Paul Furtaw - Making the Transition to Home: Simple Modifications to Encourage Independent Living

Making the Transition to Home

Simple Modifications to Encourage Independent Living

Paul Furtaw

AuthorHouse

1663 Liberty Drive, Suite 200

Bloomington, IN 47403

www.authorhouse.com

Phone: 1-800-839-8640

2010 Paul Furtaw. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

First published by AuthorHouse 8/13/2010

ISBN: 978-1-4520-5941-9 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4520-5942-6 (e)

Printed in the United States of America

Bloomington, Indiana

Contents

Wheelchair accessibility
Increased Stability in Bathrooms

This book is dedicated to the caregivers. Most often, theyre the spouse and the ones who are forgotten when all the emphasis is placed on the patient. It is common for two seventy-five-year-olds to be looking out for each other. Caregivers are also more likely to be other family members. Reducing stress to the caregiver gives hope to the whole family. Good planning means peace of mind.

Coming home from a care facility or having an aging parent move into your home can require having to make modifications to the living environment on short notice. Of course we dont have to leave a hospital or move suddenly to benefit from modifications. Simple modifications can keep us living independently in our own homes for a longer time.

Because each person and each situation is different, each solution will also be different. The number of maladies faced by man multiplied by the galaxy of design features in our homes today means one size does not fit all. Sorting out the choices depends on what brought the need to consider changes in the first place. I have seen similarities in common solutions and find it useful to answer four questions to help facilitate better planning.

Keep these questions in mind as you look around the house with an eye to safety.

This will help determine whether you need to come up with long-term solutions or short-term solutions.

If you are ninety years old and have Parkinsons, for example, you can see how you will need shorter-term changes than someone whos thirty years old and has multiple sclerosis.

Is a loved one getting better, getting worse, or staying the same? Even though this is an emotional question, this information can be very helpful in developing budgets when predictable declining health determines future modification needs. Knowing the prognosis can also show that recovery in the near term is expected, meaning short-term solutions.

Involving the caregiver and related professionals (i.e., physical therapists, occupational therapists, case managers) in the needs assessment will clearly define the changes needed in the home environment. Knowing the answer to the first two questions as you look around the house can help the decision process. Many problems are common and will be discussed later in the book.

This does not relate to the affordability of the modifications. Rather, this point questions the effect of the modifications on the resale value of the home. Sometimes, the best choice is to move to a better-suited location. You must consider the hidden cost of restoring any alterations to a saleable condition.

Wheelchair accessibility

Increased stabilitybathrooms

Increased stabilityhome environments

Elevated platforms

The following photographs and text will illustrate many different ways to encourage continued independence.

A simple ramp can be added to the back patio door or to a door from the garage into the home.

A temporary platform and ramp makes all the difference to someone with ambulatory problems.

An interior ramp can also be provided.

When a doorway is too narrow to accommodate a wheelchair, just getting to the door and transitioning to another interior chair works well.

Mobile homes can require some creativity in ramp design. Each ramp must consider slope and access into the home.

The proper slope for a ramp is one foot of travel for every inch of elevation.

An electrically powered porch lift can be used

when limited space is available.

One solution to a long ramp with limited space is the use of a return.

Bathrooms are where the majority of accidents happen. Solutions must consider the individual persons limitations.

Specialized solutions for longer-term needs are available. A plumbing contractor should be consulted when needed and may provide valuable insights.

These are the two most common locations for grab bars. The angle bar helps you stand from a seated position. The vertical bar aids entry in and out of the tub/shower. A shower hose is certainly a benefit.

This can be another useful position for a

shower chair and grab bar when mobility is an issue.

The shower doors have been removed and a curtain has been installed to allow the use of a transfer bench.

The bathroom door has been removed and no longer restricts access into the shower. The room is also easier for the caregiver to maneuver around in. A curtain on a spring rod is enough to keep out the cold after a shower as well as offer some privacy.