One Size Does Not Fit All

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No one who needs residential access or equipment for daily living is exactly like anyone else and doesn’t live in a home that is exactly like anyone else’s. How much sense does it make to assume that the same access equipment or modification that works for one person is going to work for everyone? It doesn’t. so Why do we repeatedly hear stories such as a family getting a ceiling track lift for a growing 3 year old and ending up with a sling for a small adult. Worse yet, the whole point of the lift system was to assist with toilet training, but the sling provided was a full body sling. That means it had no toilet hole. A system designed to last for years, costing the agency funding it thousands of dollars and it doesn’t work for the family at all because the company selling it took the one size fits all approach. As it turns out, the company providing the winning, lowest bid had not even been to the home.

Access is a personal thing. It is an adaptation that matches a person’s goals, skills, size, medical condition, developmental status, environment, and preferences. When you need residential access find a building professional or designer who understands this concept. They also need to know something both about construction and disability or aging. One place to look is at the National Association of Home Builder’s website for a professional with a CAPS (Certified Aging in Place Specialist) designation. http://www.nahb.org/directory.aspx?directoryID=188 Avoid working with designers or contractors who try to blindly apply American With Disability Act Guidelines to residential situations. ADAAG are a good starting place and have to be used if they’ve been incorporated into your area’s building code, but they weren’t designed with your personal situation at home in mind.

If equipment is recommended, make every effort to try it yourself if possible. If demo equipment isn’t available, learn enough about the equipment to know how it works and what you need to be able to do to operate it. Work with a knowledgeable salesperson who knows the equipment and is willing to take the time to evaluate your skills and environment. He or she can at least help you simulate using the equipment and can help you understand how the equipment is going to work in your home.

You are unique, your home is unique, your situation is unique. How can one size fits all fit your needs? It probably won’t. Take the time to match your home modification and equipment to your unique situation. Then you will have a solution that will work. Download our short guide to help you start the planning process.

Accessibility is NOT Scary!

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Accessibility is not scary.  Seeing people who don’t have a safe and accessible home is what scares me.  Yet for some reason, people act like I’m scary when someone suggests they let me do a home evaluation or they act like thinking about safety and access equipment and remodeling is scary.

I do understand.  It isn’t me that scares people.  It might be admitting that they have some limitations, that they need to change how they do things, that they aren’t as young as they once were or as able as they once were that is scaring them.  One of the ways a human being makes themselves feel secure and safe is to deny that something is wrong.  It ultimately isn’t a successful way to achieve safety and security, but denial is a pretty common response.

Ask anyone to explain what the phrase “he is his own worst enemy” means and they will be able to do it.  Yet most of us have difficulty perceiving when we are behaving like our own worst enemy.   Running a home modification business I meet people every day who have a strong desire to live life independently and on their own terms.  Yet they resist changing how they do things, turn their back on offers to help from people who love them, and deny that they could use balance supports, mobility equipment, or any number of helpful gadgets to increase safety and independence.  They are their own worst enemy as their own behavior and decisions make it difficult for them to achieve their goal of living independently and on their own terms.

There is another old saying.  “You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink.”  As a residential access designer, it is my job to lead you to the water- Heck, I’ll build you a ramp to the water if you’d like- but I can’t make you drink.  I can and will continue to preach all day long than creating a home that is safe and matches your abilities will give you a better chance of living the way you want to and on your own terms.  The rest is really up to you.

So do your part. Share the news.  Share this blog and try to convince yourself and your friends that Access isn’t scary- Not having a safe and accessible home is what is scary.  Give us a call if you’d like a personal (and not scary) evaluation to achieve an accessible and safe home.

Uplift Commode Assist

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There are so many different ways to make getting on and off the toilet safer and easier.  Sometimes simply increasing the height of the toilet with any one of a variety of risers, new toilets, or under toilet risers is enough.  Sometimes seating a person with their hips level with or higher than the height of their knees is all that is needed to reduce effort or pain.  What if a person needs more help than that?  Believe it or not, you don’t have to invent your own toilet catapult.  There are many safe and thoroughly tested alternatives!

One option is a self powered lifting seat for the toilet.  A reliable and economical choice is the Uplift Commode Assist from Uplift Technologies, Inc. It can be used over most toilets to help people who have a mild to moderate problem standing and sitting.  It is not permanently attached, so it is useful for people who expect few changes in ability over the years and renters.  It is also something I suggest for people with progressive medical conditions as we can adjust height and amount of assistance provided as they need it, then easily remove the unit entirely if we need to provide even more physical assistance than the Uplift Commode Assist provides.

Whether the Uplift Commode Assist is used over a toilet or is used free-standing with the collection bucket, we often suggest adding a grab bar within arm’s length in front of the toilet for additional balance assist.  The Uplift Commode Assist provides tremendous help, but we’ve found that by the time a person decides they need it, they can benefit from something sturdy in front of them to either help with balance or to help them initiate the motion of leaning forward to stand.  Really, who wants to wobble back and forth around the toilet?  As always, we encourage people to be realistic about their abilities to get the best use from their equipment selection.  There are other equipment choices which are better for people who need to move straight up to be able to stand, such as people with Limb-Girdle Muscular Dystrophy instead of at a forward angle like most of us.  It isn’t designed for  people who aren’t able to bear weight on their legs at all, thought I have suggested it to help caregivers help who can bear weight once they are standing.

The Uplift Commode Assist is easy to use once assembled and adjusted for the amount of lift needed.  The lever is broad and the equipment was awarded the coveted “Ease-of-Use” Commendation by the Arthritis Foundation in recognition of its arthritis-friendly design.  The broad plastic seat is comfortable and easy to clean.  We suggest people sit and measure the straight distance from one side of their hips to the other if they are close to the manufacturer’s weight limit of 300 lbs or have wide hips.  The seat’s arms are 17.5” apart and while the manufacturer reports that it will lift up to 70% of the weight for a person up to 300 lb, the benefit of the lift will be lost if a person sticks inside the arms.  The Uplift Commode Assist come disassembled, but has all the tools and instructions needed to put it together and is covered with a one year warranty.

Click on this Link to purchase the Uplift Commode Assist  and use the coupon code UPLIFT10 to save 10% and get free shipping through February 15, 2012.

Check out the user guide here! >>

Celebrate Your Special Strengths

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I do plenty of video blogs related to aging, disability, and residential accessibility, and have developed a format in which I usually do something a little goofy at the beginning of a video in order to catch people’s attention and get them laughing.   I believe that people will be willing to tolerate thinking about what can sometimes be an uncomfortable topic once they have laughed and relaxed a little.  I know that I run the risk of being known as the goofy lady who will do just about anything to get people to stick around and talk about making homes safer and easier to use, but I can live with that.  I often wonder though, if people know that in addition to being silly and interested in how people live in their homes, that I am an Occupational Therapist, and have been for over 30 years.

I recently read an interesting article in the November 14, 2011 issue of AOTA’s (The American Occupational Therapy Association) magazine “OT PRACTICE”.  Another Occupational Therapist, Barbara A. Smith, MS, OTR/L wrote a short reflection piece titled, “Finding Our Special Strength”.   She said that, “We as occupational therapy practitioners strive to find the special strength each and every one of us contains,” when she was sharing stories of people with disabilities whose accomplishments were “examples of ability trumping disability”.    Thinking about the article caused me to reflect on my own practice, Home Access Solutions, Inc. and the people that I serve.

It doesn’t really bother me to be known as that goofy lady who will do just about anything or the person who is always talking about bathrooms and gleefully announces she was crowned Potty Queen in 1999.  I don’t want to be like everyone else and on my better days, I don’t even try.  The fact that I truly care about everyday living and can comfortably carry on conversations about things most people don’t even want to think about is one of my strengths and I revel in it!  My company, when it is functioning at its best, is not like any other company either.   I do not think that there is another OT practice quite like us; an equipment supplier quite like us; or a construction company quite like us.  Our strength is that we are merging all three services to accomplish our mission and our focus on the importance that everyday activities in the home have on quality of life and we revel in it!

Our strength is that we are actively listening to and seeking to understand and work with the strengths of our clients.  Each person we work with is unlike everyone else who may share the same age, medical condition, developmental disability, or other condition.  We don’t ask our clients to accept the same equipment or remodeling idea that works for someone else.  We listen to their goals, look at their abilities and environment, and we offer education and solutions for them to choose from.  As I tell clients, “It doesn’t really matter to me what you choose to do as long as you are safe.  After all, I am not going to live here.”  As a company we don’t know everything and we can’t work miracles (much to my everlasting disappointment), but we do listen and we do see our clients as people who have unique strengths and unique outlooks.

So whether you are a practitioner of the growing field of environmental modification or you are the recipient of these services, focus on your unique and special strengths to find solutions that will not only work, but will reflect how you want to live your life.

Out of the Box Holiday Gift Ideas

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**Download our complete Alphabet of Gift Ideas and see what you can do for the special people in your life.**

If you have friends or family that are older or that have significant disabilities you may be at a loss for a great gift idea. At Home Access Solutions we’ve put together a fun little gift list from A to Z with interesting items and ideas. 

To listen to a re-play of a great radio show sponsored by Financial Visions and  hosted by Cathy Wyatt and Dale Percival that covers more  “Out of the Box”  thinking about holiday gifts for Seniors and People with disabilities, go to this link. www.financialvisionsllc.com  and click on “The Art of Aging” Radio Programs.   I was there along with Jim Brown, the gift planning officer for the American Red Cross and Jim Shaffer of Counterparts.  Even I was surprised and amazed by some of the original and useful gift ideas.


We are heading into the season when many of us start thinking about gifts for the people we care about. Giving a gift is a loving gesture. The best gifts are those people treasure long after they are unwrapped and ones that have meaning and purpose. Sometimes it is hard to come up with that perfect gift. We all know people who are hard to buy gifts for. They either don’t want anything or have everything they need. But I’m talking about the other folks who are hard to buy for. If the People we care about have disabilities that are so severe they limit what they can do or use, it is often difficult to think of really meaningful or useful gifts. Let’s think out of the box and skip the same old knick knacks and aftershave collections! How much of that stuff can one house hold? Gifts don’t have to be expensive or fancy, but they can change a person’s life for the better.

Even Santa Can Use Independence

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Someone recently told me that “my kind of equipment” wasn’t really the kind of thing people gave at the Holidays.  I must vehemently disagree!  How priceless is the gift of independence and safety?

I urge you to think of access, independence, and convenience for your family and friends who have barriers in their homes or who are providing care for others.  Whether you come up with remodeling, helpful equipment, or just the gift of your time, your gift will make a huge difference in their lives every day.

Give us a call if you need help thinking of something based on a person’s needs and abilities.  Enjoy 10% off anything on our web site www.HomeAccessSolutions.com  with the coupon code GIFT2011 through December 16, 2011.  If you like the car mobility items you saw on this video visit our web site. They are on sale and you can still use the coupon.

A Home Feature is Only a Barrier if a Person Can’t Use the Feature Safely

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Steps actually provide access to your home if you are able to use them.  They aren’t a barrier unless you are unable to use them safely.   That is one of the interesting things to consider when you think about residential accessibility.   Home features like steps, deep tubs, or under cabinet storage, that may be very helpful to us during one phase of our lives, may become a barrier in another phase or if we become injured. That is why there isn’t a list of home features that must be changed to make a home truly accessible to everyone.  Everyone is different.

Universal Design is a concept of making an environment as useable as possible for as many people as possible, but residential accessibility is a personal customization to match a personal need.  What it takes to make a home accessible for different people may have similarities, but will vary based on an individual’s goals, skills, medical condition, preferences, budget, social environment, and existing physical environment.  When you are planning to make modifications or choosing equipment to reduce barriers in your home, you should follow a process we call “prescriptive access design” .   Our handout “5 Tips For Successful Home Accessibility Remodeling” is a good starting place.  Make sure the solution you choose matches your goals, current and future abilities, and preferences in order to make sure the solution will actually work the way you expect it to.

Access to your house is critically important and there is nothing wrong with having a ramp, power door openers, stair glides, etc.  Just as access needs vary from person to person, so do personal preferences.  Sometimes access designs that aren’t well thought out might be noticeable or obtrusive.  If appearances are important to you, it is often possible to use universal design concepts to blend the access features in, to minimize their visual impact, or at the very least to make them removable when you no longer need them.   Interestingly, some health professionals and construction professionals are not well versed in this concept.  There are some people who still believe that they must follow American with Disability Act guidelines when providing residential access and do not address the individual needs of their customers.

A home feature is only a barrier if a person can’t use the feature safely. Residential access can be both customized and lovely.  If done well, it can have either a positive or a neutral impact on the value of a home.