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For wheelchair users, day-to-day activities can be frustrating and cumbersome. While businesses and public places are required to be ADA compliant, there can still be a wide range of difficult landscapes to traverse.
Older adults who are spending more and more time in a wheelchair may find that home can also bring challenges to individual mobility, stifling independence and sparking frustration. For many, their homes were built decades ago without the consideration of wheelchair accessibility.
Creating a comfortable, navigable space for older adults choosing to age in place can create a living area that offers independence. That’s why adaptive equipment for wheelchair users is so important.
What Is Adaptive Equipment for Wheelchair Users?
Every home is different, which means every wheelchair user’s needs will vary when it comes to installing adaptive equipment in or around the house. For starters, every home can be modified to ensure accessibility and convenience, and older adults using wheelchairs can rest assured there are options to help them live independently.
So, what is adaptive equipment and where can it be installed?
In the bathroom, the following modifications can be made:
- Roll-under sinks
- Walk-in tubs and bath seats
- Bathtub lifts
- Handicapped-accessible showers with seats
- Barrier-free shower doors
- Shower screens
- Handheld shower controls
- Hand grips
- Grab bars
- Safety rails
- Wall-mounted sinks
- Non-slip surfaces
- Transfer benches
- Easy-transfer toilets
- Wheelchair turnaround areas
- Easy access storage
In the bedroom, the following modifications can be made:
- Built-in beds and cabinets
- Bedside controls
- Direct bathroom access
- Wheelchair-convenient storage
- Easy-access closets
- Reinforced ceilings for lift equipment
And for older adults who require use of the kitchen, modifications can be made for:
- Roll-under counters
- Accessible cabinets
Wheelchair users who will require modifications to their home must first prioritize their needs. For some, it may be a bathroom that is outfitted with several changes. For others, the kitchen will be most important.
Selecting the right modifications for the home is crucial to improving the daily living and independence of older adults who use wheelchairs for their mobility. Making these changes will also enhance the user’s physical and mental well-being by allowing them the mobility they need to go about their daily routines with minimal disruption.
How Does Custom Wheelchair Seating Make a Difference?
Older adults who need wheelchair assistance for long portions of their waking hours need a device that helps and not hinders their physical strength and well-being. This can be found in the design and use of custom wheelchair seating, which can create a positive experience and even correct posture and pressure issues.
Here are three benefits of using custom wheelchair seating:
Benefit 1: Improve Postural Alignment
Proper body alignment for a wheelchair user is a necessity to reduce strain on joints and muscles that may be overexerted to compensate for spinal misalignment.
Custom wheelchair seating will improve postural alignment by supporting the entire body. The device, formed specifically for the user, will ensure the neck and back are straight while removing pressure from the hips and knees.
In addition to overall structural support, improved postural alignment can enable proper breathing and swallowing, helping to avoid other health risks.
Benefit 2: Pressure Relief and Comfort
Once a custom wheelchair seat is fitted to its specific user to support postural alignment, pressure relief will come naturally.
The devices are designed to remove the burden of extra weight or pressure from the rest of the body. The custom seating can reduce the risk of pressure sores by decreasing the amount of stress and irritation on specific tissue areas.
Benefit 3: Enhanced Mobility and Independence
Lack of mobility and independence becomes more apparent as aging sets in. As a result, the physical change can lead to a decline in mental health, spurring isolation and disengagement.
Using a rigid or “one-size-fits-all” wheelchair that creates additional physical pain and discomfort can also be incredibly cumbersome for the user or a companion to self-propel. This may lead to the inability of moving fluidly throughout a home or office, more difficulty transitioning from the chair to other objects like a couch or vehicle, and obstruct access to areas with smaller doorways.
A custom wheelchair for older adults can promote greater mobility, giving users the opportunity to freely go about their routines. This leads to a greater sense of independence for the user who may not require as much assistance from a caretaker.
For more info on the benefits of custom wheelchair seating, click here.
Installing Wheelchair Ramps and Stairlifts
The biggest challenge for older adults in wheelchairs choosing to age in place is dealing with stairs. Some wheelchair users are completely unable to go up or down any number of stairs on their own, while others may have the ability to leave the chair and attempt steps but are putting themselves at risk while doing so.
Wheelchair ramps and stairlifts for the exterior and interior parts of the home change the livability of the person’s home, making entryways accessible and reaching different floors of the house just a short ride away.
Key Considerations for Wheelchair Ramp Installation
Before entering the home, entryways from the outside need to be accessible, and likely with wheelchair ramps. Using a professional service company that specializes in these home modifications will ensure the work is done to suit the home and the wheelchair user’s needs.
Key considerations to installing a wheelchair ramp include:
- Slope and length of the ramp needed for the home’s specific landscape
- Materials for the ramp that are stable, durable, slip and weather resistant
- Adding handrails, which is dependent on the length and slope of the ramp
- Lighting beside the ramp for safe use in the dark
Key Considerations for Stairlift Installation
The technology used for indoor stairlifts has drastically improved in recent years, giving older adults who choose to age in place a variety of options to best suit their needs.
Stairlifts can be added and adapted to any staircase by a professional service company. The chair lift itself can also be customized to the user’s liking with the following options:
- Folding rails
The mechanism used to guide the chair up and down the stairlift is called the rail. Depending on the makeup of the staircase and surrounding areas (doorways, hallways, other living spaces), the rail can be folded to safe space and reduce obstruction. These rails can be folded back manually or electronically, depending on what the user desires.
- Folding footrests
The chair is equipped with a footrest that is available in multiple sizes. This creates comfort and safety for the user as it gives support to the legs. The footrests can also be folded up either manually or electronically.
- Swivel seats
The seats on stairlift chairs are designed to turn outward toward the user before they sit down, making the transition from wheelchair to stairlift easy and safe. This function can also be added electronically, which may help users who struggle to manually maneuver the apparatus.
The Impact of Ceiling Track Lifts
A ceiling track lift, or overhead patient lift, is often used in healthcare facilities but can also be installed in the home to lift and transfer mobile-restricted individuals, especially those who use wheelchairs full time. The system consists of a track mounted on the ceiling connected to a flexible, fabric harness or “bucket” used to safely and securely transfer the user from one place to another.
While a ceiling track lift is most notably used for patients who have suffered from severe injuries or disorders like muscular dystrophy, multiple sclerosis, and cerebral palsy, it is also a very helpful option that should be considered by older adults who may struggle with decreased strength, balance, and mobility.
For those choosing to age in place, a ceiling track lift can help individuals stay in their home longer. Some uses may include:
- Room-to-room transfers: This is hugely helpful for users who may need multiple transfers or manual lifting in order to navigate their home
- Changing equipment/apparatus: A ceiling track lift can transfer a user from wheelchair to bed, or couch, or any other seating arrangement, and also bring them from that furniture back to the wheelchair
- Bathroom assistance: Ceiling tracks can also be installed in bathrooms to help users move safely to and from toilets, bathtubs, and other apparatus.
The impact of a ceiling track lift is two-fold: ease of mobility and ensuring safety along the way. The harness mechanism that carries the user reduces the risk of falls or injuries during the transfer process. It also helps prevent injuries for caretakers who may be taking on the responsibility of transferring older adults who use the lift.
How UDS Can Help
Adaptive equipment for wheelchair users is becoming more and more necessary for older adults who want to age in place and remain in their homes.
Installing the proper home modifications to suit their needs can quickly and positively change how they are able to live independently and enhance their physical and mental well-being.
UDS specializes in home modifications for adaptive equipment for wheelchair users. The organization assists the user from start to finish with a tailored process that includes:
- Professional evaluation and measurements to specify and design all necessary components
- Works with and gains insurance approval to justify the specified components of the adaptive equipment
- Delivers and installs the equipment to the individual’s home
UDS services a wide region in eastern and southeastern Pennsylvania, encompassing more than two dozen counties. To learn more about the custom wheelchair seating process and how it can benefit older adults, see our custom wheelchair seating page.