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.
