If you are in the process of helping an aging parent or grandparent stay in their own home, you have likely faced a number of challenges. From deciding between different kinds of portable patient lifts to finding a contractor to install mobility ramps, the transitions that need to be made can be extensive. For many families, however, the importance of understanding handicap bathroom requirements is essential. For these families, the goal of keeping a loved one at home instead of a nursing home is worth all of the extra work that is involved.
Whether you are making modifications to your home so that your spouse can stay in the house with you or you are installing wooden wheelchair ramps at your parents house, it is important to make sure that you understand the safety specifications that are required. Medical lift chairs might be the first easy step that a family takes for a loved one, but taking the step to find out what kind of portable patient lifts will fit in a home is a process that many families are willing to address as well. Finding in home care can, in many cases, be a more affordable option than facing the expense of a nursing or skilled care home.
Consider some of these facts and figures about the medical supplies that families buy and the modifications they make to enable their spouses, parents, grandparents, and other loved ones are able to stay at home:
- Nearly 235,000 people experience injuries in the bathroom every year, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).
- 2 million senior citizens visit the emergency room every year for injuries caused by a fall.
- 90% of people over the age of 65 want to live in their home as long as they can, according to the American Association for Retired Persons (AARP) and the National Conference of State Legislatures.
- 48% of homeowners over the age of 55 say the bathroom is the top area in the home that they have considered modifying for aging in place, according to HomeAdvisor’s 2016 Aging in Place Report.
- An older adult is treated in the emergency room for a fall every 11 seconds.
- 6.8 million Americans use assistive devices to aid their mobility.
From quality outdoor stairlifts to portable patient lifts that are intended to be used inside the home, many families make a number of modifications to the houses where they own to ensure the safety and comfort of a loved one.