Home modifications are an essential part of making a home environment safe and supportive for people with disabilities so they can maximize their achievable level of independence in their home and quality of life. Home modifications include physical changes in and around the home, such as the removal of barriers for access, the creation of safety features, and improving comfort for the home occupant. This home modifications guide will provide you with information and resources to help you adapt your home to a person with a disability.
Assessing Needs and Planning
1. Evaluate Specific Needs
Before taking any action, you need to work out exactly what is needed. This entails firstly understanding the person’s disability and what it means in everyday terms. For instance:
- Mobility: Does the person use a wheelchair, walker, or cane? How does mobility impact the person’s access to different parts of the home?
- Sensory Impairments: Are there any visual or auditory impairments that need to be addressed?
- Cognitive Challenges: Are there cognitive or memory issues that require special considerations?
- Medical Needs: Are there any medical conditions that necessitate specific modifications?
2. Consult with Professionals
Talk to other professionals who work with people with dementia, such as occupational therapists, physical therapists, or accessibility consultants. They can provide lots of good advice based on the needs of the person. For example, they can help work out if the person is at risk of falling, and make simple recommendations.
Key Areas for Home Adaptations
1. Entrance and Accessibility
- Ramps and railings: Ramps at entrances and railings along stairways and footpaths to help people move more easily.
- Doors: Make sure those standard doors are at least 32 inches (81 cm) wide, so a wheelchair or walker can fit through; better yet, replace them with sliding or bi-fold doors.
2. Living Areas
- Furniture Arrangement Layout furniture to allow for open pathways and to provide adequate space for maneuvering. Keep items from being cramped. Ideally, put small furniture pieces like chairs and stools within reach.
- Seating: make sure the seating is easy to access and leave. Look for chairs with armrests that can be raised or lowered.
3. Kitchen and Dining
- Accessible Appliances: appliances with controls easy to reach Choose appliances accessible by people with visual and motor limitations. Appliances should have controls that are easy to reach and have tactile or audible feedback for those who help people with poor vision use appliances.
- Storage: Include pull-out shelves or vertical cabinets with immediate access to utilities. Place items regularly used at a low level.
4. Bathroom Modifications
- Grab bars: Add grab bars next to the toilet and in the shower or bathtub to provide stability and prevent falls.
- Shower: Make sure to select a roll-in shower with a built-in bench and handheld showerhead, if possible.
- Wheelchair Accessible Sink And Toilet: Lower the height of the sink and toilet for wheelchair users. Leave enough space to navigate.
5. Bedroom Adjustments
- Bed Height Make sure you can get in and out! Consider a bed with adjustable height features.
- Lighting: Make sure that there is adequate lighting, and that it is intuitive to control. Have bedside lamps of a kind with easily accessible switches, or even with remote controls.
- Storage: Place frequently used items within easy reach and consider installing adjustable shelving.
6. Safety Features
- Alert Systems: Equip your home with alert systems that are simple to access and activate. Be sure they include visual or audible signals.
- Non-slip Flooring: Individuals who live independently should consider installing non-slip flooring in areas where falls are likely to occur, such as dining areas, bathrooms, and kitchens.
- Automatic System: Automatic System: Providing Automatic systems for the light, temperature, and door locks would make it easier for the users and more secure for the farm.
7. Outdoor Accessibility
- Pathways: Clear your outside paths of trip hazards and make sure they are even and without projections. Provide gentle slopes or ramps to transition between different levels in your yard.
- Adaptable Garden: Design a garden that can be adapted from a chair or wheelchair (eg, to install raised beds or container gardens that are easily accessible for gardeners).
- Outdoor Seating: Provide accessible outdoor seating options with armrests and sturdy construction.
Implementing Adaptations
1. Create a Budget
Set the modifications budget according to the recommendations of the specialists and your estimates and carry out the ones that have the biggest impact on access and safety for you and your children.
2. Plan and Schedule
Prepare a roadmap and timetable for change implementation. Determine whether the changes will be phased in or implemented ‘big boom’ style. Schedule work with contractors or service providers.
3. DIY vs. Professional Help
Decide whether the adaptations can be DIY-oriented or if you will need to hire a contractor Some of the adaptations might be easy enough to undertake by yourself, such as installing grab bars door kickplates, or building ramps. However, other types of adaptations may require the skills of a professional, such as changes to plumbing or electrical systems.
4. Test and Adjust
After adaptations are made, test each one to see if they’re working to meet his/her needs. Then you can make adjustments to meet both form and function and comfort afterwards.
Maintaining Adaptations
1. Regular Inspections
Carry out regular assessments of the adaptations to make sure they are working well and are still appropriate for the person. If there is obvious wear, check for safety.
2. Update as Needs Change
Then, as the needs of the person in the home change over time, reassess and update the adaptations to the home. Keep in contact with the professionals to ensure that the home stays fit for purpose.
3. Educate and Involve
Educate everyone who lives with them on how the adaptations can and should be used. Involve the person with dementia in conversations about their preferences and needs for the house to remain their home.
Modifying your home can help you provide a safe, comfortable, and accessible environment for supported disabilities. When you understand specific needs, gather support from professionals, and make deliberate modifications, living spaces become easier for people with disabilities.
From entry-level accessibility, or layout and fabric modifications, to safety features and security adaptations, every step by the healthcare professionals and contributors fosters independence and contributes to an improved quality of life for the occupant. Maintenance and ongoing updates ensure that the requirements of the home – whether the home of an able-bodied person, a person with special needs, or an older person – are constantly kept up to date with future needs.
