Home Modification Solutions

Grab Bars
Grab bars can help anyone use the bathroom more safely and are helpful to many people. They can be installed to help you climb into the tub or stand in the shower and help to steady you while you reach for the shower controls, soap or wash cloth. In the toilet area, they help the person stand and sit.  Grab bars are available in different colors.

A web search for "grab bars for bathrooms" will produce many locations on the internet with excellent resources. You may find information on bathtubs, hand-held showers, pocket doors, sinks, vanities, and much more that will help you make your bathroom more accessible and easier to use.

Wheelchair Ramps
People who use wheelchairs need ramps to get in and out of their home. Ramps aren't easy to build and can be expensive, depending on where you live. That's why you should hire a professional to do the job right. Ramps can be made of concrete, wood or a modular design. The Home Wheelchair Ramp Project has an instruction manual, “How to build RAMPS for home accessibility” at the following website:

http://www.klownwerkz.com/ramp/

Some of the ramps are built quickly, safely and easily with the help of volunteers, informal support systems and families. The unique process makes the ramps very affordable to all. This program started as a joint project of the Metropolitan Center for Independent Living, the Minnesota Division of Rehabilitation Services, the Multiple Sclerosis Society and the United Handicapped Federation.

The Tub Cut
The Tub Cut, a modification to a bathroom tub, is both functional and attractive. It enables a person to easily get in and out of the tub, using it as a shower, without having to lift their legs up and over the normal edge of the tub. It also eliminates the need to remove a tub and install a shower if you have trouble getting over the edge of your tub.  Hand-crafted from high quality, custom-fitted components, it will exactly match any tub's contour. It can be any size desired and gives even cast iron bathtubs a seamless appearance. It is not a one-size-fits-all, plastic cap or insert.

To view a method developed in Virginia by Tub Cut, click on the following link: www.tubcut.com They have a "locate a dealer" button on the left side of their home page. There are three installers who work in the Philadelphia five-county area: www.tubncounter.com , www.bathprosinc.com , and www.tub-ez.com .

Stair Lifts

If climbing the stairs has become severely difficult, it may be time to consider installing a stair lift also called a stair glide. The stair glide carries you from one level of your home to another with ease. It allows you to maintain your independence without making any dramatic changes to your life or structural changes to your home.

If you do a web search for “Stair Glide” you will find a lot of information. One helpful site is www.stair-lifts-101.com where you can find information on indoor and outdoor stair lifts along with “how to measure” for a glide. You may also check your local paper for local chair lift companies. This is a well established concept in helping people with limited mobility get up/down stairs.

Lever Faucets
Some people have trouble using the kitchen sink, bathroom sink or tub faucets that are round (or a similar shape). Today, more and more homes are built with lever faucets, either single lever for hot and cold mixed or separate lever faucets. If you have the older, rounded type and have trouble grasping the handle to turn it, consider buying lever handles at your local hardware or plumbing store. Usually, it is a simple process to remove the old handles and put on the new. If the old handles are corroded, it could be more difficult. Your local handyman or plumber could remove the whole faucet set and install a new single lever faucet that is easy to use and not very expensive.

Roll-out Shelves
Wickipedia defines: A roll-out shelf more commonly known as glide-out shelf, pull-out shelf or slide-out shelf is a shelf that extends outwards in order to reach the contents stored in the back of a cupboard or cabinet more easily... Most people do not use the back of their cabinets because it can be difficult to store and find items. A roll-out shelf eliminates this problem and makes that space useful again. As we get older and it gets harder to get down on your hands and knees, pull out shelves make it easy to access the back of your cabinets. Roll-out shelves can be typically found in kitchen cabinets, pantries, bathroom cabinets/vanities, offices, and garages. They are usually available with 3/4 extension or full extension slides. For most kitchen storage, the 3/4 extension slides provide the access needed to reach items from the back of the cabinet. Full extension rails are much more durable and offer access to the items in the back of the cabinet.