5 Reasons to Modify your Home for Physical Disabilities
You want to stay in your home longer, but your physical disabilities make it challenging. Perhaps you have a relative coming to visit to take care of them, but you need to make adjustments for their wheelchair. We know you want to provide the best and long-lasting stay in a home. Here are five ways to improve your homestay with your disability in mind.
Consider your entryways.
Entrances to the home are a key reason to modify first. Installing a ramp can help eliminate the hassle of awkward transfers and allow those with disabilities to be independent. Creating a barrier-free way to navigate indoors freely and outdoors will help alleviate both parties' stress.
Create wider hallways and doorways.
Doorways are the second area of the house that can be modified to accommodate those wheelchair-abled occupants. Updates can help the user move around freely in the home without feeling stuck and gives peace of mind and independence to all occupants in the house.
Accessibility to First-Floor Bedroom and Bathroom.
If you have an occupant in the home that is wheelchair able, consider modifying a bedroom and bathroom for that person. With the wider hallways and doorways, a bit of modification in these two spaces will help tremendously. In addition, installing a wheelchair-accessible shower and transfer bars near the toilet will help those disabled occupants have the privacy and independence they need.
A No-Transfer Wheelchair.
If you have all the other modifications but need even more help, consider a transfer-free wheelchair. Especially during those private moments that a person needs in the bathroom, a wheelchair that can eliminate toilet transfers will save huge retrofit costs. Consider the Dignity AllDay 400. This wheelchair eliminates the need for toilet transfers allowing better independence for disabled occupants. In addition, it works with any toilet, so it may eliminate the need to retrofit the bathroom.
Look into Grant Options.
There are many resources available for those with disabilities to modify their homes. Here are a few options out there:
House Grant for Veterans: There are two types of grants for veterans. One is the Specially Adapted Housing Grant, which allows veterans to construct a specially adapted home or remodel an existing home. The Special Housing Adaptation Grant, the second option, does the same but extends the assistance to a family member home you are living with.
The Self-Sufficiency Grant: This grant from modestneeds.org, a private grant that doesn't have an income requirement. It's designed to help those in need to eliminate spending money for retrofits. Recipients must be employed and able to document their source of income.
------
Learn more about the Dignity® AllDay 400 wheelchair and how it can help you age in place safely.