You may find that as someone gets into their most senior years and/or has a disability that you are now in a position where you need to make some alternations around the home to accommodate them. There are some common alterations that will need to be done around the home in general which we will address first. Then we will look at how to adapt a bathroom for a disabled person or a less-able person; and lastly we will look at who might be able to give you some help and support in the way of planning and financial support.
General & Common Alternations
In order to make the home more suitable and manageable for someone with a disability or someone who is less able, such as an older person, then there are a few general alterations you can make to their home as addressed below:
1. The first thing you need to consider if the person is in a wheelchair is that the corridors and doorways are wide enough to let a wheelchair pass through with ease.
2. All facilities should be at a reachable height. This will include door handles, telephones and most importantly light switches.
3. If the disabled or elderly person can walk a little to reach certain amenities, then a support or grab rail will need to be put in place.
4. If you are living in a two-story building, then there is the stair issue. You may need to consider installing a stair lift. If you can, put the bedroom and bathroom downstairs for easy access, but this is not always feasible.
5. Ramps and general access to and from the home. This could be in the form of ramps and side handles into doorways.
Adapting Bathroom Facilities
1. As mentioned above, if you can, have a bathroom on the ground floor
2. You definitely need grab rails in the bathroom especially beside the toilet and bath-tub / shower area.
3. Basin at a reachable level with taps that are easy to turn on and off.
4. Would a walk-in bath tub or shower unit be the best solution for you? This is the important factor in a bathroom suited to a disabled or less-able person.
5. Think about having a higher than normal toilet
6. A back-rest against the toilet cistern
7. Light switches and all facilities at a reachable level so no distress is necessary
As you can see from the above that adapting a home for a disabled or less-able elderly person is no minor conquest.
It might be better suited if you could find a home that already has all these modifications in place. If not, then this will give you an idea of what might have to be done.
I know what you are thinking now - you are thinking how much will all of this cost?
Yes, it will cost a few thousand $/ but don't despair as there is help at hand.
Help And Assistance
You can get advice and financial help from:
- Occupational Therapist
- Community Care
- Local GP
- Public Health
- Local Government for Planning Permission and Grants
- Care For The Elderly
- Mobility Aids and Grants
I sincerely hope you found the above of some use to you. I had a close Aunt who became wheelchair bound through to illness, and these are most the of the alternations that my family had to accommodate for her illness.
If you want further advice on adapting bathrooms and specialty bath-tubs, then visit Walk-In Bath Tubs and Showers at http://www.guideitcom.com/bathtubs
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