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Adam
Fine,
President
Accessible
Design &
Consulting |
Many times a lot
of us are faced with
both physical and/or
safety challenges in
our home. We think
nothing of paying
insurance premiums
for our car, home or
even healthcare.
However, we need to
go a step further to
insure the safety of
our health within
the walls of our own
homes. The following
challenges are
typically where most
safety and challenge
areas are most
likely to occur in
the home.
Challenge
#1: Difficulty
getting up from a
seated position from
a chair or sofa
Solution:
Furniture risers can
lift the legs of a
couch up 3-4 inches
(typically we will
put 4” risers on the
back legs of a sofa
and 3” risers on the
front legs of a
sofa).
Solution:
Reclining lift
chairs can move a
person from a
reclining position
to a standing
position with the
touch of a button.
Solution: An
electric seat assist
is best used on a
sofa or seat with a
softer cushion.
Challenge
#2: Getting in/out
of bed
Solution: A
bedrail/bedcane
slides easily
between the mattress
and box spring of
most beds. A bed
pull-up strap will
also enable someone
pull up (or turn to
the side) of a bed
from a prone
position.
Challenge
#3: Stepping safely
into the shower
becomes too
dangerous
Solution: Raising
the shower pan (from
the inside of the
shower) with hard
plastic porous tiles
and entry ramp can
solve this challenge
(“Lego Tiles”).
Solution: Grab
bars – placing two
grab bars one
horizontally and one
vertically in the
shower can provide
good leverage and
prevent a slip or
fall.
Solution:
Non-Slip Strips
Challenge
#4: Getting into/out
of a bathtub
Solution: If you
love to take baths,
an electric bath
lift is
a very safe and very
effective to get you
safely into and out
of a bathtub.
Challenge
#5: Toilet is too
low and there is
difficulty in
getting up and/or
off, or difficulty
transferring from a
wheelchair
Solution: A
toilet spacer
installed underneath
the base of the
toilet can elevate
the entire toilet a
full 3 1/2 inches
(fits the majority
of toilets).
Solution: A grab
bar (usually
installed on a 45
degree angle) on one
side of the toilet
(typically installed
on the wall where
the arm strength is
stronger i.e., right
side).
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Challenge
#6: Walking up or
down stairs is
difficult or
dangerous
Solution: A
straight or curved
stairlift or an
elevator. There are
some elevators that
do not require a
shaft.
Challenge
#7: Walkway to home
has steps making it
difficult to enter
with a wheelchair or
walker
Solution: A
portable suitcase
ramp or a roll-up
ramp ranging from 2
to 10 feet in length
can be a possible
solution. Other
custom ramps with
handrails can also
be permanently
installed in wood,
concrete or aluminum
(prices vary
depending on the
height of the porch
or landing.
Challenge
#8: Doorways are too
narrow to enter with
either a walker or a
wheelchair
Solution:
Swing-away hinges
(both residential
and commercial sizes
are available) are
both inexpensive and
easy to install on
any door. You can
widen the doorway up
to two full inches
to allow walkers or
wheelchairs to move
safely through
without scraping
walls or knuckles!
Challenge
#9: Difficulty
getting into, or out
of an automobile
Solution: An
automobile standing
support lever that
fits into the
locking mechanism of
most cars and acts
as a lever to push
down on when getting
into, or out of an
automobile.
Challenge
#10: Wanting
portability in an
electric scooter
Solution:
Portable scooters
are easy to handle
and can give you the
freedom to have more
independence in your
life. Great for
indoor or outdoor
use and they will
give you
approximately 10
miles to a single
charge.
Adam Fine is
the founder and
president of
Accessible Design &
Consulting, Inc.
specializing in
residential &
commercial
accessibility
assessment, ADA
consulting, and
Accessible project
management.
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