Accessibility Experts February Newsletter

The importance of home safety assessment

 
Home safety assessments play a crucial part in ensuring that our projects meet the unique needs of clients and provide them with safe and accessible living spaces. Some benefits of home assessments are, but not limited to:

• Identifying your need. Home assessments help identify the needs and requirements of each individual client in their home, ensuring that modifications will enhance the client’s safety at home, improving their quality of life.
• Ensures accessibility. Home assessments ensure that the modifications made to a home are accessible for people with disabilities, giving them the ability to live independently.
• Home assessments ensure better communication between Accessibility Experts, the Occupational Therapist and the client to ensure everyone is clear about the modifications and discuss any requests or concerns.
• Home assessments are not just to find and solve current issues that may prevent you from living safely at home but can also assess the liveability of your home for your future needs. Taking the hassle out of future proofing your home.

By evaluating the home and understanding the specific needs each client’s Accessibility Experts delivers quality home modifications that enhance their safety, independence, and quality of life.

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Safety in the kitchen

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To improve safety in the home, it’s important to be able to identify falls hazards and how to reduce risk. Examples of fall risks that may be found in kitchen are, but are not limited to:

• Issue: slippery floor surfaces. Solutions: use slip-resistant flooring; use anti-slip products when cleaning the floor; wear shoes with rubber soles for better grip; clean up water spills immediately and make sure the floor is dry.
• Issue: frequently used items kept in hard-to-reach places. Solution: make sure shelving and cupboards are adjusted the correct height, so you don’t have to reach too high or bend too low to access your kitchen utensils; make sure commonly used items are easy to reach.
• Issue: items left out in the open where they can be tripped over. Solution: make sure to store commonly used items (like brooms) in easy to reach places that are out of the way when not in use.
• Issue: cords, bags, or furniture in the way. Solution: make sure the kitchen floor is kept clear of cords and clutter; avoid using unnecessary furniture.
• Issue: poor lighting. Solution: ensure your kitchen is well lit and turn on the lights when in the kitchen.

At Accessibility Exerts we work together with clients and Occupational Therapists to ensure each kitchen is suited to individual needs, increasing home safety and minimising the risk of falls. Call our office (02) 6651 2143 or visit our website to find out how we can help you make your bathroom a safer place.

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