Injuries and the natural aging process can make wheelchairs a necessity. There are a number of low-cost and little-work modifications you can make to your home to make it more wheelchair accessible.
Carpets and Rugs
To make it easier for you to maneuver your wheelchair, remove any loose carpeting or rugs. It doesn’t make a difference if you have a mechanical or an electric-powered wheelchair. It’s easy to get caught on carpeting that isn’t as secure as it once was.
Cordless Phone
With a cordless phone you won’t have to hurry into another room when the phone rings. Keep the phone close by so in case of an emergency you can call for help in a matter of minutes.
Levers
Replace your door knobs with levers. That will make it easier for you to enter and leave your home as well as get in and out of any rooms. Door knobs can be very difficult for a wheelchair-bound person to turn, but a lever can be easily pushed down.
Grab Bars
Install grab bars around the bathtub/shower and the toilet. These bars will stabilize you as you move from your wheelchair to your toilet and from your bathtub to your wheelchair.
Mini-Ramps
You can install mini ramps on high door thresholds. By gluing or sealing down a few tiny wedges of wood or metal, you can install a ramp that will help you get in and out of the house.
Non-Slip Floor
Install a non-slip floor in your bathroom. Bathroom floors get wet, becoming very dangerous especially for you and your wheelchair. This type of floor will greatly reduce the chance of your slipping when you’re moving from your chair to the bathtub or shower.
Automatic Sink Fixtures
Motion-detecting sink fixtures can make operating your sink easier. The faucet starts running once you put your hands underneath it and stops when your hands are removed from underneath the faucet. This eliminates your reaching for the sink handles.
Hoses or Nozzles
A hose or nozzle system is a moving head shower head, meaning you wont have to twist and turn when rinsing yourself off. Many of these nozzles have different settings. Some perform massaging functions, which can help sooth body parts that might be aching or sore from sitting in your wheelchair. Those hoses or nozzles are easily installed in most showers.
Source: Alpine Home Medical