Elderly Care: Helping You Deal With the Dying Process
3 Tips For Preparing Your Home For Wheelchair Use
Julio Carr
If you or someone in your home has recently developed the need to use a wheelchair, you might be thinking about all of the big upcoming changes that will be going on in your home. Adjusting to using a wheelchair or having someone in your home who uses a wheelchair can be tough, but taking the right steps can make it easier. These are a few tips to follow to prepare your home for wheelchair use.
1. Install a Ramp
First of all, you will need to install a ramp so that you or the wheelchair user can get in and out of the house easily. You can have the ramp custom-built, or you can purchase a ramp that has already been made. If the wheelchair will only be used temporarily (such as for a temporary injury) or if you live in a rental, you can even purchase a temporary, portable ramp that can be easily moved when needed.
2. Rearrange Furniture
Take a look at the furniture in your home; there is a chance that it is too close together for a wheelchair to fit through easily. This can limit the movements of the wheelchair-bound throughout the home, and it can increase the chances of accidents. This is why it's worth it to gather a few friends together to help and to rearrange the furniture. Use the wheelchair as a guide to determine how far apart furniture should be so that it the wheelchair can fit through easily, and create aisles to help avoid limiting movement.
3. Get Rid of Rugs
Even though the throw rugs in your home might look nice, they can present a problem for someone in a wheelchair. With the rugs in place, it can be easy for the wheels of a wheelchair to get snagged on the corner of the rug, pulling up the rug and inhibiting movement of the wheelchair. This means that you will probably want to remove any extraneous rugs or move them to areas of the home where you or the other household member who uses a wheelchair will not be going.
As you can see, there are a few steps that you will want to take to prepare your home for wheelchair use. If you follow these three tips now, you can help prevent problems later and can help ensure that the individual who is using the wheelchair is as comfortable around the house as possible. For more information on wheelchairs, including power chairs, check out sites like http://www.homemedix.com.
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As an elderly care worker, I have witnessed the deaths of many individuals. I have seen family members become angry, sad, and completely silent at the end. I have also seen individuals refuse to see family members out of denial. People deal with death in different ways, and the strong emotions are often unfamiliar and scary. If you have a parent or grandparent who is elderly, then I want to share with you what I know about end of life care and dying process. We are a society that does not talk about death, and this can cause great pain when a family member dies. Learn about the process and find out how to deal with your own emotions and how to love your family members at the end. If there is only a small amount of time left, then I want you to cherish the final moments.