Families of wheelchair users face a big problem when it comes to making the home wheelchair friendly. Rightly so, as people who use wheelchairs spend a lot of their time at home hence the need to make things easily accessible becomes the number one priority.
Don’t worry! We have come up with a list to let you know the changes required.
How about a Stairlift?
If you are an avid fan of The Office, you might remember an episode where Andy, Jim, and Pam are watching a Jack Black movie, and there is a lady in it who goes up and down using a stairlift. If this doesn’t paint a clear picture, you can search for information on stairlifts using Google. It will help you to understand the working and use of stairlifts in detail.
Installing them can help you avoid unnecessary pain of getting your house remodeled.
Replace Stairs with Ramps
We know this could be a significant infrastructural change for people who live in multi-storied houses. But, having ramps makes commuting easy and effortless. These ramps help the wheelchair user move quickly, reducing effort and accidents. Another option is to get a lift installed.
There are collapsible handicap ramp sets also available, which can be conveniently put over the stairs if you don’t want to go for a total revamp.
Eliminate Bathing Barriers
Multiple support accessories exist which can help a wheelchair user in the bathroom. Of course, shower and commode wheelchairs will be the best bet given how they allow the toilet and shower usage without any unnecessary change of position. Some of the support accessories we are talking about include support sidebars, slip-proof mats, wall holders, etc.
Ditch Doorknobs
As weird as it may sound, doorknobs are tough to handle by even those who have fully functional limbs. Because of all the curving and skewing involved, it is evident that a wheelchair user might find it challenging to handle. It requires multi tasking between door and wheelchair. As difficult it sounds to open they feel same difficulty to close and involve back into their activities.
As per your budget, you can replace doorknobs with push/pull bars, press levers, etc. or even we can adapt manual sliding doors which runs over smooth bearings and even automatic doors which do support manual operations too.
Upgrade your Toilet Visit
While its easier for normal person to have multipe toilet visits, for wheelchair bound users its a tough task. With normal wheelchairs it takes around 3-4 wheelchair transfers and thus it becomes tedious and time consuming. Also the user always becomes dependent on someone for wheelchair transfers post and pre hygiene activities. But with Frido Go, its a different story, you could gift your wheelchair-bound loved one a shower and commode wheelchair. It will be way cheaper than remodeling a toilet. Moreover, a shower and commode wheelchair will make it easy for the wheelchair user to go to any bathroom without thinking twice.
Finally
Even though we have mentioned a couple of points, it is wise to consult a mobility expert before making any decision. There are a lot of intricate details that we haven’t covered in this blog; however, this checklist will help you get started towards making your home safer and more wheelchairs friendly.
Do write to us if there is something you would like to add or discuss with us.
We will be happy to assist.
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