East Coast Accessibility Experts August Newsletter

What are Home Modifications?

Home modifications are changes made to the home to enable people to be more independent and safer in their home, helping to reduce risk of injury to themselves, their carers, and care workers.

Modifications to the home can include changes to the structure of the dwelling e.g., widening doors, adding ramps, access pathways, and platform steps. It can also include the installation of assistive devices inside and outside the dwelling e.g., grab rails, handheld shower heads, handrails, stair lifts…the list goes on!

Home modifications help older people and people with a disability, to be more independent and may reduce the need for ongoing assistance.

What are the benefits of home modifications?

Home modifications are designed to support a person's ability to live independently at home. Some of the many benefits to home modifications are:

• increase your independence allowing you to continue living safely at home well into retirement, improving overall quality of life
• enable you to continue living in your community
• increased safety at home
• improved access for people using wheelchairs, walking frames and other walking aids
• an alternative to residential aged care
• help reduce falls risks and injuries at home, providing emotional and mental wellbeing
• adds value to your home

For more information about how to modify your home, visit our website https://www.accessibilityexperts.org.au/ or call Michelle and Kiarra on 6651 2143  or email to admin@accessibilityexperts.org.au

What can cause people to fall at home?‍

A number of factors that contribute to a person’s falls risk at home include:

• The ageing process - changes in the body such as weakening eyesight, slowed reaction time, cognitive loss and reduced sensation or numbness in lower limbs, weakening muscles and stiffening joints
• A short-term illness or recovering from surgery or a recent hospital stay
• Poor lighting or not turning lights on increases the risk of tripping on hazards that may have been left on the floor
• Objects left on the floor, loose mats and slippery floor surfaces or tools and other objects left in the garden or garage
• Uneven surfaces such as steps over doorways, shower hobs and stairs, wet and unstable pathways, steep driveways with no handrails for support, steep inclines in the yard and the around home
• Unsteadiness and balance issues related to disabilities or ageing
• Medication causing unwanted sideeffects – especially if you are taking 5 or more medicines daily
• Lack of physical activity
• Poor diet and not drinking enough water
• Low calcium levels increasing the risk of suffering a fracture if you fall
• Sore feet or unsafe shoes

Think outside the box

When thinking about home modifications we often think about ramps, handrails, grab rails, platform steps and bathroom modifications.

Sometimes we need to think a little outside the box! In this case, our client’s back yard had a steep grassed descent leading to the clothesline, making hanging clothes out a high falls risk.

In collaboration with an occupational therapist, our team designed, built and installed this raised walkway from the back door to the clothesline. This enables our client to access the clothesline easily, helping reduce the risk of falls.

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Have your say!

We invite you to share your opinion about what articles or information our team at East Coast Accessibility Experts can include in our newsletter. Any suggestions you might have can be sent to our email: info@accessibilityexperts.org.au

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