While most places like assisted living communities, hospitals, and even public spaces will have accommodations made for those who have to get around using a wheelchair, many homes don’t have these kinds of accommodations put in place already. But if you or someone you’re living with is going to be needing to use a wheelchair soon, you’ll want to make sure that they can safely get around their own home.
To help you see how this can be done, here are three tips for modifying your home for someone using a wheelchair.
Get The Right Flooring
One of the first things you’ll want to consider changing about your home in order to make it easier for someone in a wheelchair to get around is your flooring.
Luckily, the trends for interior design for many homes lends itself to having the type of flooring that’s ideal for someone using a wheelchair. With hard floors, someone using a wheelchair can easily maneuver their way to anywhere they want to go in the house. Knowing this, if you have carpeting, especially thick carpeting, you may want to replace this flooring so that it’s not so hard for someone in a wheelchair to get around.
Strategically Install Grab Bars
For the times when the person in the wheelchair will need to get out of their wheelchair, it can be extremely helpful to have grab bars strategically placed so they can help themselves move when necessary.
One of the most common rooms to have grab bars installed in is the bathroom. And while these grab bars can be very helpful, having grab bars near the bed or in other strategic areas can be a benefit as well. If you’re unsure where else you might want to install grab bars in your home, speak with your loved one or their doctor to determine where they might be transitioning from their wheelchair on a regular basis.
Prepare The Pathways
If your loved one can’t get their wheelchair into the house or around the rooms of the home, you’re going to have some big problems with accessibility.
To keep these problems to a minimum, you may need to prepare some of the pathways and thresholds in your home by widening them. The ideal space for an entryway into any room is about five feet by five feet. With wider doorways and ramps over any changes in elevation or stairs, your loved one in a wheelchair will have a much easier time getting into the house and taking themselves around the house, too.
If you’re needing to modify your home so that your loved one in a wheelchair will be able to have the mobility they need, consider using the tips mentioned above to help you know which changes you should prioritize.
