew up working in the brick and mortar store after school and during the summers. When most boys his age were playing video games, he was assembling wheelchairs and hospital beds and showing people how to use all the things they sold in his dad’s store. Today he does the same thing for his online customers. This also makes America Discount Home Medical uniquely qualified to select and recommend the best products for our customers.
Living life to the full includes having freedom of movement. Even for those who may be less mobile, moving from one room to another or out the front door adds to our enjoyment of each and every day. Read on for some easy-to-institute ways to increase mobility, decrease the risk of falls and injury, and get on with life.
Balancing act
As we get older or after surgery or illness, we can face balance issues. It’s a scary feeling to be unsure of our footing and this can increase anxiety as we do the simplest of tasks – getting out of bed, completing essential self-care, even daily tasks like cooking a meal. To combat this, it’s essential to put safeguards in place around our home.
Lighting
One of the key ways to keep on our feet is to be able to see obstacles in our way. It’s not just at night that we may need extra illumination. Installing motion sensing lights along the floor in hallways and entryways means you never have to fumble for a light switch in the dark. This is vital for stairs as well, to ensure you can see where your foot will land before you take the next step.
Make sure you add lights to outdoor stairs and walkways too. These can be motion sensor or light sensor, but you want to make sure they are automatic so you never get caught unexpectedly away from the light switch in the dark.
For your table lamps, you’ll want them on a wall switch, or to at least have easy-turn knobs, so that when you stage the house for the evening, everything is well-lit and cheerful. Not only will your mood brighten, but you will avoid falls due to shadowy areas.
Matthew Voralik grew up working in the brick and mortar store after school and during the summers. When most boys his age were playing video games, he was assembling wheelchairs and hospital beds and showing people how to use all the things they sold in his dad’s store. Today he does the same thing for his online customers. This also makes America Discount Home Medical uniquely qualified to select and recommend the best products for our customers.
As we age, we can begin to feel like independent living is getting harder to manage. That does not need to be the case if you prepare your spaces for safety and security. Whether you are updating your own home or helping a loved one, these tips for independent living can make your living room accommodate you for years to come.
When you enter your living room, you want a space that welcomes. A few simple fixes can take a space from adding anxiety to your day to a place where you feel at relaxed and calm. Making sure you can accomplish all you need to do in a day is a key part of remaining independent. Leisure time activities are a mainstay of the living room, and those often centered around entertainment and communication.
Matthew Voralik grew up working in the brick and mortar store after school and during the summers. When most boys his age were playing video games, he was assembling wheelchairs and hospital beds and showing people how to use all the things they sold in his dad’s store. Today he does the same thing for his online customers. This also makes America Discount Home Medical uniquely qualified to select and recommend the best products for our customers.
There are many possible safety pitfalls in the bathroom, especially for the elderly or those with balance issues or weakness in the limbs. Getting in and out of the shower, walking on wet and slippery tile, even sitting down or standing up from the toilet; all of these small tasks that many of us take for granted can be hazardous, leading to bumps, falls and possible injury.
Whether you are looking for strategies to create a safe bathroom environment for yourself or you want to help protect a loved one, here are some ways to make sure the bathroom is welcoming and safe for every activity that goes on there.
As we move around the room we will talk about safeguarding various activities in each area with this baker’s dozen list of ideas.
Matthew Voralik grew up working in the brick and mortar store after school and during the summers. When most boys his age were playing video games, he was assembling wheelchairs and hospital beds and showing people how to use all the things they sold in his dad’s store. Today he does the same thing for his online customers. This also makes America Discount Home Medical uniquely qualified to select and recommend the best products for our customers.
