4 Tips to Modify Your Home for People With Mobility Issues

Regardless of age or disability, everyone deserves to live in a home that caters to all their needs and provides a safe and comfortable environment. One major challenge is ensuring easy access and optimal comfort for people with mobility issues. You must familiarize yourself with the necessary home modifications to improve their quality of life.

These modifications will make daily life more effortless and help foster independence and boost self-confidence. Here are four practical tips to modify your home to fully accommodate individuals with mobility issues.

1. Ramps and Lifts

The fundamental first step to making a house accessible for people with disabilities is to set up a suitable entryway. The type and grade of ramp that will serve you best will depend on your specific needs.

Threshold ramps are ideal for bridging heights of no more than six inches between the interior and exterior of a home. They may be diminutive, but their ability to span a modest height gap is undeniable.

Folding ramps, also known as portable or portable ramps, are versatile in that they can be moved from one location to another with relative ease. Suitcase ramps are another viable solution because they can collapse into suitcase size.

However, if you’re looking for a more permanent solution to accessibility for wheelchairs, ramp installation within or near your home may be the way to go. Permanent ramps are often constructed from metal or wood, and their installation may necessitate a permit and the services of a professional.

Because of the versatility of their modules, modular ramps are another excellent option. Professional installation is more common for them than it is for permanent ramps.

Finally, wheelchair lifts can help people reach additional floors in their homes. Any ramp or lift installed must use sturdy materials that can withstand heavy use for many years.

2. Grab Bars, Hand Rails, and Risers

Grab bars provide both stability and an accessible handle for support. You can find grab bars in a range of heights, but the standard is between 33 and 36 inches. They must also be fastened in strategic places to the wall’s reinforcing. Stairs and other places where people might need to grab onto something should also have handrails installed.

Next, set up bars in the bedrooms and bathrooms to make them safer. A person in a wheelchair can use this to stand up, and the added support will keep them safe. If you want your safety bars to hold a person’s weight, you must attach them to the studs in the wall.

Finally, a toilet riser can make it much simpler for people with mobility issues to sit on and rise from the toilet. Riser seats are installed on the toilet and can increase the height by anywhere from one to six inches.

3. Kitchen Adjustments

Put frequently used products on lower cabinetry or shelves to make your kitchen easily accessible for people with mobility issues. Ranges, wall ovens, and dishwashers that meet the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) can also greatly improve accessibility. In the end, there should be open room under sinks so that people in wheelchairs can roll up to them.

4. Furniture Arrangement

When reorganizing furniture to facilitate accessibility for persons using wheelchairs or walkers, you should create a clear route of at least 32 inches. The ADA requires a minimum of two feet, but it is preferable to have more. You might also need to elevate furniture to provide sufficient comfort for wheelchair users. You can use small pieces of wood or coasters to protect the floor from furniture legs.

Finally, because wheelchairs need a turning and maneuvering radius of at least five feet, individuals should position furniture to avoid sharp corners, narrow passages, or obstacles in the way.

Contact Corner Home Medical for accessibility products like ramps, lifts, and grab bars to make your home more accessible for a physically challenged household member.