According to the National Alliance for Caregiving and Evercare, the value of family caregivers throughout the United States is an estimated $375 billion per year, compared to the roughly $158 billion spent on nursing homes and home care. The most eye-opening aspect of these statistics is many family caregivers provide their services for free. Caregiving isn’t easy, but can be made easier when you have certain accessibility tools to help yourself and the person you’re caring for.
Patient Lift
A patient lift is the ultimate safety tool for people who are unable to climb into bed or do other routine actions without assistance. It’s adjustable to work for people of any height and allows them to easily sit on the lift, while being slowly moved where they need to go. This is also a beneficial tool for caregivers themselves since it can reduce the stress and strain on their back, as they won’t have to physically lift their patient as much.
Power Lift Chair
If your patient is required to sit in a chair for most of the day, then a lift chair is an important investment to consider. With a push of a button, the chair can adjust for the ultimate comfortability and then tilt forward to make it much easier to get into a standing position without losing balance. Caregivers can appreciate a power lift chair since they provide the patient with more stability and the independence it gives the patient.
Grab Bars
Grab bars are commonly used in areas where falling is a high risk, such as bathrooms, staircases and other areas. If a person has a difficult time maintaining a steady balance as they walk, then grab bars can give them some added confidence. Caregivers may then simply walk beside or behind them rather than having to be their primary means of stability as they perform routine tasks.
Stair Lift
With a stair lift, the patient simply sits in the chair and, with a push of a button, can go up and down the stairs smoothly. Considering falls are the direct cause of greater than 2.8 million injuries treated in emergency rooms in the United States every year, according to the National Council on Aging, a stair lift can go a long way in decreasing the chances of being a part of that number.
Wheelchair Ramp
A customized wheelchair ramp can minimize the risk of falling, as well as take some of the strain off of a caregiver. If a patient is in a wheelchair, then they have immediate access to go in and out of the home with ease. Another benefit is when they are walking up and down the steady incline or decline, and don’t have to worry about picking their feet up to high to get over a step and potentially tripping on it.
Next Day Access works with people with mobility limitations, as well as caregivers, to provide the accessibility tools suited for them. For a free home assessment, contact us at any time and we would be happy to explain our products and solutions.
