Wheelchair Accessibility of the Home Improved Safety and Function
Many caregivers are faced with the challenge of caring for a loved one who uses a wheelchair intermittently or who is wheelchair confined. This definitely changes things around the house. Space is now tight and the wheelchair just doesn’t fit in certain places and there never seems to be enough room. That’s the way it usually starts, but with changes in the home — and not always big structural changes right away, the wheelchair can be integrated into the home and how life will now function. But it often takes a little time and creativity to make the changes needed.
The key factors to consider are:
Access of the wheelchair into the home: If a house is located off the ground, with steps to enter, ramp construction is needed.
Access into bedroom: Narrow doorways in home can make areas of the home inaccessible to the wheelchair. If wheelchairs can not fit into a bedroom, there may need to be repurposing of a larger room into a bedroom. Using a dining room or a den as a place to setup a bedroom is often a quick fix to this problem.
Access into bathroom: When a wheelchair can not fit into a bathroom, widening of the doorway may be needed. In addition, removal of lower cabinets at the sink to allow for the wheelchair to roll up to the sink by be needed, so that grooming tasks can be done. Use of a bedside commode at bedside is often a temporary solution.
Access in the kitchen. Many wheelchairs can fit into kitchens but supplies and food items are often located in upper cabinets out of reach of wheelchair users. Rearranging items to bring them down to a level where a wheelchair user can reach them may be needed.
Bottom Line: These are only a few considerations for home modifications to improve wheelchair accessibility in the home. A full and thorough home modification assessment may be needed, depending on the level of function and the desired level of independence of the wheelchair user. A home modification evaluation from a certified home modification specialist (Occupational or Physical Therapist) may be needed.
Consuela Marshall, Occupational Therapist, Caregiver
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Disclaimer: The podcast and blog are intended to provide basic information so that you can become a more informed caregiver. The information presented is intended for educational and informational purposes only and is not meant to serve as medical advice or replace consultation with any health care providers you regularly engage with. Transmission or receipt of any of this information is not intended to, and does not, create a therapist-patient relationship. This information is not provided in the course of a therapist-patient relationship and is not intended to constitute medical advice or to substitute for obtaining medical advice from a physician or therapist licensed in the state where your family may reside. We encourage everyone to consult with your physician or therapist to see if they are appropriate and safe for you.