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An accessible home is important for people with disabilities and also for those who are aging. Accessibility modifications help to improve and maintain a safe and independent lifestyle.
Many simple day-to-day functions can be improve by simple modifications like grab bars in a bathroom, replaced light switches, new door handles, etc.
Other larger scale modifications can make big changes in daily life through things like new bathroom fixtures, ramped or modified step entrances, or kitchen modifications for wheelchair accessibility.
Remaining at home is a universal and powerful preference as people reach their older years. Simple safety and efficiency improvements should be recognized and undertaken early. Accident prevention is the first principle of Aging at Home. Falls that result in broken hips and limbs can bring about costly, long term complications in older people.
Common causes of accidents at home that can be rectified through our programs include:
Many people who are living with a disability or who are aging require assistance with some form of medical or therapy service. This is often done by either a family member or by a visiting professional. There may be specific health-related equipment needs such as air cleaners, air conditioning, and ventilation for breathing and bronchial conditions. A chair rail may be needed to avoid stair climbing for heart conditions. Bathroom modifications may be needed to enable safe toilet and bathing assistance.
Any of these or other such enabling methods will be decided based on the specific needs of both the person assisted and the care giver.
The assessment of a home for accessibility is an important part of our process and involves in-depth conversations with residents, their caregivers and our staff at ORHA.
We require input from clients about their daily personal and housekeeping activities, as well as a first-hand view of how clients move about their homes and where they store regularly used items.
We assess physical structures and possible impediments to develop a plan that is customized to the needs of each individual client.
Some of the information we look for during an assessment for home modifications involves items such as the following:
Ramp with L bend.
Ramps can help people who have difficulty on steps.
Ramps can address long walks on irregular or slippery ground.
Modular ramps adjust to ground elevation.
Buildings with higher elevations can be accommodated.
Long spans and multiple turns can be configured.
Access to a second story can be challenging.
Mechanical chair lifts safely address second story access issues.
Giving the stairs a facelift and installing a chair lift provides safe access to the second story.
Hinged counters can make kitchens more wheelchair-friendly.
Hinged counters can be lowered to clear floor space when not in use for easier movement through the kitchen.
Lowering kitchen appliances makes them accessible for wheelchair users.
Using lower drawers and shelving keeps necessary items where they can be reached.
Available space on a first floor can be reconfigured to work as a bathroom.
This shower was installed in a narrow hallway on the first floor.
Relocating appliances to main floors prevents having to navigate stairways regularly.
Stacked appliances can fit into all kinds of small spaces.
Bathroom fixtures can be modified to best suit the height of the client. This is a child-sized toilet installed for use by a short adult.
Tubs for bathing and hot water immersion therapy can be difficult to get in and out of.
Mechanical tub seats that raise and lower allow for easier, safer use of tubs.
Steps that are very steep and have no handrail and a deck too narrow for door clearance pose safety hazards.
Adding a wider porch now allows the door to swing open with clearance, and the steps are less steep, with a solid hand rail.
Adding a wide shallow step and a handrail made this front porch a safer entrance.
Simple modifications like wedge fittings can eliminate tripping hazards.
This stairway, with crumbling concrete, no handrails and loose boards, is unsafe.
New stairs and handrails make this stairway safe again.
Grab bars installed at stepped entries provide greater stability and can prevent falls.
Safety rails at staircase entries help with balance for initial steps.
(607) 286-7244
orha@otsegoruralhousing.org
140 County Hwy 33W, Box 4
Cooperstown, NY 13326
(607) 547-8839
hcv@otsegoruralhousing.org
(607) 286-7244
orha@otsegoruralhousing.org
140 County Hwy 33W, Box 4
Cooperstown, NY 13326
(607) 547-8839
hcv@otsegoruralhousing.org
© 2017 - 2023 Otsego Rural Housing Assistance, Inc.
Website Design & Development by Central NY Mobile Marketing, Inc.