The simple and inexpensive wireless remote many of us use to light holiday decorations can be used to help seniors or people with disabilities in many every day activities. Most of us use these remotes to avoid going out in the cold for our exterior lights or to avoid crawling under the Christmas tree. Imagine for a minute, what life is like for a person who has difficulty handling light switches, phones, tv remotes, or thermostats due to disabilities. What you can accomplish with a tool like the wireless remote then moves from convenience to necessity.
Devices very similar to the wireless remote available in hardware stores everywhere for less than $25 could be a powerful life-changing tool. Electronic Aids to Daily Living or EADL are what these devices are called when used by a person with a disability to achieve a greater level of independence at home, school, work, or in recreation. EADL range from the generic and fairly simple, such as devices that use existing household electrical system with plug in receivers and transmitters like X-10 http://www.x10pro.com, to the specialized and often complex devices that operate a wide variety of electric/battery operated equipment such as Quartet technology http://www.qtiusa.com. EADLs enable people to do things like operate emergency call equipment, open doors, operate telephones, control lights, fans, TVs, or audio systems.
A person with very limited physical abilities would benefit from a professional assessment of their goals and skills as well as practice with the equipment in order to make sure they get something that will actually work for them. Not all therapists are experienced in EADL to make these assessments, but we are lucky enough in our area to have some professionals and clinics that do. Give us a call if you are looking for referrals. You can also search the Equipment portion of the Assistive Technology website in Nebraska www.at4all.com and the Assistive Technology website in Iowa www.iowacompass.org
Whatever you do, don’t let the name EADL frighten you away from doing simple, common sense adaptations though. What a powerful safety tool, something as simple as a wireless remote could be for an older person who would like to turn lights on in the path to the bathroom at night.
So share the news and share the video. You can use everyday items like a holiday wireless remote to improve the everyday living and everyday caregiving of the person in your life who is a senior or a person with a disability.
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.
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. Sometimes it is hard to come up with that perfect gift that is useable and meaningful. Let us help you think out of the box and skip the same old knick knacks and aftershave collections! How much of that stuff can one house hold? Download our list of FUNctional Gift Ideas from A-Z. You will find ideas that are useful, some that are fun, some that you can buy, and some that you can make. Get busy, Give the Gift of Independence and Safety to someone you love today!
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.
Review your Medicare drug plan annually – especially on years like this, when there are changes in what is available.
Home Access Solutions, Inc. works with designs and equipment that help people live independently at home. We usually don’t have anything to do with drugs, but we work with, and know, people who rely on prescriptions for their health and well being. Many of those people use Medicare for their prescription coverage. I recently attended an educational forum and learned some interesting things about the Medicare Drug Plan. Some of those things frightened me a little because I know that so many people, who need medication, run the risk of poor coverage or interrupted coverage. I just had to do my part to to help educate people at risk.
To learn more, I visited the wonderful folks at Volunteers Assisting Seniors (402) 444-6614. They are part of Nebraska’s State Health Insurance Program (SHIP) and offer free personalized health insurance counseling.
They provided me with the following information about why Seniors should review their drug plan every year and information about some of the changes we can expect this year.
“Each year, Medicare drug plans change and your medication needs can change. It’s not uncommon for drug plans to change their premiums, the drugs they cover on their formularies and the pricing on drugs. It’s important to review and compare plans to make sure that you will have a plan for 2011 that will offer the best pricing and coverage for your specific medication needs. The best way to do this is to compare the plans that will be available in your area. To do a comparison, you would make a list of your drugs, the dosages and the amounts you take as well as your pharmacy of choice and then use the drug comparison tool on Medicare’s website to compare plans. You should look for the overall annual cost for the plan, if all of your medications are on the plans formulary, if there are any restrictions, such as quantity limits or prior authorizations and if your pharmacy of choice will accept the plan.
In 2011, there are 15 drug plans that will no longer be available. If you had one of these plans in 2010, you will need to find a new plan for 2011, as your coverage will end Dec. 31st. Notification of loss of coverage should be sent to beneficiaries in October. You will be able to find a new plan during the open enrollment period so that it will be effective on January 1 and you will not have any lapse in coverage. If a beneficiary does not find a new plan during the open enrollment period, Medicare will give them a “Special Enrollment Period” of one month (January) to enroll in a new plan. Coverage will not be effective until Feb 1, which means a beneficiary has the potential to be without coverage during January.”
If you want some information about what do do, one source of information is the 2011 Medicare handbook: http://www.medicare.gov/publications/pubs/pdf/10050.pdf . However, if you prefer to work with people who have already read the manual and have the training to decipher it, you have other options. You can contact Volunteers Assisting Seniors (402) 444-6614. to schedule an appointment with a trained volunteer who help you use the Medicare.gov website, help you with a drug comparison, and help with enrolling you in a new plan, if you find one that will better meet your needs in 2011.
You can also attend one of the several local events Volunteers assisting Seniors have planned. The Southwest 8 Area Aging on Aging and the Iowa SHIIP program also have some local events. I’ve attached both lists for you. OmahaCouncil Bluffs If you don’t live in either of these areas, you can go to www.shiptalk.org to find your local SHIPS office.
The open enrollment period is November 15 through December 31. It is just around the corner. We at Home Access Solutions hope that if you use Medicare, you will take steps to help yourself. If you know people who use Medicare for prescription benefits, please make sure they know what they should do.
Are you afraid of what may happen when you are in your bathroom? Do you stay up at night wondering just how safe your older parents are in their bathroom? If so, you are not alone. Ask anyone what is the scariest place in their home and if they have a disability or mobility/balance issues, they will probably tell you it is the bathroom. It doesn’t have to be that way.
We know instinctively that the bathroom is a dangerous place. Falls occur from slips and trips. Slips occur most often on wet surfaces. What floor do we tend to drip water on most often? Trips come from obstructions we don’t see. Which room is often small with limited storage so things may be placed on the floor or on storage shelves placed in the walkway? Many falls occur when lighting is inadequate. What room in older homes is usually lit by a single set of lights that we reduce even further when we close shower curtains? Better yet, if we wear glasses, what room do we routinely take them off in? Other falls occur when a person’s ability to balance isn’t adequate for the tasks they are engaged in. What room requires us to step over a 15” high barrier such as the side of a tub, get on the floor such as getting into a tub, bend over such as pulling up pants after toileting? To top it all off, which room of our house is so small that if we fall on the floor we are likely to block the door shut with our body so no one can get in to help us? Of course we know the bathroom is a scary place, but it doesn’t have to be.
Safety can be improved in most bathrooms with careful attention to matching the environment to a person’s abilities and a willingness to try something new. It may be as simple as a well placed grab bar or a rug to absorb moisture that is really slip resistant to. For some homes, it may be a little more involved such as replacing a standard tub with a barrier free or walk in shower, or adding a walk in tub. Thinking about making a change may be difficult, but consider the alternative.
Take a look at these facts from the article Falls Among Older Adults: An Overview the Center for Disease control www.cdc.gov
• More than one third of adults 65 and older fall each year in the United States (Hornbrook et al. 1994; Hausdorff et al. 2001).
• Among older adults, falls are the leading cause of injury deaths. They are also the most common cause of nonfatal injuries and hospital admissions for trauma (CDC 2005).
• In 2005, 15,800 people 65 and older died from injuries related to unintentional falls; about 1.8 million people 65 and older were treated in emergency departments for nonfatal injuries from falls, and more than 433,000 of these patients were hospitalized (CDC 2005).
• The rates of fall-related deaths among older adults rose significantly over the past decade (Stevens 2006).
How can we look at facts like these, know the bathroom is one of the most useful, but most dangerous places in our home, and still not take action to save ourselves and people we love?
Take action today. Educate yourself on ways to make your bathroom safer. It may be easier and less expensive than you think it will be. If you want some help planning a functional and beautiful bathroom experience give us a call. You are worth it.
What is the worst access issue a person with a disability can face in their homes? Ask any three people what they think the worst residential accessibility problem is and you are likely to get three different answers. I did some searching on line and I really didn’t find any valid research where the question was addressed. If you find it, please let me know. I will post it, share it, and learn from it! You can look at the development of Fair Housing Standards and also Visitability standards for Atlanta Georgia and Austin Texas and it seems that access to the house and the bathroom are addressed, with access to the house done first. http://www.wid.org/publications/accessible-housing-database-and-manual
Our records show that our clients usually have us address bathrooms, transfers, and access to the home, in that order. A good number of clients have often already addressed access to the home before calling us. They believe that a regular contractor or a family member had the ability to construct a ramp that would work. Frankly, I’m not always impressed with the quality and safety of what they end up with and I know many have ended up with ramps when low rise, deep tread steps or a lift might have been more functional or longer lasting for them, but I digress. My experience is that people with new disabilities, think about getting into the house first. Once they are there, the bathroom quickly becomes the most problematic room. Finally, transfers become important as they are needed whenever a person wants to move from one area to the other or when safety for both the individual and their caregivers is compromised with inadequate transfer technique or equipment.
Just for fun, we asked Occupational Therapists attending the Nebraska Occupational Therapy Association Fall conference to vote on which of the 3 access issues they thought was the worst. Keep in mind, this was a sample of OTs and OT students who happened to pass our booth and who chose to vote. Twenty nine voted for the bathroom, 8 voted for access to the house, and one voted for transfers. About half of them noted that it really wasn’t a good vote as they needed to ask the person living in the home which was the worst issue for them.
Trust these fine Nebraskan Occupational Therapists to hit the nail on the head or to at least think like I do. I believe that the worst access issue a person can face in their homes is the one that is causing the most problem for them right now. So to paraphrase one of the more practical minded and blunt employees at Home Access Solutions – Who cares about surveys? People know what they want when they call us.
That is one benefit of working with a private residential accessibility planning company like Home Access Solutions, Inc. We have a great deal of practical experience and access to research to help you achieve successful access to your home, but you are the person who has the deciding vote about what the worst access is for you. You are the captain of the access team.
Residential accessibility does not always have to be expensive. It doesn’t even always involve structural remodeling. Wow! Isn’t that good news? Who wouldn’t want to save money these days? Spending money you don’t need to or spending it unwisely is almost as bad as simply just putting it in the grill and lighting it on fire! What a waste!
Money is important. At Home Access Solutions we know that, and we respect our customer’s budgets. We save people money because our designs are based on a person’s goals, abilities, and medical condition and we have the experience and knowledge to offer a range of solutions, some of which are really inexpensive.
When it is desirable or necessary to make structural changes, it is important to build in the space you need for your mobility equipment and your transfer style. For example, we recently worked with some people who were planning a bathroom remodel for a person with a progressive medical condition. They had no experience with wheelchairs yet and just weren’t able to imagine how the chairs make corners. They’d received a design from a person skilled in building that would have actually made it more difficult to pass into the bathroom, and they would have paid for a shower base that would be much easier for her to step in now, but would not allow a transition to a roll-in shower. That would have meant another painful decision in the future to either make another modification or do without a real bath. At Home Access Solutions we think spending money on modifications that don’t match your abilities and mobility equipment is like watching your money go up in smoke.
We also believe that there are also too many people who waste money through inaction. Too many people decide that access or access equipment is too expensive before they get the real information they need. They quit before they even begin! If you think about it, not spending money by doing nothing at all when you need to make some changes to make your home safer or easier to use, isn’t really saving money. I challenge you to compare the cost of an accident that might result in a hip fracture or a head injury to the cost of reasonable accessible design. It is a great bet for us when the access design might not even require remodeling.
For example, a bath slider is a useful piece of equipment that can save the cost of a bathroom remodel and doorway widening. The user can get into it in a bedroom or other location where there is room to move around. The slider is 22” inches wide and passes through even those tiny little 24” doors that are still so common on bathrooms. The slider is attached to a stand sitting in the bathtub. The caregiver locks the rolling base and tub base together creating a bridge into the tub and then slides the seat over the bridge. If you have some interest in a bath slider, give us a call. The equipment works, but it is large. You’ll want a professional familiar with the equipment to see your bathroom or view a floor plan of the room to make sure it will work for you.
Just recently we worked with a family who thought they would have to replace the entire tub with a barrier free shower. Unfortunately the cost of that remodel was too much for them to tackle right now. Rather than continue with the dangerous transfers they were doing - literally pulling the man of the family up off the tub floor, we provided them with a tub bather system. Replacing the glass shower door and frame with a curtain rod and curtain, providing a hand held shower and the tub bather system and training was right around $500. That is a low price to pay for privacy and dignity in the tub and removing the daily hazard of one person pulling another off the tub floor!
So don’t burn through your money on un-usable modifications or through doing nothing at all. We urge you to share these stories with people who need to know that there are so many options to solve access and safety problems around the home and that it is possible to do it economically. The key is working with a professional who listens to your goals, knows about equipment and access remodeling, and who is willing to keep your budget in mind.
What do grab bars and footballs have in common? Actually both are attempted by amateurs, but professional application requires knowledge and skill. That may be a stretch, but hopefully we captured your attention and you will read on about grab bars which we know most people don’t find nearly as exciting as watching their favorite team in action.
People aren’t usually excited when we suggest that they may want to install a grab bar or two. They believe that a person needs to be totally infirm, or older than they are, in order to need a grab bar. We hear statements like “ Well, I don’t want my bathroom to look like a gas station”, “I don’t want to affect the value of my home”, or “When I need one, I’ll have my brother Bobby run over here and put it in.” We don’t believe that grab bars have to look horrible, they don’t detract from value or beauty when done properly, and we have burning curiosity about how a person is going to anticipate the exact moment of need and get “brother Bobby” over there the day before they fall. We know grab bars installed after the fact aren’t nearly as life saving as those thoughtfully installed well before the need arises.
Here’s the deal. All people, at any time of their lives reach out and grab things when they start to fall. A grab bar is simply something designed to be grabbed. It stays put when you grab it as opposed to a towel rack or a walker, or the corner of a dresser. A grab bar used for balance instead of something unreliable like the corner of a sink, doesn’t contribute to the risk of falling. Also, who says grab bars need to look medicinal and drab? If that is your choice, fine! We like to use colors to compliment décor as well as increase safety, by making them easier to see. There are over 180 colors we can use with Best Bath System grab bars. We have a client who recently chose a red which matched her wall paper border, but it inspired us as it also matched the color of many Nebraskan’s favorite football team! Now that is an exciting grab bar!
Grab bar color can really be fun and functional, but you also need to keep two other things in mind to make a grab bar actually work for you. We provide professional grab bar installation, but we are often see the results of mistakes people make thinking that selecting and mounting a grab bar is a simple process.
Here is our critical rule number one: Make sure that the grab bar is securely mounted to some structure in the house or with newer technology blind fasteners designed for grab bars. Knowledge and skill with various blind fasteners and blocking techniques allow you to be able to work with critical rule number two.
Critical rule number two: You must put the grab bars where they are needed based on the individual’s abilities and what they are using the bar for. This seems like a simple concept, but you wouldn’t believe how many homes we walk into where the decision for grab bar location was based solely on where the home-owner or handyman could find studs. A grab bar isn’t magic. You have to reach it easily for it to really be any good. Your therapist or our access designers can help you decide placement based on your mobility, height, strength, and how you are using the device while you move.
So, join us as cheerleaders for bathroom safety! Share the news and this video with people who need to know about grab bars – that is everybody! Remember the best time to install is before you need it, give some thought as to where a bar really needs to be placed for maximum effectiveness, and get it installed properly. If you are into color whether to enhance safety or to match décor or your favorite team colors we encourage you to go for it!
If someone asked me, what is one of the biggest mistakes that people make when it comes to accessibility and safety in their home, I would have to say that it is simply not getting started. No one wants to hear the message about home modifications until they actually need it “yesterday!”
We meet people at health fairs, on the street, or they are referred to us. All too often they actually limp up to us or use mobility equipment like a cane or walker, or have already fallen, and when we talk about using equipment or making changes that would increase safety or reduce effort, they tell us “Oh that is great, but I’m not at that point yet.” We hear it so often and we’ve talked about creating staff T-shirts that say -When is “That Point”? We know, we know. No one would get that message either. Sometimes we feel like we are shouting out a message that no one wants to hear or perhaps we have a message that is doomed to be lost for years, just like the old message in a bottle.
We know that it is human nature to believe that we are never going to change; we won’t be the ones that have the horrible accidents; and we won’t be the ones whose spouses, parents, or children need us to learn the skills of nurses and therapists. As humans, we believe this right up until the moment that our worlds start to fall apart. We also know that people don’t want to make changes because they don’t know what to do or they don’t know who to turn to for good advice.
There was a great study done by AARP and other organizations that addressed what people wanted to do and what they were actually doing about aging in place. AARP study If you read through the study you’ll see that it confirms the things we see at Home Access Solutions every day. Much larger numbers of people believe they will be living at home all their lives than the smaller numbers of people who are actually taking action to make that dream a reality.
We often work with people facing big problems and our job is to help them find a way to make their home safer, accessible, and easier to live in. Though we’d prefer to help people avoid crises by planning ahead, we think we do a pretty good job of helping clients through crisis by coming up with practical solutions. Our clients think so too. Most of our new work comes from referrals from clients and the health professionals who work with them.
We hope that you will listen to the testimonials from our clients and check out the things people have shared for our web site. Link to testimonials What we really hope is that their comments will motivate you to be among the few who truly prepare for aging in place and that if you ever need the help, you will remember to search out people like us and companies like Home Access Solutions. Accessibility Remodeling and Adaptive Equipment can help you keep going and living life to the fullest.
People are not the best things to lift: They wiggle or move unexpectedly, you usually need to lift them in an area of the home that doesn’t allow for good body mechanics, and even the smallest adult weighs more than most people are capable of lifting. So what do most family caregivers do? They lift anyway.
Their motivation is usually good. The person they are caring for has to be moved. The caregiver is there to serve. What they don’t realize is that a back injury is just one transfer away- and you don’t know which transfer it is going to be. And just what is going to happen to the person needing to be moved when the caregiver can’t give care anymore?
According to the OSHA website, “Back disorders can develop gradually as a result of microtrauma brought about by repetitive activity over time or can be the product of a single traumatic event. Because of the slow and progressive onset of this internal injury, the condition is often ignored until the symptoms become acute, often resulting in disabling injury. Acute back injuries can be the immediate result of improper lifting techniques and/or lifting loads that are too heavy for the back to support. While the acute injury may seem to be caused by a single well-defined incident, the real cause is often a combined interaction of the observed stressor coupled with years of weakening of the musculoskeletal support mechanism by repetitive micro-trauma. Injuries can arise in muscle, ligament, vertebrae, and discs, either singly or in combination."
http://www.osha.gov/dts/osta/otm/otm_vii/otm_vii_1.html
Many of us therapist spend a lot of time practicing transfers ourselves and teaching others the best ways we know of to manually move people from one surface to another. Unfortunately, many caregivers don’t receive or don’t remember the training and the areas like beds or small bathrooms don’t allow them to employ safe body mechanics. They are often not really assisting someone to move, but bodily moving them. There is some thought that for this type of lift “training caregivers how to use proper body mechanics to lift residents is not an effective prevention measure because lifting the weight of adult patients is intrinsically unsafe”
http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/ergonomics/default.html#lift
The good news is that there are ways to move people that don’t pose risks to caregivers or the people they are moving. It may be simple items like pivot disks or transfer boards, but there are also great pieces of equipment to use when a person is dependent upon others for lifting.
Motorized lift systems can be floor based, wall based, or ceiling based. The motor provides the lifting power. A ceiling based motor can be independently propelled or moved by a caregiver. Ceiling based systems don’t take up floor space and the caregiver doesn’t have to move the weight of the person and the lift.
Home Access Solutions is the exclusive dealer for SureHands Lift and Care Systems in Nebraska and much of Iowa. SureHands is the US distributor for Handimove International, so this is a system of products used around the world to help people stay in their homes. I chose to represent this product when I was looking for solutions for my clients, because of 3 things: flexibility, reliability, and the philosophy of the SureHands and Handimove companies. www.surehands.com
Problems with transfers drives too many people out of their homes and hurts too many caregivers! Don’t let that happen to you or someone you love! You can visit the Surehands web site at, give us a call at 402-291-9514 and talk to us about an evaluation to determine the right system for you. Please forward this video to people you know who really need to learn about safe ways to transfer. i.e. pick people up!
Your goal is to grow older, right? Of course it is. What is the alternative? That is unfortunately as far as most of us are going to go in our planning. We have a vague idea that we want to stick around for tomorrow. In the back of our mind we believe that if we live well everything is going to somehow work out. But will it?
Home Access Solutions focuses on the structure of the home and equipment that is used for safety and independence, but we work closely with other companies all over town that focus on other aspects of successfully aging and living well. One important area is preparing financially. I hope you enjoyed the interview with Dale Percival of Financial Visions. He is the right kind of person to work with to make sure that you have the resources you need to age successfully. We meet too many people who achieve long lives, but don’t have the resources to enjoy it.
There are many great articles on the Financial Vision’s website, at www.FinancialVisionsLLC.com, but one of my favorites is titled simply “How Much Do I Need to Save?” I’ve included it below. I urge you to read it and prepare yourself for a long and happy life! Then you won’t have to worry about having the money you need to modify your home, continue to vacation and eat out, or whatever you want to do when you age exactly the way you want to.
How Much Do I Need to Save?
Many Americans realize the importance of saving for retirement, but knowing exactly how much they need to save is another issue altogether. With all the information available about retirement, it is sometimes difficult to decipher what is appropriate for your specific situation.
One rule of thumb is that retirees will need approximately 80% of their pre-retirement salaries to maintain their lifestyles in retirement. However, depending on your own situation and the type of retirement you hope to have, that number may be higher or lower.
Fortunately, there are several factors that can help you work toward a retirement savings goal.
Retirement Age
The first factor to consider is the age at which you expect to retire. In reality, many people anticipate that they will retire later than they actually do; unexpected issues, such as health problems or workplace changes (downsizing, etc.), tend to stand in their way. Of course, the earlier you retire, the more money you will need to last throughout retirement. It’s important to prepare for unanticipated occurrences that could force you into an early retirement.
Life Expectancy
Although you can’t know what the duration of your life will be, there are a few factors that may give you a hint.
You should take into account your family history—how long your relatives have lived and diseases that are common in your family—as well as your own past and present health issues. Also consider that life spans are becoming longer with recent medical developments. More people will be living to age 100, or perhaps even longer. When calculating how much you need to save, you need to factor in the number of years you will spend in retirement.
You should take into account your family history—how long your relatives have lived and diseases that are common in your family—as well as your own past and present health issues. Also consider that life spans are becoming longer with recent medical developments. More people will be living to age 100, or perhaps even longer. When calculating how much you need to save, you need to factor in the number of years you will spend in retirement.
Future Health-Care Needs
Another factor to consider is the cost of health care. Health-care costs have been rising much faster than general inflation, and fewer employers are offering health benefits to retirees. Long-term care is another consideration. These costs could severely dip into your savings and even result in your filing for bankruptcy if the need for care is prolonged.
Factoring in higher costs for health care during retirement is vital, and you might want to consider purchasing long-term-care insurance to help protect your assets.
Lifestyle
Another important consideration is your desired retirement lifestyle. Do you want to travel? Are you planning to be involved in philanthropic endeavors? Will you have an expensive country club membership? Are there any hobbies you would like to pursue? The answers to these questions can help you decide what additional costs your ideal retirement will require.
Many baby boomers expect that they will work part-time in retirement. However, if this is your intention and you find that working longer becomes impossible, you will still need the appropriate funds to support your retirement lifestyle.
Inflation
If you think you have accounted for every possibility when constructing a savings goal but forget this vital component, your savings could be far from sufficient. Inflation has the potential to lower the value of your savings from year to year, significantly reducing your purchasing power over time. It is important for your savings to keep pace with or exceed inflation.
Social Security
Many retirees believe that they can rely on their future Social Security benefits. However, this may not be true for you. The Social Security system is under increasing strain as more baby boomers are retiring and fewer workers are available to pay their benefits. And the reality is that Social Security currently provides only 27% of the total income of Americans aged 65 and older with at least $50,000 in annual household income.1 That leaves 73% to be covered in other ways.
And the Total Is…
After considering all these factors, you should have a much better idea of how much you need to save for retirement.
For example, let’s assume you believe that you will retire when you are 65 and spend a total of 20 years in retirement, living to age 85. Your annual income is currently $80,000, and you think that 75% of your pre-retirement income ($60,000) will be enough to cover the costs of your ideal retirement, including some travel you intend to do and potential health-care expenses. After factoring in the $12,000 annual Social Security benefit you expect to receive, a $10,000 annual pension from your employer, and 4% potential inflation, you end up with a total retirement savings amount of $760,000. (For your own situation, you can use a retirement savings calculator from your retirement plan provider or from a financial site on the Internet.)
The estimated total for this hypothetical example may seem daunting. But after determining your retirement savings goal and factoring in how much you have saved already, you will be able to determine how much you need to save each year to reach your destination. The important thing is to come up with a goal and then develop a strategy to help reach it. You don’t want to spend your retirement years wishing you had planned ahead when you had the time. The sooner you start saving and investing to reach your goal, the closer you will be to realizing your retirement dreams.
Source: 1) Income of the Population 55 or Older, 2006, Social Security Administration, 2009. Breakdown based on people aged 65 and older with at least $50,000 in annual household income.
Securities offered through Centaurus Financial Inc. Member FINRA/SIPC (www.finra.org / www.sipc.org). 1055 N 115th St., Suite 200, Omaha, NE 68154, (402) 827-5547. Centaurus Financial Inc. and Financial Visions LLC are not affiliated.
Your Bathroom may be the most dangerous room in your Home.
We know instinctively that the bathroom is a dangerous place. Falls occur from slips and trips. Slips occur most often on wet surfaces. What floor do we tend to drip water on most often? Trips come from obstructions we don’t see. Which room is often small with limited storage so things may be placed on the floor or on storage shelves placed in the walkway? Many falls occur when lighting is inadequate. What room in older homes is usually lit by a single set of lights that we reduce even further when we close shower curtains? Better yet, if we wear glasses, what room do we routinely take them off in? Other falls occur when a person’s ability to balance isn’t adequate for the tasks they are engaged in.
What room requires us to step over a 15” high barrier such as the side of a tub, get on the floor such as getting into a tub, bend over such as pulling up pants after toileting? To top it all off, which room of our house is so small that if we fall on the floor we are likely to block the door shut with our body so no one can get in to help us? Of course we know the bathroom is a scary place, but it doesn’t have to be.
Safety can be improved in most bathrooms with careful attention to matching the environment to a person’s abilities and a willingness to try something new. It may be as simple as a well placed grab bar or a rug to absorb moisture that is really slip resistant to. For some homes, it may be a little more involved such as replacing a standard tub with a barrier free or walk in shower, or adding a walk in tub. Thinking about making a change may be difficult, but consider the alternative.
Take a look at these facts from the article Falls Among Older Adults: An Overview the Center for Disease control www.cdc.gov.
• More than one third of adults 65 and older fall each year in the United States (Hornbrook et al. 1994; Hausdorff et al. 2001).
• Among older adults, falls are the leading cause of injury deaths. They are also the most common cause of nonfatal injuries and hospital admissions for trauma (CDC 2005).
• In 2005, 15,800 people 65 and older died from injuries related to unintentional falls; about 1.8 million people 65 and older were treated in emergency departments for nonfatal injuries from falls, and more than 433,000 of these patients were hospitalized (CDC 2005).
• The rates of fall-related deaths among older adults rose significantly over the past decade (Stevens 2006).
How can we look at facts like these, know the bathroom is one of the most useful, but most dangerous places in our home, and still not take action to save ourselves and people we love?
Take action today. Educate yourself on ways to make your bathroom safer. It may be easier and less expensive than you think it will be. If you want some help planning a functional and beautiful bathroom experience give us a call. We think you are worth it.
The right professional can help unlock the potential accessibility of your home. All too often people who have disabilities or people whose abilities change as they grow older feel like they are “locked out” of areas of their own homes. The average house is full of barriers to people who use wheelchairs or walkers, or who have balance or strength issues.
There are so many ways to change homes to remove these barriers, but how do you know what to do? How do you pick a design or building professional that has the skills to evaluate you and your situation so you spend your money on modifications or equipment that actually works for you?
- Americans prefer to stay in their own homes as they grow older but realize the home will have safety and access problems.
- People didn’t know what to do or who to ask to help them make changes to their homes.
- People didn’t trust building professionals to know what to do or to
treat them fairly.
The National Association of Home Builders Remodelers responded. In collaboration with AARP, NAHB Research Center and NAHB 50+ Housing Council, they developed the Certified Aging in Place Specialist Designation, CAPS. The CAPS is a multi-professional designation which is important as Home Modifications require knowledge not only of the structure of the home, but of people and the medical conditions that affect them, and of the huge variety of equipment available to increase independence in the home.
The course work introduces professionals experienced in their own trades such as therapists, interior designers, contractors, architects to the unique needs of the older adult population and reinforces good business management and utilization of a set of ethics.
People interested in finding professionals with a CAPS designation can go to the National Association of Home Builders web site to find a national directory.
http://www.nahb.org/generic.aspx?sectionID=717&genericContentID=46799 BevVan Phillips was among the first CAPS professionals in the state of Nebraska and we are proud to announce that the newest members of the Home Access Solutions, Inc staff have completed the educational requirements to obtain their CAPS designation. Brady Croft has a background in the building trades and will be using his construction skills and knowledge of DC motors as our primary installer and service professional. Tara Rise has a degree in Interior Design with a focus on Home Modifications and in addition to generalized access design and equipment selection will be working closely with the Best Bath line of barrier free showers and walk in tubs that we represent. Garrett Worner has a background in construction and real estate and in addition to working with access remodeling design and equipment will be focusing on the SureHands Lift and Care System of high tech transfer solutions that can help people stay in their homes longer.
At Home Access Solutions, Inc. we bridge the gap between the structure of your home and your abilities. You can count on Home Access Solutions for knowledgeable evaluation and professional service. There is no reason to feel “locked out” of your own home. We are right here in your community, waiting to serve you.
I enjoy spending time outdoors and gardening. It is part of what makes me who I am. What would happen if I had an accident or developed a medical condition that kept me out of the yard? Would it change who I am as a person? This happens to Americans every day.
The simple, everyday things we do define who we are and impact the quality of the lives we lead. When we can’t take care of ourselves or we can’t do the things that bring us pleasure, life just doesn’t seem as good. If a person grows older or experiences a medical crisis and they can’t engage in their hobbies – does that change who they are as a person? It can.
I’ve got news! It doesn’t have to though. There are so many ways of doing things and pieces of equipment that can help us compensate and allow us to keep on doing what is important to us.
For instance, if I had arthritis and enjoyed gardening it could be harmful to the joints of my wrist and hand to use a regular hand rake and would probably be painful as well. Just changing to a rake with an angled handled protects my joints and will reduce the likelihood of pain. The important thing is that I could keep on gardening!
Here’s the point. Don’t give up on doing the things that are important to you. Find the different technique or different tool that will allow you to continue taking care of yourself, working, or engaging in the hobbies that bring you pleasure. They are out there.
Share this video, Share the news. You don’t have to give up the things that define who you are as a person. If you need help finding something or getting started, give us a call. We know it is important and we would love to help.
Here are some useful links that may provide the opportunities you are looking for to continue doing what you love, or even find a new active passion!
The Great Plains PVA: a fitness facility that provides programs targeted at both adult and children who have developmental and physical disabilities.
There’s always more than one way to increase access or safety in your home. People who call Home Access Solutions realize that we are going to offer more than one solution. What they don’t realize is that we are often going to offer a solution that can save them Money. That’s right, the right information and the right plan can often save money while increasing independence and safety in the home.
The Truth About Access Pricing
Too many people decide that access or access equipment is too expensive before they get the real information they need. They quit before they even begin! Money is important. We know that and we respect people’s budget. Frankly we save people money because our designs which are based on a person’s goals, abilities, and medical condition really work and we have the experience and knowledge to offer a range of solutions, some of which are really inexpensive. At the very least, we can offer solutions that are less expensive than the ones people who don’t have our experience dream.
Let's Work Together to Save You Money
A great example is a couple we recently saw who were trying to decide whether to build a new home to accommodate her use of a wheelchair or remodel the existing. They really wanted to stay where they were, but they thought that it was going to require modifying a stairwell, moving a lot of plumbing or even moving a load bearing wall in order to get the room they needed in their bathroom. We were able to provide a design and resources that didn’t require moving any walls and that minimized the plumbing changes needed. The design will blend in unobtrusively in their home and has the flexibility to work now and later when her strength changes. All that and our remodel idea will cost at least 10,000 less than the remodel idea they thought they had to use. Talk about Win! Win! Win! This is a big savings, but really not that unusual for us.
Just this past week, I worked with a person living in assisted living facility . She and her family were anticipating a solution for a bathroom transfer that would have been several hundred dollars to put in and that would have had to be removed. It turned out that a simple solution costing less than $40 would work and lead to a safer transfer as well. In the place where she lives, this is a solution that saved her money right away and will help her keep her independence, but it is also going to save her money every month as she doesn’t have to pay for the extra assistance for bathing every month.
Please share the news and share this video with your friends. You don’t have to give up before you start! Great solutions can make everyday living easier and safer and save you Money too!
When we work with clients considering accessibility remodeling we ask them to remember that they may eventually be selling their home. Access, being able to safely and efficiently use your home is critically important and is the focus of our designs, but we strive to make the designs either blend into the décor of the home or have removable components. This helps protect the overall value of our client’s homes.
A terrific example of this approach is the addition of a Mother in law suite to a client’s existing home. No matter how accessible it is for a person using a wheelchair or a walker, with the right planning it can become an area of interest and use for anyone at the time the home is sold. It could be a private master bedroom retreat, a space for older teens to call their own, a possible rental area, or a wonderful family room. We take care to plan the extra access features such as roll in showers so that thresholds can be added, grab bars removed and walls repaired, and personal equipment touches like bidets or bed room safety equipment can be removed. A good prescriptive access design works for the person it is done for because the environment is matched to their goals and abilities. A great design also looks good, feels good, and enhances the value of the home.
The "In-Law Suite"
When elderly loved ones can no longer take care of themselves, it is usually necessary for them to enter an assisted living or retirement community. Sometimes, however, it is financially and physically easier to have that person close to home. At the home featured in this video, located in Papillion, there is a perfect in-law set-up in the basement. This extra living space provides value and opportunity to the owner in various ways.
While it is commonly referred to as an “in-law suite,” this basement apartment also goes by the name of “granny flat,” but it is not limited only to the elderly. This accessory apartment comes in all types of sizes, and can house renters, hired house staff, guests and other relatives. There are various uses, advantages and features of an in-law suite that may convince everyone to consider this kind of basement remodel.
Uses
The large amount of space in a suite like this is very versatile in terms of purpose. The kitchen area is perfect for a movie night where drinks and snacks are steps away, but it can also provide extra income if you were to rent it out as an apartment. Furthermore, everyone knows that when the in-laws come to visit, it is nice to tuck them quietly into the basement where they are out of sight, yet only a floor away from hanging out with the family.
When elderly relatives are not ready for a nursing home environment, an in-law suite creates a great alternative that is more personal and comfortable for older persons. In-law suites can also be altered and planned around individual needs and preferences, which is sure to make even the most stubborn grandparent at ease.
Advantages
As BevVan describes, the in-law suite is extremely accessible for its dwellers. With a ground-level entrance, it can easily accommodate wheelchairs and walkers. In terms of cost, and basement suite is much more affordable than most nursing homes these days. In fact, the cost of one year in a nursing home is usually more expensive than a remodeling of the house to create the suite. You pay less and definitely get more for your loved ones out of an arrangement such as this.
When considering an accessory apartment, family and unity both come to mind. An in-law suite may not be the best choice if you do not wish to connect and be a part of that person’s last years, but for those who desire peace of mind and family togetherness, it should be a serious consideration. This may also provide an extraordinary experience for families to enrich their relationships, especially between children and grandparents. It is usually difficult to gather everyone up and visit grandma or grandpa at the nursing home, but under one roof, children are seconds away from hearing stories and spending time with elderly family members while they still can.
Features
As illustrated in the tour of this house, there is a multitude of features that make it easy for older folks to get around on their own, despite physical impedances. Firstly, there is a full kitchen that allows for accessible food, drinks and cooking. This is also an important feature if a home owner would like to rent out this space as an apartment. It is like another house in the basement.
Secondly, the elderly-friendly bathroom is an important feature to take into consideration. High toilets, shower handrails and a wheelchair accessible shower and bath are just a few features in this particular suite that help to eliminate hazards. It is also possible, however, to omit these features and make the bathroom area just like any other – except with a larger-than-normal shower space and lots of walking room. Again, an in-law suite can be designed with anyone in mind, so the size and number of bedrooms can be altered to accommodate.
The bottom line is that an auxiliary apartment, or “granny-flat,” is flexible in terms of model, and makes it possible for families to stay together for longer than they thought possible. Even if you do not have an elderly family member looking to settle in with the family, an in-law suite provides much value in its amount of extra living space and various features.
So keep a suite like this in mind when you are looking over the brochure of "Sunnybrook Nursing Home" or some other generic elderly care facility, and remember the importance of cohesiveness and peacefulness that comes with sharing time, and space, with family.
If You Find Yourself Saying,“Not Another Winter in This House!” Then It’s Time to Take Action!
I’m wishing you all the joys of spring!
Of course, I want you to enjoy this wonderful time of year, but I also want you to be thinking ahead to next winter if you (or one of your friends) found yourselves saying, “No, no, no…not another winter in this house!”
It’s a fact that it can become harder and harder to cope with snow on the roof and ice on the sidewalks and driveway, especially if you’ve been in your current home for many years.
This can turn winter into a real and sometimes dangerous grind, can’t it?
Well, there is a solution – put your home on the market today with us, and we can show you how to get the most out of your property!
Then, once it’s sold, you can buy that townhouse, condo, or house you’ve always wanted, and somebody else can shovel the snow and scrape the ice while you’re warm and comfortable inside!
Let my partner, Shelley, and I guide you step-by-step through the process so you can make an informed decision.
Falling is a serious issue and there are many companies and agencies all over the area who work with seniors, to provide them with information about preventing falls. I am very proud to say that Home Access Solutions is part of this much needed volunteer effort.
One of the community groups we are involved with, is F1RST, hosted by the Greater Omaha Chapter of the National Safety Council. We’ve developed a GREAT DVD to educate you on some simple precautions you can take to prevent a fall from occurring.
You can see this DVD and get more information on the F1RST (Fall Intervention, Reaching Seniors Together) committee at www.F1RST.org.
Or call the Omaha Chapter of the National Safety Council and request the DVD called, “Simple Changes Can Keep You Safe Where You Live,” at (402) 896-0454.
We are also collaborating with both the F1RST task force and the Eastern Office on Aging to provide presentations on, "Reducing the Risk of Falling," to audiences all over our community.
We taught public speaking basics to some Senior volunteers from The Foster Grandparent and Senior Companion programs of the Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging. They have personal stories about the impact of falling on a person’s life and will be working with a speaker from the F1RST committee to provide the presentations.
Listen to them and you will understand the effects and severity of a fall and why it is important to take action to save people today.
Call the National Safety Council or email the F1RST program manager today ccady@safenebraska.org to set up a presentation for your group.
Call or email us if you want to modify your home to reduce your risk of falling and please share this video with those you care for and love. You may very well save their life.
More often than not, I get the impression that you believe that a person needs to be totally infirm, or older than they are, in order to need a grab bar. I’ll get responses such as, “ Well, I don’t want my bathroom to look like a gas station”, or “I don’t want to affect the value of my home”.
Here’s the deal:
All people at any time of their lives reach out and grab things when they feel off balance. A grab bar is simply something designed to be grabbed. It stays put when you grab it as opposed to a towel rack or a walker, or the corner of a dresser.
Also, who says grab bars need to look medicinal and drab? If that is your choice, fine, but look at the grab bars pictured in this article. Old world bronze to match the faucets, shower head, and décor. Do you really think this has destroyed the value of this bathroom?
Actually great supports don’t even have to be permanent.In my video, I feature a superpole. This superpole has a superbar from Healthcraft. It pushes between the floor and the joists in the ceiling and provides a support anywhere one is needed in a room. You can even use these in bed rooms or in living rooms near a favorite easy chair.
This is advanced technology for grab bars. You can actually use the same pole in various orientations not only as a space saver, but also to assist with mobility. Who said grab bars weren’t fantastic?!
So back to the big question: When do you put in a grab bar?The easy answer is before you need it, before a fall convinces you that you or someone you care about needs a balance assist. You and I both know that if you are unlucky, that one, first fall may be the one that changes your life forever.
Do you really want to be on the floor, or be loading your mother into the ambulance and thinking at that point, "I wish we had put in that grab bar?” Of course not.
We believe in supporting people at Home Access Solutions.
We believe in grab bars. We believe in being pro-active to achieve safety and independence at home.We will make it easy for you to get the right bar selected and installed and through April we will even make it cost less. Share this video and article with people who need to know about grab bars – everyone!
Remember the best time to install is before you need it.
You are smart, you know that’s true. Let’s see who gets sensible first and gives us a call at 402.291.9514 to get those beautiful grab bars where they belong!
Most of us have heard the saying “Where there is a will, there is a way”.
How often do we stop and think about what it means? At Home Access Solutions, we meet people everyday who are living examples of what it means. There is a huge amount of equipment and home modifications that we can offer to people to help them achieve their goals. But all the equipment in the world, won’t help unless a person has the drive and determination to use it. It takes the right equipment and the drive to use it for a person to successfully change a disability into ablity.
Many times, people are determined to achieve their goal before they even know that something exists that will help them do it. It is a pretty great feeling to listen to someone talk about what they would like to accomplish and then show them the equipment or describe a structural modification that will make it possible. This is one of our primary services. We have access to years of experience with modifications and equipment and the expertise to help people select things that will work for them. At Home Access Solutions, we like to say “If you have the will- we’ll help you find the way!”
When I’m in someone’s home working on accessibility remodeling or equipment to make living in the home easier, I’m often working with a family caregiver. Family caregivers are the front line providers of in home care across the United States. These are family members or good friends who are giving of themselves and their own lives to help protect the quality of life for someone they love.
They truly are every day Heros. If you aren’t a caregiver yourself, don’t stop reading. Think about the people you know. I bet that you know someone who takes care of a spouse, a parent, a child with a disability in addition to their job, their volunteer time, their other responsibilities. They may or may not have confided in you, but you know one. Listen, and you may be able to help someone someday.
Whatever motivates a family caregiver, as a group of people they are often at tremendous risk for both physical and psychological ailments themselves. Informal caregiving can quickly become a 24 hour a day, 7 day a week, unrelenting responsibility. A person can find themselves assuming responsibilities and duties that they have no formal preparation for and never imagined themselves under-taking.
They can get so busy, so wrapped up in what they need to do for someone else that they don’t take time to care for themselves or to find ways to reach out to others for assistance and reinforcement. In this circumstance it is so easy to feel alone and to fall into the habit of assuming that no one cares about what you are going through, and that you have to do and think of everything yourself.
My message to caregivers is that you aren't alone. You aren’t the only one giving for what ever wonderful reason. There are people you can share your story with. There are resources to help you figure out what to do, to make the job of caregiving easier, and to give you a little break – a respite. What you have to do is take a little bit of time for yourself to get the information and develop the will to get help.
If you are in the Greater Omaha area, I would suggest you start with The Respite Resource Center402.996.8443. There is also a great family resource health fair in Lincoln put on by Partners in Aging1.800.828.0072. Also in the Omaha area there are six week courses that you go to once a week 402.522.7934. Or call me for more information at 402.291.9514.
When I ask people why they are making the choice to stay in a home that doesn’t work for them or isn’t safe for them, I’m often told that they aren’t sure they have the financial ability to buy something that works better.
Money is important. That’s why I want to discuss not only one, but two things that can help many homeowners over 62 afford to buy a home that will be easier and safer to life in.
Jody Smythe, who is one of the most knowledgeable people about Reverse Mortgages in our area, can explain how the process works in an easy to understand way. Many people know by now, that a Reverse Mortgage can be used to pay for life changing accessibility remodeling and equipment in their current homes. It can also be used to help with the purchase of a new home that may be easier to modify, closer to children’s homes, or just plain better than what they have right now.
Jody can explain how to use a Reverse Mortgage to move “up” without spending more per month on household related expenses. I know that Jody will visit with my clients, answer their questions, and treat them with the same respect that I would. So I’m comfortable urging you to visit her web site and give her a call for more information. www.jodysmythe.com
Home Buyer Tax Credit 2009/2010
The other potential financial boon that my older clients may not realize is available to them is the extended Home Buyer Tax Credit 2009/2010. This expands the credit for up to $6,500 to people who currently own a home if they purchase another home – the contract must be signed by April 30, 2010.
The amount of the credit is determined by the price of the home (800,000 and less) and the buyer’s income. Single buyers with incomes up to $125,000 and married couples with incomes up to $225,000 may receive the maximum tax credit. People who want to take advantage of the tax credit need to get busy soon in order to have a contract in place by the end of April.
So let me ask you. Why are you, why are your parents, why are your older friends living in homes that aren’t safe and aren’t comfortable? Talk to me, 402.291.9514 or BevVan@HomeAccessSolutions.com about getting into a home that will help you remain as independent and happy as you can be for the rest of your life!
Getting up out of your chair and moving to another place in your home is something that most of us don’t think twice about, yet that little task is one of the ones that can make the difference between someone being able to live at home or having to move to a nursing home.
Moving from one seat to another is called a transfer in the medical world. Fortunately most of us don’t think about it at all, but just think about how many times you get up and down in your home in a normal day. What if you couldn’t stand on your feet?What would you do?
There are many, many techniques and pieces of equipment that people with mobility limitations can use to transfer. Today I want to discuss transfer equipment that can help people who can hardly move on their own at all transfer independently or transfer without putting their caregivers at risk.
Motorized lift systems can be floor based, wall based, or ceiling based. The motor provides the lifting power. A ceiling based motor can be independently propelled or moved by a caregiver. Ceiling based systems don’t take up floor space and the caregiver doesn’t have to move the weight of the person and the lift.
Home Access Solutions is the exclusive dealer for SureHands Lift and Care Systems in Nebraska and Iowa. SureHands is the US distributor for Handimove International, so this is a system of products used around the world to help people stay in their homes. I chose to represent this product when I was looking for solutions for my clients, because of 3 things: flexibility, reliability, and the philosophy of the SureHands and Handimove company.
As an Occupational Therapist, I worked for years running a seating and positioning clinic for wheelchairs. One of the reasons I chose Surehands is that there are so many ways of supporting the motor, so many motors, and so many slings and body supports that I am able to prescribe the precise solution for my clients just as a good seating and positioning specialist prescribes a precise combination of parts to create a wheelchair.
The body support is one of the best ways I know for people to use equipment and independently transfer themselves. Even if a caregiver is needed to help, the body support is often our primary choice because it is fast, great for people with high muscle tone, and makes dressing and toileting easier. You need to feel this to believe it and that is why my staff and I will be glad to meet you here in this showroom or go to your home so you can try it. In situations in which the the body support isn’t appropriate there is a wide range of sling styles and sizes that we can select from.
The second reason I love this system is that it is very reliable. People who buy this unit need it to work, every single time, every single day. Very rarely are there any kind of problems and when they do occur my technician and I have the support of the great technical support department at SureHands.
The third reason I love my association with Surehands is that this is one of the few companies I’ve run across that shares my idea that technology and medical equipment needs to be properly selected, not just sold. Before I could become a dealer, even though I had years of experience as an OT, I had to go to Pine Island New York the home of Surehands in the US and go through training. I send my techs to for training. I recently went back for an update on some exciting new product updates. My classmates and I sat in class and learned from Handimove’s corporate trainer and also shared our experiences and learned from each other. We took products apart and put them together again to make sure that we really know the equipment inside and out. We tried out some of the new equipment and brainstormed about the optimum ways to use it. What this means to you and my clients is that Surehands and Home Access Solutions are always looking for the best way to make an individual’s transfers at home as easy and safe as possible.
Problems with transfers drives too many people out of their homes and hurts too many caregivers! Don’t let that happen to you or someone you love! You can visit the Surehands web site at www.surehands.com, give us a call at 402-291-9514 and talk to us about an evaluation to determine the right system for you, and forward this video to people you know who need to learn about really safe ways to transfer.
