When someone you love suffers a debilitating illness like a stroke and survives, you need to prepare yourself for the time when your loved one comes home. You need to make a lot of adjustments, not just to your life but on the design of your house too.
Hospitals and other health institutions have patient monitoring systems that help the medical industry record the health and condition of their patients. It helps doctors and specialists review the case history of the patient, their treatments as well as their current state of health. You know your loved one is safe in such a place, but what if you bring your relative to your home to recover? Here are some things you can do to prepare your home.
Use the ground floor
Prepare a room on the first floor for your loved one. It’s best if you use a room that is closest to the downstairs bathroom. Make sure that the area is large enough for all the equipment and appliances your loved one would need.
Using the ground floor also ensures that your loved one will not have to climb up or down the stairs. If you have no extra room, you might need to install stairlifts or chairlifts. These lifts can help your loved one move around the house.
If you need to take them to the hospital for their therapy session or check-up, having a room on the ground floor can make it easier for them to move outside, whether they’re using wheelchairs or walkers. If you have a porch, make sure to install a ramp.
Make changes in the bathroom
Your bathroom needs to provide support for your loved one. The shower and the toilet require support and grab bars. You should also install non-slip mats inside the bath as well as under the sink and the door.
You also need to change your bathroom doors and use swing-clear hinges instead of traditional hinges. This kind of hinge is appropriate for people who use wheelchairs or walkers because the door can swing wide enough to let that large equipment in.
You also need to change your faucets if they’re not single-lever. Single-lever faucets are more appropriate for stroke survivors because these levers can be operated with only one hand.
Make changes in the kitchen
You will also have to make some changes in your kitchen. You need to replace things inside a basket or box, instead of a high shelf or cupboard. You also need to use a lazy susan on the dining table for ease of use.
You might also need to buy furniture that is more accessible for the wheelchair-bound. Lower tables with large leg space could help your family members feel more comfortable when they have meals.
Caring for a recovering relative is never easy, even more so when you plan to do it at home. Make sure to ask your doctors and the health care workers the best way you could help your family member so that they could regain their health as quickly as possible.
