Home for a Lifetime

Problem:

I’m caring for my mom, who can’t get out of bed. Her doctors have recommended that I install rails along the sides of her bed. Of course I want to keep her safe, but it seems like bed rails will make it more difficult to take care of Mom’s needs and change the sheets. Is there an alternative?

Solution:

You’re right; some bed rails do make changing the sheets more difficult. However, there are other styles that will keep your Mom safe and fold or slide out of the way as needed.

The EZ Adjust Bed Rail is one of our most popular styles. It has a sliding rail which adjusts to 3 different widths on the bed and can be folded down when it’s time to change the bedding. This style covers only one side of the bed at a time, although you could use two, one on each side if desired.

Another style that can be moved out of the way with ease is the Steel Home Bed Rail. This rail is sold in pairs to protect on both sides. They fit a twin bed and extenders are available for full or queen beds. The Steel Home Bed Rails are similar to hospital bed railings, sliding up and down to allow easier access to the bed. At 55½” long, they provide plenty of coverage.

A standard bed rail will help prevent falls and injuries, but can be a hindrance when it comes to caregiving tasks. By using a rail that can be re-positioned, you can increase your ability to care for your Mom quickly and easily while maintaining her safety.

StumpleUpon.com is officially my new favorite Internet time-waster. It is a website recommendation engine where you can easily spend hours going from one interesting site to another, reading about pretty much nothing of use to your ordinary life.

Somehow the most recent article I read, 15 Cute Animals that will Cause you Horrible Harm , really got me thinking….yeah, it got me thinking, what the heck am I doing!!

What does this have to do with seniors/aging in place/accessibility? Well, we all need to have our minds occupied with something, or we slip into boredom, depression, anxiety, loneliness. I think this is especially true of people who are housebound or are limited in their mobility. Should we get everyone a computer and teach them how to spend their time on StumbleUpon, Twitter, Facebook, and any number of other social networks, article sharing, blogging sites? Well, yes and no.

Some would have you believe that all seniors need to be on the Internet. But this isn’t necessarily true. While I truly enjoy sitting in my home spending hours on the computer “doing nothing” I also require and demand interaction from real human beings. I remember one week I went to a class for work to Paris. Yes, it was great, I was in Paris! I got there on Friday evening and the course didn’t start until Monday, so I spent the whole weekend walking around, on my own, without a soul to share the whole experience with. By the end of the day on Sunday, I was so desperate to talk to someone that I started asking random people at the Notre Dame what time it was so I could start a conversation! You see, I may be an introvert, but even I need a daily dose of human interaction, or I’ll go mad!

So, while the internet may be great for entertainment and even the friendship and connections you can develop on various social networks and forums (and don’t forget great and informative sites like AdaptMy.com!). Nothing beats interacting with people on a daily basis to shake off the blues, release stress and relieve loneliness. So do seniors need computers? Not necessarily. They need human interaction with friends, relatives, aides and caregivers who talk to them, creating relationships that make life something special.

I heard a story on NPR (National Public Radio) recently called “In Japan, Living Large In Really Tiny Houses“. The piece was about how many stunning and unusual designs are emanating from Japanese architects who are required to make homes that fit parking space sized properties. Of course I started to think about home size in relationship to Universal Design. I scoffed ‘well that won’t be accessible’. But then I started to think about it some more.

Since these living quarters are so small, we have to think about them differently. Why not Universal Design too? Thinking about building a tiny house forces you to think ‘inside the box’ and forget about traditional room conventions. It’s an interesting exercise that can lead to some very innovative designs, even if the home is bigger than the 600 sq feet in the article.

For example:

• Why not build a bathroom where the shower is part of the room rather than partitioned off?
• Rather than building wider hallways, why not eliminate the hallways altogether and go for an open floor plan where the rooms are off the living room or kitchen?
• Great rooms are popular right now, with an open kitchen floor plan. Why not eliminate the walls for the great room so that it leads directly into a bedroom?

Trailers, boats and efficiency apartments have been able to make creative use of minimal space for years. Why not a small accessible home with fewer obstacles, like closets and bathtubs? Eliminate furnishings, like dressers by having built-in shelving. Use a kitchen dining area as a convertible sleeping area for a guest or caregiver.

The MEDCottageâ„¢ is an interesting example of small space accessible living in the US. Designed as an alternative to a nursing home room, the small structure is intended to be placed in the backyard of a home where the rest of the family lives. With a similar look to a trailer, the MEDCottageâ„¢ has a small kitchen area, an accessible bathroom with shower and a bedroom area. All the conveniences of home, with the family very close by if you need them.

I am sure that with a little imagination and an open mind more small space universal designs can easily blossom. They’d be good for the environment and cheaper to operate too.