People often ask what makes a home completely accessible even for a person with mobility limitations. Whether you have a loved one with mobility concerns or if you have trouble getting around in your own home, many different solutions can help. A wheelchair ramp and grab bars are easy enough to install, and we’ve discussed other features below that can make any home more accessible.
Ensure Entrances Are Accessible
Entryways can be challenging since most of them have at least a small step-up to enter the home. Sometimes it may be small enough where a threshold ramp can help significantly. Other times, installing a full wheelchair ramp may be the most ideal solution. It’s important to have a professional install the wheelchair ramp you choose since they have to measure the slope, turns and many other factors unique to your home layout. Wheelchair ramps today are very durable and can withstand almost all weather elements. And to make them even better, they can be customized to ensure the curb appeal of your home doesn’t get compromised by installing one.
Bathroom Modifications To Consider
The bathroom is sometimes the first room people want to focus on when modifying their homes. Slip-and-fall accidents happen often in the bathroom and most of the time they are preventable by taking a few safety precautions. Installing Barres d'appui in the shower, by the toilet and other areas you walk is a great place to start. These provide added stability in case you lose your balance and can even prevent you from losing your balance to begin with. Other possible solutions include lowering your sink to make it easier to reach, replacing your shower with a walk-in tub, improving the lighting for nighttime bathroom trips, installing a wheelchair-accessible shower and more.
Make Doorways Wider
Doorways throughout the home can make for tight fits if you use a wheelchair or mobility scooter to get around. You can make the doorways slightly larger by removing the interior doors, replacing the door for a different version, using different hinges that swing away or doing more significant modifications. You should be able to move around your home as freely in a wheelchair as you would walking, and these simple modifications can make it possible.
Don’t Forget Outdoor Accessibility
Indoor accessibility gets a lot of focus since most people spend the majority of their time indoors. But if you have a back porch with a nice yard you like to spend time in, then a porch lift is an accessibility product to consider as well. It’s easy to use whether you are walking, in a wheelchair or in a mobility scooter, as you simply get on the platform and it moves you up or down safely without having to use the stairs. Outdoor accessibility shouldn’t be overlooked and a porch lift is a great way to be able to access your yard space.
Next Day Access offers accessibility products designed to help make your home easier to move around in. We offer free home assessments to help you understand all of your options, so Nous contacter today to learn more.