Enter your search term above.
Link back to homepage
Close

Accessibility Solutions

Mobility Products

Home & Bath Safety Products

Tag: Bathroom Safety

Have you reached the point in life where it is time to take care of the parents or grandparents that once took care of you? As your loved ones grow older, they often need help with small tasks like picking up groceries, making health-related decisions, or bathing. Whatever their needs may be, it is essential to be supportive and not overbearing. Here are a few steps to help guide you as you navigate supporting an aging loved one. 

Step 1: Assess Their Needs 

Assessing your loved one’s needs is most important when learning to be supportive rather than making them feel like they have not lost their independence. Experts recommend considering the following issues seniors often face to help you better assess their needs:

  • Family support 
  • Home safety 
  • Medical needs 
  • Cognitive health 
  • Mobility
  • Personal hygiene 
  • Meal preparation 
  • Social interaction 

How well do they handle each area listed above? Try to monitor their ability to address each of these areas on their own. Regarding family support, is there another family that can help? If so, it is an innovative idea for you to keep a family notebook. In this notebook, you can share with family when you notice they might lack the ability to care for themselves or are unsafe. You can work together to make the necessary changes.  

Step 2: Be Financially Prepared 

As parents or loved ones grow older, they may need help managing finances. While having conversations about money can be awkward, and some may want to avoid it, discussing it now can help prepare for the future. You can start the conversation by asking about essential documents, gathering information about accounts and key contacts, and helping with deciding long-term plans. If you talk to your loved ones now, it will give them more control over financial decisions, so you aren’t overwhelmed with what they would want in an emergency.

Step 3: Install Home Modifications 

To avoid your loved one from sustaining an injury in their home, having accessibility experts evaluate their home for any safety concerns is essential. Older adults fall easier, and a fall can cause injuries or even death. With home modifications, such as grab bars or stairlifts, your loved one can live comfortably and safely at home.

It is a noble endeavor to take on someone else’s needs. It can sometimes feel daunting, yet if you have a plan, you will be more capable of meeting your loved one’s needs. Next Day Access is here to help. Next Day Access can assist you with determining the home modifications you will need to ensure your loved one stays as safe as possible. Contact us for a free in-home consultation. 

Posted in Caregivers, Finances, Health & WellnessTagged , , , , , , , , ,

Making a tiny bathroom accessible may seem impossible, but you can do it with some creativity. There are so many design options these days that you can easily create a tiny bathroom accessible while also being sleek and stylish. Here are a few tips to get you started with designing an accessible bathroom for a small space. 

Change the Door 

Most people with limited mobility may say that a barn style or sliding door is preferable over a swinging door. Maneuvering around a traditional swing-in or swing- outdoor can be difficult when turning a wheelchair. It is also a clever idea to widen the doorway. A wider opening is hassle-free and safer for anyone using a mobility device.  

Remove the Tub and Shower Enclosure 

Believe it or not, you can still shower in the bathroom if you tile the entire bathroom floor and set up proper drainage. Once you install an adjustable handheld shower, you can use large glass panels or huge shower curtains to contain the shower spray. Other options could be a walk-in tub or a bathtub modification kit. The kit allows you to turn any tub into a walk-in shower, creating a safer maneuver into the shower. 

Install a Smaller Sink 

A sink with a shallow basin at wheelchair height is ideal. When creating an accessible sink, allowing space for the wheelchair user to slide under is ideal. Think slim when choosing a sink. You can get one with counter space but leave the bottom area open. For a tiny bathroom, your sink needs to be small and as tucked away as possible. 

At Next Day Access, our goal is to help provide accessibility or mobility solutions to individuals with limited mobility or caregivers to help create a safer and more comfortable lifestyle. Our experts can help you design an accessible bathroom, even if space is an issue. Contact us today to schedule a free in-home evaluation.

Posted in Aging in Place, Bathroom SafetyTagged , , , , ,

When you or your aging loved one decides to age in place, creating a safe and comfortable home is essential. As seniors age, their mobility decreases, and there is a higher risk of falling. The home must have home aging in place modifications to help prevent injuries. Here is a list of six simple yet effective home modifications.

Installing Grab Bars or Hand Rails

Installing grab bars or railings in high-risk slippery areas, like the bathroom, can provide better support. Grab bars are typically installed near the shower or tub area and near the toilet. However, grab bars or railings can also be installed along hallways and staircases. These home modifications can give seniors more support maneuvering around the home.  

Add Slip Resistant Mats to Tubs and Floors 

In addition to grab bars, adding slip resistant mats or even slip resistant stickers, depending on mobility, to tubs and bathroom floors can help prevent falling. This can be the simplest yet also efficient way to prevent falling.

Quick Tub Conversion Kits 

The quick tub conversion kit supplies you with everything you need to turn your existing bathtub into a step-in shower while still maintaining a fully functional bathtub. Stepping in and out of the bathtub can be a slip hazard for older adults.  

Threshold Ramps

A threshold ramp is a simple and safe way to help wheelchairs or other mobility devices to cross over rough surfaces. The slightly-inclined platforms makes it easy to cross over raised landings, doorways, or curbs.

Replace the Hardware on Door Handles and Cabinets  

Replacing round doorknobs with lever-style handles can help people with arthritis or grip issues easily open doors. Likewise, swapping out round kitchen cabinet doorknobs with lever-style handles or bar handles makes accessing kitchen items a breeze. Small knobs, like those commonly found on kitchen cabinets, can be hard to grasp for people that struggle with dexterity.  

Add More Light Fixtures 

There are many ways to bring more light into the home. You can put nightlights in the hallway, tap-lights under cabinets, or lamps on tables. This will aid your loved ones in seeing where they are going, which can help prevent any trips or falls. 

At Next Day Access, we offer solutions for home modifications. Our goal is to provide various solutions to help prepare a home for aging in place. Some of the additional services we provide include product installation services (for big or small jobs), in-home safety consultations, rental, and rent-to-own programs for non-custom products, as well as financing options. If you or a loved one is in need of our services or products, contact us today. 

Posted in Aging in PlaceTagged , , , , ,

Whether you’re an older adult living at home or have a physical disability that limits your mobility, bathroom safety should be a top priority. According to the National Council on Aging, falling is the result of more than three million emergency department visits every year. What may be even more surprising about that statistic is most of the falls are preventable. Improving bathroom safety should begin with evaluating your current bathtub or shower and deciding whether a walk-in tub or shower could be beneficial. Here are the main factors to consider between the two.

Benefits of a Walk-In Tub

Older adults striving for independent living can benefit from a walk-in tub in many ways. The anti-slip surface provides better traction than traditional bathtubs or showers to help prevent slipping and falling. The lower threshold also means you don’t have to lift your feet as high to enter, so it’s not as difficult to maintain your balance. A walk-in tub is shaped differently from traditional tubs since they are taller but not as wide. This means you can more easily submerge your body in the water and allow the hydrotherapy jets to target your aches and pain points. 

Walk-In Showers Have Some Limitations

If you’re used to primarily taking a shower instead of a bath, then you may be considering upgrading to a walk-in shower. These can be more spacious than traditional shower-tub combinations, but the problem is they don’t allow for sitting and taking a bath if you want to. For a senior living at home, having this option is important so you can sit and relax after a long day, or if you get to a point where standing for several minutes becomes more difficult. 

Your Current and Future Needs When Deciding

Some of the things to consider when deciding whether a walk-in tub or a walk-in shower is right for you include:

  • Any mobility limitations you have
  • Whether you would benefit from hydrotherapy jets to target pain points
  • Possible slip hazards
  • Whether you enjoy sitting and relaxing occasionally

It’s essential to think about these factors for your current situation and what you may want in the future. A walk-in tub or a walk-in shower is a significant investment, so it’s important to get what you need for the long-term since the decision is difficult to reverse once installed. A walk-in tub is usually the popular choice for a senior living at home. It is easily accessible and suitable for aging in place without risking safety as much.

Next Day Access strives to help seniors with their independent living efforts. Walk-in tubs and walk-in showers are popular upgrades to bathrooms, but you have to think closely about which one is most ideal for you. Most seniors opt for a walk-in tub, and it’s easy to see why with all of the luxury features they have available. Safety is always the number one concern for a senior living at home, and a walk-in tub can enhance it. If you’re thinking about upgrading your bathroom, contact us, and we would be thrilled to provide you with a free home assessment and help you learn about the options available to you.

Posted in Aging in Place, Bathroom Safety, Caregivers, Home & Bath ModificationTagged , , ,

5 Tips to Ensure Bathroom Safety

As you look to modify your home for accessibility and ease for yourself or a loved one, the bathroom is one area that requires close attention. More than one-third of people over the age of 65 slip and fall every year, but 80 percent of those falls occur in the bathroom. Here are a few tips to help ensure bathroom safety and even provide you with peace of mind.

1. Install Grab Bars – While a small addition to any bathroom, they can make a big difference in the safety of a bathroom. The grab bars can be installed in a shower or by a toilet to help a person leverage themselves or maintain balance. We offer a wide variety of grab bars some that are discreet in their design but provide that peace of mind and support.

2. Non-Slip Maps – Adding a non-slip mat to a tub or shower can help minimize fall risks in the bathroom. Be sure to also include non-slip rugs and mats outside of the tub and shower to ensure safety when entering and exiting the tub or shower.

3. Keep Things within Reach – One way to prevent falls or slips is to have everything within reach. Adding shower caddies or keeping things on the bathroom counter can help seniors get what they need without having to strain themselves. One other thing to consider is installing shampoo and body wash dispensers so they don’t have to wrangle with bottles and the risk of dropping them and trying to retrieve them.

4. Portable Shower – If traditional methods of bathing are found to be too difficult for you or your loved one consider a portable shower. Designed to be set up anywhere with access to warm water, it can be configured to meet your needs and is easily transportable. If you’re not looking to modify your entire bathroom with a roll-in shower, a portable shower is a great option for you.

5. Doors swinging to the Outside – One last thing to consider if you’re looking to update or modify your bathroom is having the door swing to the outside rather than inside the bathroom. If someone was to fall they could potentially end up blocking the door and access to help them can be difficult.

With a few simple additions and adjustments, you can help ensure your bathroom is designed for safety and is easy-to-use. If you’re looking for more tips or a free estimate to help keep your bathroom safe, contact us here. We’re here to help you design a home without barriers.

Posted in Bathroom SafetyTagged , , , Leave a Comment on Five Tips to Ensure Bathroom Safety

Customer Reviews