Use technology to make living at home safer and easier

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A special thanks to Chris Tyler with At Home 2 Stay. You can call him at 402.510.5626.

Technology can make safe aging in place possible. "Aging in Place” is a broad term that defines living independently – that is, living where a person wants to live. Most of us chose the homes we’ve lived in for years, but that older home was not designed to accommodate the needs of most older people. The adult children, or caregivers, of people who are aging in place often worry if their parents are living as safely as possible.

Home Modifications such as handrails, walk- in or roll- in showers, and grab bars can make homes safer and easier to use. Modifications remove or minimize environmental barriers for people with balance, strength, sensory, or mobility limitations. Simple technology can also be used with structural home modifications to make everyday living safer and easier. For instance, imagine the lights turning on automatically when you get out of bed. That would make moving around the house at night safer for anyone, but would be especially helpful for older individuals. As we age, muscles that control pupil size and reaction to light, lose some strength. Seeing well in dim light becomes harder. In addition, the pupil is less able to adjust to varying light conditions. Gradually increasing light in dark pathways may significantly reduce the risk of falling.

Unless a person is interested in technology for technology’s sake, you need to introduce devices that meet a basic need or that do something that they want to do, if you want to successfully incorporate technology into a person’s routine. It is helpful if the device looks and feels familiar and easy according to Karen Stabiner in the article, “ Elder Tech: What’s Important”. http://newoldage.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/12/21/elder-tech-whats-important/

At Home Access Solutions, we help people and their families identify solutions that will enable people to age in place successfully. To augment our design, equipment and remodeling services we work with other specialty companies such as, At Home 2 Stay. We hope you enjoy the interview with Chris Tyler and will either give him or us a call if you want to learn more about harnessing technology for safer and more independent living.

Claw Foot Tub Conversion

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Here’s my joke for the day. What is the difference between climbing out of a hole in the ground and climbing out of a bathtub? Answer: None, except you get to wear clothes when you climb out of the hole.

Ok, I know that isn’t hilarious, but it is essentially true. Many people who sit in the floor of the tub have difficulty getting up again. There are many reasons, but the two primary reasons I’ve seen in my environmental modification practice is that they either don’t have sufficient upper body strength or they have hip or knee limitations or pain. There are many pieces of equipment and modifications to choose from. Solutions can range in cost from under a hundred dollars to thousands of dollars depending upon what you need, how you want the project to look, and your budget.

One type of tub that people often call me about is the clawfoot tub. While clawfoot tubs are making resurgence in popularity because of their beauty and depth, many of my clients would like nothing more than to get rid of them. The tall wall is hard for them to get in and out of and they’ve developed difficulty or a fear of sitting down in them and not being able to get out again without help. Many times there is no shower and they feel like they have no options to sitting on the floor of the tub and climbing over the tall tub wall in order to get clean.

This is conversion we did recently on a limited budget to increase safety and update the bathroom at the same time. This particular homeowner had never had a tub with a shower and was interested in having one. She was also experiencing increasing difficulty getting in and out of the tub and felt unsafe. We replaced the tub faucet with a kit that included a faucet and a shower head and good quality round curtain ring. We used three clear curtain liners to protect the window and walls as well as to continue to let as much light in as possible. The homeowner will be purchasing a single pretty curtain to match the new wall paint a Rebuilding Together volunteer group is doing for her soon. We used a Superpole with Superbar from Healthcraft to provide a stable, vertical grip when she is stepping in and out of her shower since she has the mobility and strength to swing her legs over the tub wall if she has something to hold onto while leaning forward. The horizontal bar of the system juts through two of the curtain liners to provide a horizontal safety support while she is standing and showering. She is looking forward to the convenience of a shower, but she would still like to soak occasionally so she will use the horizontal bar grab bar we put on the wall to support herself while rolling to get up on a knee and then stand.

There are some other ways to deal with a clawfoot tub other than replacing it. Each person has unique abilities and goals, so answers are never one-size-fits-all. Stay with us for future blogs and we can explore solutions together or give us a call and set an appointment for an in home consultation to help you climb out of your “hole-in –the-ground” or tub.

I don’t have any money for repairs. Am I doomed to travel dark stairwells?

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Depending upon the condition of your wiring and the type of lighting you want, adding an extra light or a second switch on a stairwell will usually be well under a few hundred dollars using the services of a qualified electrician. A basic, oak 1 ½” diameter handrail with heavy duty fasteners done properly will also be under a few hundred dollars in our area. You can spend more, but if you are looking for sturdy, functional, safety, it doesn’t cost much. It certainly costs less than a fall, fracture, or trip to the emergency room.

We do have citizens in our community who recognize that they have dangerous stairwells, but really can’t come up with the extra money to get the work done and don’t have the ability to do it themselves.

We are pleased to be able to collaborate with these groups even though we are a private design and construction company. We help them find cost effective solutions for the people in the community that they exist to serve. This makes their money spread further and they know what they are spending money on is effective. We often refer people to groups who can help with funding. The bottom line is that people who truly can’t afford simple home modifications or equipment can get what they need to life more safely and independently.

Funding for home modifications is not the same as funding for medical equipment like a cane or walker. While extremely necessary for quality living, home modifications are not defined as medically necessary by medical funding sources like Medicare or most medical insurances. Funding for modifications is scarce and is usually designated for people with low incomes. Depending upon your income, medical condition, and geographic location, there may be something.

We provide design, equipment, and construction services. We don’t provide funding ourselves. You are welcome to download our short funding quide. In Nebraska you may also want to investigate www.atp.ne.gov In Iowa look at www.iowacompass.org

I hear about so many people who quit before they start when it comes to modifications. Just this past week, we had a woman call and cancel an appointment for us to install grabbars because she “couldn’t afford it”. The strange thing was she didn’t have a price from us yet, so she didn’t know what amount it was that she was afraid she couldn’t afford. I urge you to put your safety and your independence first. What you need may not cost as much as you think. Find out what the equipment or modification you need will cost. Find out if there is a funding source that will help you. Whatever you do, if you need it. Find a way to get it.