BevVan Phillips - Home Access Solutions - Omaha, NE - Prudential Ambassador

Uplift Commode Assist

2012-01-16T14:48:00.000-08:00

Watch on your mobile device >>

There are so many different ways to make getting on and off the toilet safer and easier. Sometimes simply increasing the height of the toilet with any one of a variety of risers, new toilets, or under toilet risers is enough. Sometimes seating a person with their hips level with or higher than the height of their knees is all that is needed to reduce effort or pain. What if a person needs more help than that? Believe it or not, you don’t have to invent your own toilet catapult. There are many safe and thoroughly tested alternatives!

One option is a self powered lifting seat for the toilet. A reliable and economical choice is the Uplift Commode Assist from Uplift Technologies, Inc. It can be used over most toilets to help people who have a mild to moderate problem standing and sitting. It is not permanently attached, so it is useful for people who expect few changes in ability over the years and renters. It is also something I suggest for people with progressive medical conditions as we can adjust height and amount of assistance provided as they need it, then easily remove the unit entirely if we need to provide even more physical assistance than the Uplift Commode Assist provides.

Whether the Uplift Commode Assist is used over a toilet or is used free-standing with the collection bucket, we often suggest adding a grab bar within arm’s length in front of the toilet for additional balance assist. The Uplift Commode Assist provides tremendous help, but we’ve found that by the time a person decides they need it, they can benefit from something sturdy in front of them to either help with balance or to help them initiate the motion of leaning forward to stand. Really, who wants to wobble back and forth around the toilet? As always, we encourage people to be realistic about their abilities to get the best use from their equipment selection. There are other equipment choices which are better for people who need to move straight up to be able to stand, such as people with Limb-Girdle Muscular Dystrophy instead of at a forward angle like most of us. It isn’t designed for people who aren’t able to bear weight on their legs at all, thought I have suggested it to help caregivers help who can bear weight once they are standing.

The Uplift Commode Assist is easy to use once assembled and adjusted for the amount of lift needed. The lever is broad and the equipment was awarded the coveted “Ease-of-Use” Commendation by the Arthritis Foundation in recognition of its arthritis-friendly design. The broad plastic seat is comfortable and easy to clean. We suggest people sit and measure the straight distance from one side of their hips to the other if they are close to the manufacturer’s weight limit of 300 lbs or have wide hips. The seat’s arms are 17.5” apart and while the manufacturer reports that it will lift up to 70% of the weight for a person up to 300 lb, the benefit of the lift will be lost if a person sticks inside the arms. The Uplift Commode Assist come disassembled, but has all the tools and instructions needed to put it together and is covered with a one year warranty.

Click on this Link to purchase the Uplift Commode Assist and use the coupon code UPLIFT10 to save 10% and get free shipping through February 15, 2012.

Check out the user guide here! >>

Celebrate Your Special Strengths

2012-01-03T14:02:00.000-08:00

Watch on your mobile device >>

I do plenty of video blogs related to aging, disability, and residential accessibility, and have developed a format in which I usually do something a little goofy at the beginning of a video in order to catch people’s attention and get them laughing. I believe that people will be willing to tolerate thinking about what can sometimes be an uncomfortable topic once they have laughed and relaxed a little. I know that I run the risk of being known as the goofy lady who will do just about anything to get people to stick around and talk about making homes safer and easier to use, but I can live with that. I often wonder though, if people know that in addition to being silly and interested in how people live in their homes, that I am an Occupational Therapist, and have been for over 30 years.

I recently read an interesting article in the November 14, 2011 issue of AOTA’s (The American Occupational Therapy Association) magazine “OT PRACTICE”. Another Occupational Therapist, Barbara A. Smith, MS, OTR/L wrote a short reflection piece titled, “Finding Our Special Strength”. She said that, “We as occupational therapy practitioners strive to find the special strength each and every one of us contains,” when she was sharing stories of people with disabilities whose accomplishments were “examples of ability trumping disability”. Thinking about the article caused me to reflect on my own practice, Home Access Solutions, Inc. and the people that I serve.

It doesn’t really bother me to be known as that goofy lady who will do just about anything or the person who is always talking about bathrooms and gleefully announces she was crowned Potty Queen in 1999. I don’t want to be like everyone else and on my better days, I don’t even try. The fact that I truly care about everyday living and can comfortably carry on conversations about things most people don’t even want to think about is one of my strengths and I revel in it! My company, when it is functioning at its best, is not like any other company either. I do not think that there is another OT practice quite like us; an equipment supplier quite like us; or a construction company quite like us. Our strength is that we are merging all three services to accomplish our mission and our focus on the importance that everyday activities in the home have on quality of life and we revel in it!

Our strength is that we are actively listening to and seeking to understand and work with the strengths of our clients. Each person we work with is unlike everyone else who may share the same age, medical condition, developmental disability, or other condition. We don’t ask our clients to accept the same equipment or remodeling idea that works for someone else. We listen to their goals, look at their abilities and environment, and we offer education and solutions for them to choose from. As I tell clients, “It doesn’t really matter to me what you choose to do as long as you are safe. After all, I am not going to live here.” As a company we don’t know everything and we can’t work miracles (much to my everlasting disappointment), but we do listen and we do see our clients as people who have unique strengths and unique outlooks.

So whether you are a practitioner of the growing field of environmental modification or you are the recipient of these services, focus on your unique and special strengths to find solutions that will not only work, but will reflect how you want to live your life.

Out of the Box Holiday Gift Ideas

2011-12-14T14:31:00.000-08:00

Watch on your mobile device >>

**Download our complete Alphabet of Gift Ideas and see what you can do for the special people in your life.**

If you have friends or family that are older or that have significant disabilities you may be at a loss for a great gift idea. At Home Access Solutions we’ve put together a fun little gift list from A to Z with interesting items and ideas.

To listen to a re-play of a great radio show sponsored by Financial Visions and hosted by Cathy Wyatt and Dale Percival that covers more “Out of the Box” thinking about holiday gifts for Seniors and People with disabilities, go to this link. www.financialvisionsllc.com and click on “The Art of Aging” Radio Programs. I was there along with Jim Brown, the gift planning officer for the American Red Cross and Jim Shaffer of Counterparts. Even I was surprised and amazed by some of the original and useful gift ideas.

We are heading into the season when many of us start thinking about gifts for the people we care about. Giving a gift is a loving gesture. The best gifts are those people treasure long after they are unwrapped and ones that have meaning and purpose. Sometimes it is hard to come up with that perfect gift. We all know people who are hard to buy gifts for. They either don’t want anything or have everything they need. But I’m talking about the other folks who are hard to buy for. If the People we care about have disabilities that are so severe they limit what they can do or use, it is often difficult to think of really meaningful or useful gifts. Let’s think out of the box and skip the same old knick knacks and aftershave collections! How much of that stuff can one house hold? Gifts don’t have to be expensive or fancy, but they can change a person’s life for the better.

Even Santa Can Use Independence

2011-11-28T11:51:00.000-08:00

Watch on your mobile device >>

Someone recently told me that “my kind of equipment” wasn’t really the kind of thing people gave at the Holidays. I must vehemently disagree! How priceless is the gift of independence and safety?

I urge you to think of access, independence, and convenience for your family and friends who have barriers in their homes or who are providing care for others. Whether you come up with remodeling, helpful equipment, or just the gift of your time, your gift will make a huge difference in their lives every day.

Give us a call if you need help thinking of something based on a person’s needs and abilities. Enjoy 10% off anything on our web site www.HomeAccessSolutions.com with the coupon code GIFT2011 through December 16, 2011. If you like the car mobility items you saw on this video visit our web site. They are on sale and you can still use the coupon.

A Home Feature is Only a Barrier if a Person Can’t Use the Feature Safely

2011-11-14T11:32:00.000-08:00

Watch on your mobile device >>

Steps actually provide access to your home if you are able to use them. They aren’t a barrier unless you are unable to use them safely. That is one of the interesting things to consider when you think about residential accessibility. Home features like steps, deep tubs, or under cabinet storage, that may be very helpful to us during one phase of our lives, may become a barrier in another phase or if we become injured. That is why there isn’t a list of home features that must be changed to make a home truly accessible to everyone. Everyone is different.

Universal Design is a concept of making an environment as useable as possible for as many people as possible, but residential accessibility is a personal customization to match a personal need. What it takes to make a home accessible for different people may have similarities, but will vary based on an individual’s goals, skills, medical condition, preferences, budget, social environment, and existing physical environment. When you are planning to make modifications or choosing equipment to reduce barriers in your home, you should follow a process we call “prescriptive access design” . Our handout “5 Tips For Successful Home Accessibility Remodeling” is a good starting place. Make sure the solution you choose matches your goals, current and future abilities, and preferences in order to make sure the solution will actually work the way you expect it to.

Access to your house is critically important and there is nothing wrong with having a ramp, power door openers, stair glides, etc. Just as access needs vary from person to person, so do personal preferences. Sometimes access designs that aren’t well thought out might be noticeable or obtrusive. If appearances are important to you, it is often possible to use universal design concepts to blend the access features in, to minimize their visual impact, or at the very least to make them removable when you no longer need them. Interestingly, some health professionals and construction professionals are not well versed in this concept. There are some people who still believe that they must follow American with Disability Act guidelines when providing residential access and do not address the individual needs of their customers.

A home feature is only a barrier if a person can’t use the feature safely. Residential access can be both customized and lovely. If done well, it can have either a positive or a neutral impact on the value of a home.

Pets as Falling Risks

2011-10-13T11:06:00.000-07:00

Watch on your mobile device >>

I spend a lot of time in people’s homes helping them identify and remove things that could cause them to fall. One great risk I see is one that most of us wouldn’t part with if our life depended on it- and sometimes it does.

Pets, dogs and cats are an important part of many American families. Often they are a senior’s or a single person’s only live in companion. Unfortunately these wonderful companions can also present a significant hazard.

In 2006 the Center for Disease Control produced a report indicating that over 86,000 falls a year could be attributed to pets and pet items. http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5811a1.htm While injuries were more frequent among younger people, the highest fracture rates were among people 75-84 years and up. Most of these fall injuries occurred in or around the home. How unfortunate that the companions that contribute to the well being and mental health of people living at home are also such a large contributor to the physical risks within our homes.

The good news coming out of the study was that the likelihood of pet related falls can be reduced through raising awareness that pets and pet items are a fall risk, identifying activities which are higher risk, and decreasing risk by providing obedience training. In Omaha, NE there are two groups that the Greater Omaha National Safety Council’s FIRST (Fall Intervention Reaching Seniors Together) task force is working with to decrease the number of falls related to pets.

"FIRST has collaborated with the Omaha SPCA to produce a brochure that can be distributed to increase awareness of the correlation between Pets and Falling. The brochure identifies some solutions to share. Call the council at (402) 896-0454 for a copy to share with someone you know is at risk and visit the web site, www.F1RST.com for additional tools to reduce the risk of falling in the home.

Professor Joy D. Doll, OTD, OTR/L and some Occupational Therapy students from the Department of Occupational Therapy School of Pharmacy & Health Professions at Creighton University Medical Center are conducting a research project entitled Exploring the Perceived Impact of Pets as a Hazard in Older Adults Fall Prevention in partnership with F1RST task group. They are seeking individuals 65 and older who own a pet or pets to complete a short and private online survey about falls and pets. All surveys are anonymous and it is strictly confidential and secure.

If you would like to help by taking the survey or passing it on to a person who is over 65, email me and I will send you a link for the survey. BevVan@HomeAccessSolutions.com

So share this information and please pass on the life saving brochure and survey to seniors that you know. Our homes should be safe places and that includes homes with pets!"

Image by: FreeDigitalPhotos.net

I want to transfer anywhere- absolutely anywhere!

2011-09-28T07:21:00.000-07:00

Watch on your mobile device >>

Imagine that you aren’t able to get up out of that chair that you are sitting in right now. How long could you stand it? Would you be happy to even get a little help after an hour or two, even if it was only enough to move you into one other spot? What if you could move even more?

The thing that I like most about a ceiling or wall based motorized transfer system is the freedom it can provide to a person with a disability and their caregivers. A reliable system can free a person from fear of being dropped or fear of injuring a caregiver and can provide the freedom to move from seat to seat as many times a day as they want or need to. Even the most basic straight piece of track over a bed and the space beside it can be life changing for a person who could not move from bed or wheelchair without it.

That said, imagine the freedom if a person could move anywhere they want to within a room. A traverse Track System accomplishes that. I used to think that the traverse system was really only useful for group settings like a therapy gym where one set of tracks would allow people to transfer safely and quickly onto equipment anywhere in the room. Then I had the opportunity to install two units within the past few years for individuals who understood the potential the system had for their homes.

One situation was a young adult living who had one installed in his bedroom suite. His transfer areas were his bed, his wheelchair, his desk chair, and two locations within his bathroom. He and his family knew this was the most effective way to help him move anywhere he wanted to within his suite with no physical effort for his parents. The second was for a person who had been living with a spinal cord injury for over 20 years. He’d had to stay in hospital and rehab living situation for a long time following repair of a skin problem and knew he didn’t want to have any potential for rubbing that area. He wanted a system that wouldn’t cause any muscular strain for his wife. When he learned about the traverse track system, he knew he’d found his answer.

The traverse track system consists of two fixed ceiling or wall mounted parallel rails and one traverse rail that moves back and forth of the parallel rails. The manual version shown in our video can be moved almost effortlessly by a caregiver. SureHands Lift and Care Systems as usual has many options to allow us to match a person’s abilities and environment. There is an electric version that can be operated independently by a person sitting in the body support or sling. We can also connect a traverse rail to another rail and a person can move outside of the room. While a traverse track system may not be able to move a person anywhere in the physical environment, such as down their outside ramp, all over the yard, or up and down the stairs, it can come very close to moving a person anywhere inside they want to go within their home.

If you’d like to learn more about the possibility of transferring anywhere, give us a call or visit the SureHands Lift and Care Systems web site www.surehands.com. Imagine the freedom!

Technology and Socialization

2011-08-29T09:28:00.000-07:00

Watch on your mobile device >>

A special thanks to Chris Tyler with At Home 2 Stay. You can call him at 402.510.5626.

We specialize in changing a home environment and prescribing technology or equipment that allows a person with a disability or an older person to continue living at home. Our premise is that if a home environment “matches” the abilities of the person living there, they will be safer and better able to function independently.

Even though our focus is on the physical environment, we never forget that people are social beings. For a successful home modification, you always need to ask yourself if the person’s social needs are being met as well. After all, how well can a person truly live if they can eat, bathe, and dress independently but they have no one to talk to or care for?

There are many studies that link social isolation to health issues. Technology may be used by some individuals and families to increase socialization opportunities. For technology to be most effective, it needs to be simple to use, reliable, and of interest to the person using it. For example, one person might enjoy simply surfing the internet and emailing or texting with friends and another would feel more comfortable with life video interaction during routine social events such as meals. Fortunately there is an increasing amount of technology and training services designed to help people isolated within their homes stay in touch with their community and families.

For more information or referral to in-home technology services, give us a call.

Ceiling based lifts as an example of Matching People with Assistive Technology

2011-08-15T14:48:00.000-07:00

Watch on your mobile device >>

“The goal of assistive technology is to provide the most appropriate technology for a particular person, with minimal disruption to a user’s accustomed and preferred ways of doing things, ultimately resulting in an enhanced quality of life” 1 In order to do that, a person needs to identify not only what they are trying to accomplish, but also their abilities, the abilities of any care givers, features of the physical environment, and funding source requirements and then match these things to the physical and technical requirements of the products they select as well as to the price and availability of the product. Without a proper match, the best product in the world could very well be useless.

One of the greatest equipment misconceptions I run into relates to transfer equipment. In our current medical reimbursement climate, most transfer equipment that is funded through medical funding sources meets only the most basic of transfer needs. The ability to function independently for instance may not always be defined as medically necessary. The prevalence of very basic equipment leads some medical professionals and lay people to assume that there is really one type of lift equipment. Even those who have learned about alternatives such as ceiling based lift equipment may not realize that there is such a variety of motor, switch, and sling/body support options available.

I was asked just this week to step in and help an individual correct a problem arising from his prescribing source thinking that all ceiling based lifts were similar. He’d been working on independence with a particular system in rehab. Unfortunately his prescription simply indicated a ceiling lift. He was fortunate enough to qualify for a funding source. The funding source representative didn’t understand that one size didn’t fit all. The end result was that he got a lift but it was provided by a company that didn’t evaluate him personally and put in a lift that required a caregiver to operate and for him to sit on a sling. Since he hadn’t been educated that there was more than the system he’d trained on available, he didn’t realize he couldn’t use what was being installed until he say the device hanging there. He couldn’t operate the motor by himself and he couldn’t use the sling provided as it impacted a pressure sore and he couldn’t put it on independently without sitting on it all day long. This was a situation in which everyone involved intended something good, but it didn’t work out well, because no one matched the technology to his needs.

It really wasn’t hard to help him figure out what would work. We just had to list out what he wanted to do, list his abilities, and understand enough about ceiling lifts to know which products matched the items on the list. Once of the reasons, I love being a SureHands Lift and Care Dealer is the ability to actually “prescribe” the right combination of motor and sling/body support. Just to make sure, we tried a demonstration model so that the individual could understand and feel for himself what the equipment would do.

Selection of the right technology can enhance a person’s quality of life whether we are talking about something fairly complex like a lift system or something simple like a toilet riser. Take the time to make a good match and you will like the result.

1 MJ Scherer: Outcomes of assistive technology use on quality of life, Disability Rehabilitation 18 (9) 1996

Heart Heroes

2011-07-27T14:48:00.000-07:00

Watch on your mobile device >>

People who have disabilities from medical conditions, accidents, or even the aging process face challenges everyday. Home Access Solutions works to minimize the barriers within our homes. We work with people we consider to be heroes because they are determined to life fully and take action to make things better for themselves and others.

Recently we met Sondra and Kitty, two mothers who saw a need and stepped up to recognize Heroes within their family and circle of friends and it has blossomed into a vibrant organization, Heart Heroes.

CHD stands for "Congenital Heart Defect" and is an anomaly of the heart that is present at birth. CHD causes one or more portions of the heart to develop abnormally. There is no know cause for CHD, however it is the #1 birth defect and affects 1 in every 85 babies. Twice as many children die from CHD each year than from all forms of childhood cancers combined. Some babies may be diagnosed before or at birth, some not until day, week, months, or even years later. Undiagnosed CHDS cause many cases of Sudden Cardiac Death in young athletes. There is no cure, only lifelong treatment. Early diagnosis is the key to survival. Please tell your doctor, family and friends about this information and ask about newborn screening programs. You might save a life!

These children laugh, play and enjoy life just like any child; however, what makes them our heroes is that they have experienced life-saving heart operations - unlike most children. One would never know these children have endured lengthy hospitalizations and miraculous medical interventions.

Undergoing these complex medical procedures is a daunting experience even for adults. For children, being alone without their family to comfort them amidst a crowd of medical professionals is scary. Heart Hero Capes were created with the hope that all children visiting the hospital or their cardiologist will feel invincible wearing their cape – have super-hero powers - and that their parents will be comforted knowing that the arms that always protect them are momentarily being substituted with the super powers of the cape.

After seeing their children face the challenges of heart operations and cardiology appointments the moms of these heart heroes decided to create the opportunity for all children with CHD to have a Heart Hero Cape.

Go to the Heart Hero's website to learn more about the organization and to support Heart Heroes with your donation, or to request a cape for your own Heart Hero.

HETRA Hippotherapy

2011-07-20T09:57:00.000-07:00

Watch on your mobile device >>

Hippotherapy

Hippotherapy literally refers to treatment or therapy aided by a horse. Hippotherapy promotes the use of the movement of the horse as a treatment strategy in physical, occupational and speech-language therapy sessions for people living with disabilities. Hippotherapy has been shown to improve muscle tone, balance, posture, coordination, motor development as well as emotional well-being.

While Hippotherapy relies on the natural motion of the horse, the relationship of rider and horse, and the skills of the therapist to select and apply the activities in a goal driven therapeutic way, there is often a place for lifting technology to help get a person with a disability onto the horse safely and with dignity.

HETRA
HETRA stands for Hearltland Equine Therapeutic Riding Academy. Their mission is to improve the quality of life both physically and emotionally of adults and children with disabilities through equine assisted activities. It was started in Omaha in 1989. They have grown in the past 20 years to 17 therapy horses, 12 NARHA certified instructors and over 90 students.

HETRA offers therapeutic riding, hippotherapy, therapeutic carriage driving, public riding lessons and Horses for Heroes which helps veterans of any age and type of disability.

Please visit their website at www.hetra.org or go here to get in contact with them for more information.

Therapeutic Horseback Riding
The patented SureHands Body Support is natural for transferring individuals from their wheelchairs directly onto the horse's back. Many riding programs around the world have found this to be the easiest and safest way to make this difficult transfer.

As the individual is lowered the natural separation of their legs makes it ideal for straddling the horse's back and lowering directly onto the saddle. And even when the thigh supports are removed, the body support cups maintain the lateral stability of the individual. This gives everyone the opportunity to wait until the perfect moment to release the body support and allow the individual to ride away.

SureHands track systems and other SureHands options allow individuals to be raised very high and effortlessly... making this the winning solution for hippotherapy programs.
~
If you have questions about SureHands lifts for riding horses therapeutically or recreationally or for more mundane things like being able to get in and out of your bathtub, just give us a call.

Monitoring Technology

2011-06-01T08:54:00.000-07:00

Watch on your mobile device >>

A special thanks to Chris Tyler with At Home 2 Stay. You can call him at 402.510.5626.

People prefer to live at home where it's familiar, comfortable, and affordable. At Home Access Solutions, we can help families modify the physical environment to make it as safe and easy to use as possible, but we recognize that may not be everything that is needed for some situations.

Any person can fall or get sick, but someone who is either older, isolated, or both is at greater risk for serious consequences. For instance, take a look at these grim CDC statistics about the consequences of a senior falling and remaining on the ground without help.

If a senior falls and remains on the floor more than four to five hours, he/she could spend up to 18 days in a hospital or rehab facility.
If a senior remains on the floor overnight after a fall, he/she could spend up to 30 days in a hospital or rehab facility.

(Source: US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

Having someone close by just in case they are needed is a solution, but not always practical for families who provide care for older loved ones. Frankly, many seniors I know, prefer their privacy and routine and don’t want to include a person watching over them.

Terrific technology such as personal emergency response systems exist which a person can use to notify others in an emergency, but they must be willing and able to “push the button”. Recently a long distance caregiver told me that she couldn’t persuade her mother to use an emergency response system because her mother didn’t want an ambulance pulling up outside her door. We can, from our own perspective, argue that embarrassment in front of the neighbors would be the least of our worries in the case of a fall, but it was a significant obstacle this person gave to her daughter the caregiver. Among the overwhelming numbers of people who have used personal emergency response systems successfully to call for help and to minimize the problems following a fall or sudden illness at home, we do hear about the cases where people haven’t been alert enough or physically capable of operating the emergency button. In these cases additional monitoring might have been a good addition to the emergency response system.

There is also the problem of detecting gradual changes in abilities or behavior that can eventually lead up to serious issues, before they get out of hand. Many long distance caregivers rely on phone conversations and occasional visits and aren’t able to see the small warning signs until a true emergency has arisen. There are small daily tasks like remembering medications at the right time, getting enough to eat when there aren’t other people around to enjoy preparing meals for, etc. that a person living alone might start to miss. Long distance caregivers wouldn’t see these changes until the situation has become noticeable or critical. This is another situation where monitoring technology may be useful.

Monitoring systems have been around a long time. I have several clients who tell me about their old-fashioned, informal method of monitoring is to make sure someone knows that they have gotten up for another day. They open their blinds and watch for their neighbor to open their blinds. If the blinds don’t go up, the designated family member is called. Having a network is great, but now there is technology that is significantly more reliable and more sensitive to small changes that having your neighbor watch for you to open your blinds. We’ve interviewed Chris Taylor from Home2Stay in this video and we encourage you to research all of the emerging long distance monitoring that will make it possible for people to stay at home where they are in familiar, economical, and SAFE surroundings.

Use technology to make living at home safer and easier

2011-05-16T09:33:00.000-07:00

Watch on your mobile device >>

A special thanks to Chris Tyler with At Home 2 Stay. You can call him at 402.510.5626.

Technology can make safe aging in place possible. "Aging in Place” is a broad term that defines living independently – that is, living where a person wants to live. Most of us chose the homes we’ve lived in for years, but that older home was not designed to accommodate the needs of most older people. The adult children, or caregivers, of people who are aging in place often worry if their parents are living as safely as possible.

Home Modifications such as handrails, walk- in or roll- in showers, and grab bars can make homes safer and easier to use. Modifications remove or minimize environmental barriers for people with balance, strength, sensory, or mobility limitations. Simple technology can also be used with structural home modifications to make everyday living safer and easier. For instance, imagine the lights turning on automatically when you get out of bed. That would make moving around the house at night safer for anyone, but would be especially helpful for older individuals. As we age, muscles that control pupil size and reaction to light, lose some strength. Seeing well in dim light becomes harder. In addition, the pupil is less able to adjust to varying light conditions. Gradually increasing light in dark pathways may significantly reduce the risk of falling.

Unless a person is interested in technology for technology’s sake, you need to introduce devices that meet a basic need or that do something that they want to do, if you want to successfully incorporate technology into a person’s routine. It is helpful if the device looks and feels familiar and easy according to Karen Stabiner in the article, “ Elder Tech: What’s Important”. http://newoldage.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/12/21/elder-tech-whats-important/

At Home Access Solutions, we help people and their families identify solutions that will enable people to age in place successfully. To augment our design, equipment and remodeling services we work with other specialty companies such as, At Home 2 Stay. We hope you enjoy the interview with Chris Tyler and will either give him or us a call if you want to learn more about harnessing technology for safer and more independent living.

Claw Foot Tub Conversion

2011-05-03T13:59:00.000-07:00

Watch on your mobile device >>

Here’s my joke for the day. What is the difference between climbing out of a hole in the ground and climbing out of a bathtub? Answer: None, except you get to wear clothes when you climb out of the hole.

Ok, I know that isn’t hilarious, but it is essentially true. Many people who sit in the floor of the tub have difficulty getting up again. There are many reasons, but the two primary reasons I’ve seen in my environmental modification practice is that they either don’t have sufficient upper body strength or they have hip or knee limitations or pain. There are many pieces of equipment and modifications to choose from. Solutions can range in cost from under a hundred dollars to thousands of dollars depending upon what you need, how you want the project to look, and your budget.

One type of tub that people often call me about is the clawfoot tub. While clawfoot tubs are making resurgence in popularity because of their beauty and depth, many of my clients would like nothing more than to get rid of them. The tall wall is hard for them to get in and out of and they’ve developed difficulty or a fear of sitting down in them and not being able to get out again without help. Many times there is no shower and they feel like they have no options to sitting on the floor of the tub and climbing over the tall tub wall in order to get clean.

This is conversion we did recently on a limited budget to increase safety and update the bathroom at the same time. This particular homeowner had never had a tub with a shower and was interested in having one. She was also experiencing increasing difficulty getting in and out of the tub and felt unsafe. We replaced the tub faucet with a kit that included a faucet and a shower head and good quality round curtain ring. We used three clear curtain liners to protect the window and walls as well as to continue to let as much light in as possible. The homeowner will be purchasing a single pretty curtain to match the new wall paint a Rebuilding Together volunteer group is doing for her soon. We used a Superpole with Superbar from Healthcraft to provide a stable, vertical grip when she is stepping in and out of her shower since she has the mobility and strength to swing her legs over the tub wall if she has something to hold onto while leaning forward. The horizontal bar of the system juts through two of the curtain liners to provide a horizontal safety support while she is standing and showering. She is looking forward to the convenience of a shower, but she would still like to soak occasionally so she will use the horizontal bar grab bar we put on the wall to support herself while rolling to get up on a knee and then stand.

There are some other ways to deal with a clawfoot tub other than replacing it. Each person has unique abilities and goals, so answers are never one-size-fits-all. Stay with us for future blogs and we can explore solutions together or give us a call and set an appointment for an in home consultation to help you climb out of your “hole-in –the-ground” or tub.

I don’t have any money for repairs. Am I doomed to travel dark stairwells?

2011-04-11T13:04:00.000-07:00

Watch on your mobile device >>

Depending upon the condition of your wiring and the type of lighting you want, adding an extra light or a second switch on a stairwell will usually be well under a few hundred dollars using the services of a qualified electrician. A basic, oak 1 ½” diameter handrail with heavy duty fasteners done properly will also be under a few hundred dollars in our area. You can spend more, but if you are looking for sturdy, functional, safety, it doesn’t cost much. It certainly costs less than a fall, fracture, or trip to the emergency room.

We do have citizens in our community who recognize that they have dangerous stairwells, but really can’t come up with the extra money to get the work done and don’t have the ability to do it themselves.

We are pleased to be able to collaborate with these groups even though we are a private design and construction company. We help them find cost effective solutions for the people in the community that they exist to serve. This makes their money spread further and they know what they are spending money on is effective. We often refer people to groups who can help with funding. The bottom line is that people who truly can’t afford simple home modifications or equipment can get what they need to life more safely and independently.

Funding for home modifications is not the same as funding for medical equipment like a cane or walker. While extremely necessary for quality living, home modifications are not defined as medically necessary by medical funding sources like Medicare or most medical insurances. Funding for modifications is scarce and is usually designated for people with low incomes. Depending upon your income, medical condition, and geographic location, there may be something.

We provide design, equipment, and construction services. We don’t provide funding ourselves. You are welcome to download our short funding quide. In Nebraska you may also want to investigate www.atp.ne.gov In Iowa look at www.iowacompass.org

I hear about so many people who quit before they start when it comes to modifications. Just this past week, we had a woman call and cancel an appointment for us to install grabbars because she “couldn’t afford it”. The strange thing was she didn’t have a price from us yet, so she didn’t know what amount it was that she was afraid she couldn’t afford. I urge you to put your safety and your independence first. What you need may not cost as much as you think. Find out what the equipment or modification you need will cost. Find out if there is a funding source that will help you. Whatever you do, if you need it. Find a way to get it.

Do we really need research to know we need to light a stairwell?

2011-04-01T06:42:00.000-07:00

Watch on your mobile device >>

This is simply a no brainer, isn’t it? Of course we need light in our stairwells to allow us to take advantage of the vision we have. Without good light, we might as well blindfold ourselves when we travel the stairs. Who would do that?

Unfortunately very smart and rational people who have coped with dark stairwells that were built before building codes required a light with switches at top and bottom may not realize how much easier and safer it would be to negotiate stairs if they can see what they are doing. If you know someone like that, show them this video and see if they can recognize themselves!

Good lighting in a stairwell doesn’t cause shadows over the stairwell. This is usually accomplished with lighting at top and bottom or light that is positioned to cast a light a person’s body doesn’t block when they are traveling the stairs.

Light bulbs don’t last forever, so fixtures that are easy to reach are important for stairwell safety too. That way people will replace burnt out bulbs and they will be able to do it without climbing on ladders to reach the light.

In the example today, we knew this homeowner needed to use the handrails we installed, so we expected her hands to be occupied. For additional safety we used a motion sensing light so that she wouldn’t ever have to remember to turn on the light or struggle to reach a switch while balancing with her hands on the handrails. We were careful to select a light that didn’t project into the stairwell in a way that would risk her bumping into it.

Current codes require lighting be controlled at top and bottom unless the light is operated automatically. A qualified electrician can help you determine how to add the switches at the top and bottom of your stairwell and add additional lighting.

Stairwells can be very dangerous, but most of us can’t get around in our homes without using them. In addition to non slip surfaces and good handrails, use lighting to increase your safety.

Caregivers – Save Yourselves! Protect your health to protect the ones you love.

2011-03-14T09:16:00.000-07:00

Family caregivers don’t start off planning to be on call 24 hours a day, to fill their days multi-tasking, eating on the run, and focusing their lives around the needs of someone else. Everyone knows that is an un-healthy lifestyle-ripe for stress related illnesses. Family caregivers are usually motivated by love and are responding to the needs of someone they love. Events and responsibilities sometimes become larger than one person can manage on their own. Some caregivers find ways and help to provide the care their loved one needs without harming their own physical and mental health, others don’t. The ones that don’t are at risk of health issues and pre-mature death.

A study in 1999 showed “that being a caregiver who is experiencing mental or emotional strain is an independent risk factor for mortality among elderly spousal caregivers. Caregivers who report strain associated with caregiving are more likely to die than noncaregiving controls. Those with disabled spouses but providing no help and those helping a disabled spouse but reporting no strain did not have significantly higher mortality rates than noncaregivers.” The differences were related to the physical and mental health of the care provider. 1

Family caregivers of any age are less likely than noncaregivers to practice preventive healthcare and self-care behavior for a variety of reasons. Often they feel like there is a lack of time or financial resources. For whatever reason they tend to deprive themselves of sleep, good nutrition, exercise, rest when they are sick, and preventive medical care. They often feel isolated and alone with their responsibilities. They feel like they have no choices.

There is a choice however. Caregivers are not really all alone. There is help available in our community and support to make healthier decisions every day. Caregivers need to assume one more responsibility. They must assume responsibility for themselves and their own health.

It may be hard to take the first step asking for help or information once a person has convinced themselves that they are alone and doing things the only way they can be done, but the choice is take care of yourself or put yourself and the person you are caring for at risk. There is a reason we are cautioned to put our oxygen mask on first and then take care of the people we are responsible for every time we fly. Airlines know that there are some people who think of others first, even when faced with lack of air to breathe. The consequence is that they pass out and there is no one to take care of the people they are responsible for. Then the emergency becomes even worse! Family caregivers must take care of themselves to minimize risks for the people they are responsible for.

There are many great businesses and organizations all across the United States that provide services and information to help family caregivers provide care in a healthy way. It won’t take much time to check out these links which are for local businesses and agencies.

Aging Partners/Caregivers Support www.lincoln.ne.gov/aging
Caring Concepts www.caringconcepts.org
Home Access Solutions resource links www.HomeAccessSolutions.com
Nebraska Care Planning Council www.carenebraska.com
Southwest8Senior Services www.southwest8.org
The Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging www.enoa.org
The Respite Resource Center www.respitenetwork.org
The league of Human Dignity www.leagueofhumandignity.com

There is also a great radio talk show called “The Art of Aging” which is on Thursdays 4:00pm on KCRO 660 AM Hosted by Dale Percival & Cathy Wyatt from Financial Visions, LLC. Tuning into a radio program is easy and you don’t have to leave home.

Finally, I strongly recommend that family caregivers find a way to attend a Family Caregiver Retreat, “ A time for You” April 27 & 28th at Mahoney State Park as a way to jumpstart their resolution to find ways to care for themselves in addition to others. People will gain emotional, physical, emotional, and mental respite in addition to meeting others who are leading similar lives and leaving with constructive ideas for future success as a caregiver. Honestly I don’t think most caregivers I’ve met can afford to miss this. Download the flyer for information on events, respite options and funding, lodging, and potential room and registration scholarships. Call Donna Washburn at 1 800-247-0938 for information.

Please share the news and share the video. Spread the word about the retreat and resources to help the family caregiver save themselves.

1 Shultz, Richard and Beach, Scott (1999). Caregiving as A Risk for Mortality: The Caregiver Health Effects Study. JAMA, December 15, 1999 - Vol. 282, No.23

What is the cost of NOT using a stair glide?

2011-02-21T14:44:00.000-08:00

Stair glides do cost money, especially if you buy them from a reputable, experienced dealer who can provide product knowledge and service. I see my clients tempted everyday to save a little money and just keep on struggling up and down the stairs. I think this falls into the “penny wise, pound foolish” category of thinking.

Sometimes it is easier for a person to see the need when they’ve experienced a traumatic event and go from having no problems on the stairs to difficulty with them over a short period of time. They feel the impact that problems moving within their homes cause more keenly, and they are looking for solutions.

When the problem with negotiating steps comfortably has developed over a long period of time it is usually harder for a person to see the need for equipment like a stair glide. They may or may not have noticed that it simply takes more effort to go up and down the stairs. Perhaps they accept their arthritis pain as normal and aren’t aware of the stress that the stairs puts on their joints. Or they stumble one day and realize that they really haven’t felt comfortably balanced while maneuvering on stairs for quite a while. I will usually suspect a problem with the stairs when a person describes their daily routine in a way that makes it evident that they are arranging their lives around avoiding the stairs. I’ve met people living in older 2 story homes, who limit the amount of water they drink during the day because they don’t want to have to use the stairs to get upstairs to the bathroom. I know so many people who gradually become recluses simply because it takes too much effort or is too frightening to navigate steps to get outside.

Other people have told me quite proudly that they would never consider a stair glide. When I ask why they tell me that they believe they need the exercise or that they believe that they’ve been told by their physician or therapist that the stairs are good exercise for them. Now, I rarely come right out and disagree with another health professional, but I think there is a time and place for exercise and an area where the consequence of a mis-step is a tumble down the stairs is not it! If you have balance or strength problems, exercise somewhere else in your home where a fall is less likely to kill you.

Here are a few things we look for other than stairwell width, height, and length when we are recommending stair glides. These factors influence they type of options and features we recommend as well as the cost.

• Can the client get up and down out of chair safely? Do they need things like handles or grab bars for balance?

• Is there room at the top and bottom of the stairs for wheelchairs or walkers now and in the future? If the client uses mobility equipment, are they prepared to have duplicate equipment at the top and bottom of the system?

• Are there any structural changes that need to be made such as moving handrails, modifying doors around the track, or providing convenient electrical outlets?

• Will the track itself create a trip hazard at either the top or bottom of their stairs? Will the track present a hazard to others on the stairs?

• Is there clearance for their head and knees when they are riding? We have modified door casings at the top of a stairwell to provide a vital 1.5” of space for a tall person.

• What is the client’s weight? Larger weight capacity chairs cost more, but are worth it in the long run for safety, and a longer useful life if a person is close or over the manufacturer’s posted weight limit.

• Where are good locations for call/send switches.

• What safety improvements can we make around the chair glide such as removal of clutter, removal of loose throw rugs, and improvement of lighting?

Compared to your safety, your independence, and the quality of every day living, a stair glide for a straight stairwell is usually pretty cheap. Curved stairwells or stairwells with landings are more expensive as the track is often customized but is still usually less expensive than moving or a trip to the emergency room and rehab. We think the quality of your life is worth at least considering a safe way to have use of every level of your home.

Modular Ramps – Good all year round!

2011-02-14T11:13:00.000-08:00

People can’t always choose the time of year that they need to have a ramp installed. Modular aluminum ramps may be an option to get someone in the door of their home as fast as possible even when there is snow on the ground and ice everywhere.

Modular ramps can be installed on pavers and in a matter of hours. When a client needs us to provide a ramp mid-winter, we can set it up and then come back in the spring and make any minor leveling adjustments needed as the snow and ice melt away.

Modular ramps are actually a great option for a lot of people all year round. They are fast to install, have a high weight capacity, and require less maintenance over the years than most wood ramps. They come with a variety of handrail and landing options. Take a look at a comparison chart for Aluminum vs Wood produced by EZAccess™.

Modular ramps are popular with our clients who rent and also with landlords in town. It is simple for us to move the ramps from house to house and the modular design allows us to add or subtract pieces to keep the ramps at a safe slope. There is minimal impact on the property for the renter to fix when they leave.

So when you need access to your home and you are thinking ramps, keep modular ramps in mind as an option.

The Home Access Magic Wand

2011-01-24T10:29:00.000-08:00

Sorry Virginia, there is no magic access wand.

Sometimes we can tell that we are disappointing the person standing in front of us at a health fair or talking to us on the phone. We are simply too responsible to attempt to solve their home accessibility answer without more information and usually without going to their home. Sometimes they’ve given long explanations of what is going on and what isn’t working, and we have listened. But even when they can accurately describe their abilities and what their home looks like, they are only able to give us their perspective of those things.

While our client’s perspective is critical and plays a huge role in the recommendations we make, they deny themselves the benefit of our objectivity and experience over the years if they ask us to rely solely on their impressions.

Here are a few reasons why a responsible access consultant won’t just attempt to solve problems for people without a good individual and on-site review:

1. There are accessibility guidelines that some people think can be used like a cookbook for access such as the Americans with Disability Accessibility Act Guidelines, but these are not designed to meet the personal need of every individual and they aren’t required in private residences unless they’ve been incorporated into a building code.

2. Every person is different from others and should be treated individually. Even two people with the same medical condition, same age, same size, and same sex, will have different goals, preferences and abilities.

3. Houses are very different from each other.

In short, there really is no notebook or cookbook that says what is exactly right for every person and we know there is really no such thing as accessibility magic wands so we have to rely on good old evaluation, knowledge about a multitude of options, and the experience to match those options with the individual’s needs. We feel like the best way to solve an access issue is to listen to a person to understand their goals and observe them in the environment they want to change. So if you give us a call with an access question, we really don’t want to disappoint you. Expect a thorough residential access answer to include a visit to you in your residence.

If you want an objective, professional solution to your residential access problem, call us and set an appointment with one of our designers. We provide in-home assessments with no travel fee in the Greater Omaha, Nebraska area. All other areas in Nebraska and Iowa are possible with a travel fee. We will give you a firm estimate of your costs for consultation when you call to make an appointment.

Home Sweet Home

2011-01-18T08:31:00.000-08:00

Think about this the next time you drive up to your own “Home Sweet Home”. Most people don’t have any problems getting into their own homes and know that they are going to be able to use any part of the house they want to, safely and easily. People who have physical disabilities don’t always get to assume these things, because the average house presents many barriers to independence and safety. It’s easy to sit back and assume that the issue is so big that one person can’t do anything about it, but you can. You can do it today.

People typically want to live on their own. You may not realize how many different efforts are going on in Nebraska to make independent living a reality for everyone. Home Access Solutions provides private residential access design and remodeling services. We work with architects, other remodelers, and builders to customize homes and sell equipment for people who have disabilities or who want to age in place. There are government and non-profit agencies in Nebraska such as The Assistive Technology Partnership, The Greater Omaha Chapter of the National Safety Council, and the League of Human Dignity that are involved in the effort to provide information and resources for homes that meet the needs of seniors and people with disabilities. Many support groups such as The Midlands Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association, United Cerebral Palsy Association of Nebraska, and ALS in the Heartland to name just a few, include information about living at home in the resources they make available. Then there are countless individuals who see the need for more homes and resources and have taken the problem into their own hands such as Ben Leypoldt and his family who live with the problem of in-accessible housing every day.

The desire to live on one’s own is a pretty common feeling, but how that is accomplished can be extremely unique. Among people who have disabilities there is a great range in the way people move, grasp, balance, see, hear, and interact with the environment around them. Just like among people without disabilities, there is also a great range in what they want to be able to do in their home and how they want that home to look. Not everyone needs or wants the same thing in a house. So when Ben and his family decided from their own personal experiences that they wanted to do something to encourage more choices for independent living in their hometown, they decided to start first with asking questions about what other people with disabilities would like to have in a home. Ben didn’t assume that everyone would need or want the same things he wants and uses in his home.

Right now, Ben is collecting information in a short survey. If you have a disability that changes how you live in a home, please take the time to fill it out. If you know someone with a disability, please forward this blog or the link to them and ask them to take the survey at www.livingonyourhome.org.

We actually have a lot of information and resources available in Nebraska compared to other parts of the United States, but we don’t have enough yet. One way to improve housing for everyone is to talk about it and collect information to discover what’s needed. Filling out the survey or passing the information on is one way you can help. Do it today.

Make 2011 a Year for Change

2011-01-03T07:52:00.000-08:00

At Home Access Solutions we work with the changes that occur due to disability and aging. It’s not uncommon for people to deny the need to change in response to disability or aging and it’s not uncommon for that act of denial to lead to disastrous loss of independence and quality of life. Watching people destroy themselves makes me unhappy. It is so sad, and so unnecessary.

I understand that you may be tempted to click right off this web page right now. No one, absolutely no one wants to hear someone tell them that they themselves should consider changing. But I’m going to give you the benefit of the doubt that you are intelligent and brave enough to hang in there for a few minutes. Besides, I might be talking about someone else changing, not you.

When W. Edwards Deming said, "It is not necessary to change. Survival is not mandatory.” he was talking about managing a business not life in general. However, I believe it is applicable to managing your life when you are faced with changes around you that are beyond your control.

Since thinking or talking about aging and disability makes some of you uncomfortable let’s talk about change in a regular every day, every person life. Let’s look at getting food to eat. We all do that. With the recent upheavals in our economy, I’m sure you know someone who has had a reduction in income. They still need to eat. So they have a choice. They can continue to buy food and groceries the same way that they did when they had more income, or they can adjust in response to the changed situation. They can choose to continue to spend money at the same rate or choose to change the way they spend on groceries and food- eat out less, eat at less expensive places, or choose more economical dishes to cook. You can see where this is going. If they don’t change in response to the changes around them – reduced income – DENY if you will the need to change, they will run out of money and not be able to feed themselves at all. If they acknowledge the need to change the way they obtain food and groceries, and spend less, they have a better chance of continuing to do what is important- Eat. Respond positively to the changes around you and you will win. Deny the need to change and you’ll lose.

I understand that it isn’t easy to acknowledge the need to change something about yourself, much less embrace it, when you don’t feel like you asked for the change and you didn’t really cause the situation to change around you. A person who has to change because of a disability or aging usually hasn’t asked to become disabled or older. I’ve listened to my clients ask why they have to change. Whether it feels fair or not, it’s their life and their situation, and success or failure lies in how they respond to the changes in their abilities and circumstance. Denying the need to change by figuratively or literally crossing your arms, drawing your line in the sand, standing firm, and resisting change all feel so pro-active. These actions make you feel like you are taking charge and preventing loss. It’s a false feeling. It’s the first step on the road to disastrous loss of independence, of choice, and of quality of life.

Just like in my story about reduced income and eating. The way to win when change is necessary is to change how you respond so that you can continue to do what is really important to you. Here are some concrete examples that a lot of people facing changes due to disability or aging face: Which is more important, the way you get in and out of bed or that you can get in and out of bed? Which is more important, the equipment you use to move through your house safely or that you can move around in your house at all? It’s really the end result that matters. Respond actively to the changes around you and you will win. Deny the need to change and you’ll lose.

Thanks for listening to me talk about the big scary C word- Change. I hope that my words will give you the tools you need to delight in the world around you and stay excited about the adventure of living. To do this, embrace change.

To reward you for hanging in there, I’ve collected some quotes about change and added one of my own. Email me with your favorite from my list or another great one you find somewhere else. I will select one person from all the responses I receive before January 15th to win a $25.00 Amazon.com gift certificate.

"We would rather be ruined than changed;
We would rather die in our dread
Than climb the cross of the moment
And let our illusions die."
--W.H. Auden

"If you don't like something, change it. If you can't change it, change your attitude. Don't complain." --Maya Angelou

“Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.”
Winston Churchill

"When you are through changing, you are through." --Bruce Barton

"Change is hard because people overestimate the value of what they have -- and underestimate the value of what they may gain by giving that up." --James Belasco and Ralph Stayer, Flight of the Buffalo (1994)

"If you come to a fork in the road, take it. --Yogi Berra

"The first step toward change is awareness. The second step is acceptance.” --Nathaniel Branden

"He who rejects change is the architect of decay. The only human institution which rejects progress is the cemetery." --Harold Wilson

"Nothing is easy to the unwilling." --Thomas Fuller

“If you don't think every day is a good day, just try missing one.” Cavett Robert

“Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future." --John F. Kennedy

“The only disability in life is a bad attitude.” Scott Hamilton

“You will never change your life until you change something you do daily.” --Mike Murdock

“You can’t go out and conquer the world if you can’t get out of the bathroom.” BevVan Phillips

“God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.” --Reinhold Niebuhr

"God grant me the serenity to accept the people I cannot change, the courage to change the one I can, and the wisdom to know it's me." --Unknown

"People don't resist change. They resist being changed!" --Peter Senge

“The problem is not the problem; the problem is your attitude about the problem."
--Unknown

“It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change." --Unknown, commonly misattributed to Charles Darwin

“The time to begin most things is ten years ago.” Mignon McLaughlin

“Do not resent growing old. Many are denied the privilege.” Author Unknown

"It is not necessary to change. Survival is not mandatory." W. Edwards Deming

Email me with your favorite from my list or another great one you find somewhere else. I will select one person from all the responses I receive before January 15th to win a $25.00 Amazon.com gift certificate.

Use the simple Holiday light wireless remote in bigger and better ways

2010-12-14T09:10:00.000-08:00

The simple and inexpensive wireless remote many of us use to light holiday decorations can be used to help seniors or people with disabilities in many every day activities. Most of us use these remotes to avoid going out in the cold for our exterior lights or to avoid crawling under the Christmas tree. Imagine for a minute, what life is like for a person who has difficulty handling light switches, phones, tv remotes, or thermostats due to disabilities. What you can accomplish with a tool like the wireless remote then moves from convenience to necessity.

Devices very similar to the wireless remote available in hardware stores everywhere for less than $25 could be a powerful life-changing tool. Electronic Aids to Daily Living or EADL are what these devices are called when used by a person with a disability to achieve a greater level of independence at home, school, work, or in recreation. EADL range from the generic and fairly simple, such as devices that use existing household electrical system with plug in receivers and transmitters like X-10 http://www.x10pro.com, to the specialized and often complex devices that operate a wide variety of electric/battery operated equipment such as Quartet technology http://www.qtiusa.com. EADLs enable people to do things like operate emergency call equipment, open doors, operate telephones, control lights, fans, TVs, or audio systems.

A person with very limited physical abilities would benefit from a professional assessment of their goals and skills as well as practice with the equipment in order to make sure they get something that will actually work for them. Not all therapists are experienced in EADL to make these assessments, but we are lucky enough in our area to have some professionals and clinics that do. Give us a call if you are looking for referrals. You can also search the Equipment portion of the Assistive Technology website in Nebraska www.at4all.com and the Assistive Technology website in Iowa www.iowacompass.org

Whatever you do, don’t let the name EADL frighten you away from doing simple, common sense adaptations though. What a powerful safety tool, something as simple as a wireless remote could be for an older person who would like to turn lights on in the path to the bathroom at night.

So share the news and share the video. You can use everyday items like a holiday wireless remote to improve the everyday living and everyday caregiving of the person in your life who is a senior or a person with a disability.

FUNctional Gifts from A to Z

2010-11-29T12:00:00.000-08:00

We are heading into the season when many of us start thinking about gifts for the people we care about. Giving a gift is a loving gesture. The best gifts are those people treasure long after they are unwrapped and ones that have meaning and purpose.

If you have friends or family that are older or that have significant disabilities you may be at a loss for a great gift idea. Sometimes it is hard to come up with that perfect gift that is useable and meaningful. Let us help you think out of the box and skip the same old knick knacks and aftershave collections! How much of that stuff can one house hold? Download our list of FUNctional Gift Ideas from A-Z. You will find ideas that are useful, some that are fun, some that you can buy, and some that you can make. Get busy, Give the Gift of Independence and Safety to someone you love today!

One Size Does Not Fit All

2010-11-09T12:55:00.000-08:00

No one who needs residential access or equipment for daily living is exactly like anyone else and doesn’t live in a home that is exactly like anyone else’s. How much sense does it make to assume that the same access equipment or modification that works for one person is going to work for everyone? It doesn’t. so Why do we repeatedly hear stories such as a family getting a ceiling track lift for a growing 3 year old and ending up with a sling for a small adult. Worse yet, the whole point of the lift system was to assist with toilet training, but the sling provided was a full body sling. That means it had no toilet hole. A system designed to last for years, costing the agency funding it thousands of dollars and it doesn’t work for the family at all because the company selling it took the one size fits all approach. As it turns out, the company providing the winning, lowest bid had not even been to the home.

Access is a personal thing. It is an adaptation that matches a person’s goals, skills, size, medical condition, developmental status, environment, and preferences. When you need residential access find a building professional or designer who understands this concept. They also need to know something both about construction and disability or aging. One place to look is at the National Association of Home Builder’s website for a professional with a CAPS (Certified Aging in Place Specialist) designation. http://www.nahb.org/directory.aspx?directoryID=188 Avoid working with designers or contractors who try to blindly apply American With Disability Act Guidelines to residential situations. ADAAG are a good starting place and have to be used if they’ve been incorporated into your area’s building code, but they weren’t designed with your personal situation at home in mind.

If equipment is recommended, make every effort to try it yourself if possible. If demo equipment isn’t available, learn enough about the equipment to know how it works and what you need to be able to do to operate it. Work with a knowledgeable salesperson who knows the equipment and is willing to take the time to evaluate your skills and environment. He or she can at least help you simulate using the equipment and can help you understand how the equipment is going to work in your home.

You are unique, your home is unique, your situation is unique. How can one size fits all fit your needs? It probably won’t. Take the time to match your home modification and equipment to your unique situation. Then you will have a solution that will work. Download our short guide to help you start the planning process.

Review Your Drug Plan

2010-10-28T08:02:00.000-07:00

Review your Medicare drug plan annually – especially on years like this, when there are changes in what is available.

Home Access Solutions, Inc. works with designs and equipment that help people live independently at home. We usually don’t have anything to do with drugs, but we work with, and know, people who rely on prescriptions for their health and well being. Many of those people use Medicare for their prescription coverage. I recently attended an educational forum and learned some interesting things about the Medicare Drug Plan. Some of those things frightened me a little because I know that so many people, who need medication, run the risk of poor coverage or interrupted coverage. I just had to do my part to to help educate people at risk.

To learn more, I visited the wonderful folks at Volunteers Assisting Seniors (402) 444-6614. They are part of Nebraska’s State Health Insurance Program (SHIP) and offer free personalized health insurance counseling.

They provided me with the following information about why Seniors should review their drug plan every year and information about some of the changes we can expect this year.

“Each year, Medicare drug plans change and your medication needs can change. It’s not uncommon for drug plans to change their premiums, the drugs they cover on their formularies and the pricing on drugs. It’s important to review and compare plans to make sure that you will have a plan for 2011 that will offer the best pricing and coverage for your specific medication needs. The best way to do this is to compare the plans that will be available in your area. To do a comparison, you would make a list of your drugs, the dosages and the amounts you take as well as your pharmacy of choice and then use the drug comparison tool on Medicare’s website to compare plans. You should look for the overall annual cost for the plan, if all of your medications are on the plans formulary, if there are any restrictions, such as quantity limits or prior authorizations and if your pharmacy of choice will accept the plan.

In 2011, there are 15 drug plans that will no longer be available. If you had one of these plans in 2010, you will need to find a new plan for 2011, as your coverage will end Dec. 31st. Notification of loss of coverage should be sent to beneficiaries in October. You will be able to find a new plan during the open enrollment period so that it will be effective on January 1 and you will not have any lapse in coverage. If a beneficiary does not find a new plan during the open enrollment period, Medicare will give them a “Special Enrollment Period” of one month (January) to enroll in a new plan. Coverage will not be effective until Feb 1, which means a beneficiary has the potential to be without coverage during January.”

If you want some information about what do do, one source of information is the 2011 Medicare handbook: http://www.medicare.gov/publications/pubs/pdf/10050.pdf . However, if you prefer to work with people who have already read the manual and have the training to decipher it, you have other options. You can contact Volunteers Assisting Seniors (402) 444-6614. to schedule an appointment with a trained volunteer who help you use the Medicare.gov website, help you with a drug comparison, and help with enrolling you in a new plan, if you find one that will better meet your needs in 2011.

You can also attend one of the several local events Volunteers assisting Seniors have planned. The Southwest 8 Area Aging on Aging and the Iowa SHIIP program also have some local events. I’ve attached both lists for you. Omaha Council Bluffs If you don’t live in either of these areas, you can go to www.shiptalk.org to find your local SHIPS office.

The open enrollment period is November 15 through December 31. It is just around the corner. We at Home Access Solutions hope that if you use Medicare, you will take steps to help yourself. If you know people who use Medicare for prescription benefits, please make sure they know what they should do.

Is your bathroom the scariest room in your house?

2010-10-15T07:35:00.000-07:00

Are you afraid of what may happen when you are in your bathroom? Do you stay up at night wondering just how safe your older parents are in their bathroom? If so, you are not alone. Ask anyone what is the scariest place in their home and if they have a disability or mobility/balance issues, they will probably tell you it is the bathroom. It doesn’t have to be that way.

We know instinctively that the bathroom is a dangerous place. Falls occur from slips and trips. Slips occur most often on wet surfaces. What floor do we tend to drip water on most often? Trips come from obstructions we don’t see. Which room is often small with limited storage so things may be placed on the floor or on storage shelves placed in the walkway? Many falls occur when lighting is inadequate. What room in older homes is usually lit by a single set of lights that we reduce even further when we close shower curtains? Better yet, if we wear glasses, what room do we routinely take them off in? Other falls occur when a person’s ability to balance isn’t adequate for the tasks they are engaged in. What room requires us to step over a 15” high barrier such as the side of a tub, get on the floor such as getting into a tub, bend over such as pulling up pants after toileting? To top it all off, which room of our house is so small that if we fall on the floor we are likely to block the door shut with our body so no one can get in to help us? Of course we know the bathroom is a scary place, but it doesn’t have to be.

Safety can be improved in most bathrooms with careful attention to matching the environment to a person’s abilities and a willingness to try something new. It may be as simple as a well placed grab bar or a rug to absorb moisture that is really slip resistant to. For some homes, it may be a little more involved such as replacing a standard tub with a barrier free or walk in shower, or adding a walk in tub. Thinking about making a change may be difficult, but consider the alternative.

Take a look at these facts from the article Falls Among Older Adults: An Overview the Center for Disease control www.cdc.gov

• More than one third of adults 65 and older fall each year in the United States (Hornbrook et al. 1994; Hausdorff et al. 2001).

• Among older adults, falls are the leading cause of injury deaths. They are also the most common cause of nonfatal injuries and hospital admissions for trauma (CDC 2005).

• In 2005, 15,800 people 65 and older died from injuries related to unintentional falls; about 1.8 million people 65 and older were treated in emergency departments for nonfatal injuries from falls, and more than 433,000 of these patients were hospitalized (CDC 2005).

• The rates of fall-related deaths among older adults rose significantly over the past decade (Stevens 2006).

How can we look at facts like these, know the bathroom is one of the most useful, but most dangerous places in our home, and still not take action to save ourselves and people we love?

Take action today. Educate yourself on ways to make your bathroom safer. It may be easier and less expensive than you think it will be. If you want some help planning a functional and beautiful bathroom experience give us a call. You are worth it.

And the Worst Access Issue Is.....

2010-09-27T09:55:00.000-07:00

What is the worst access issue a person with a disability can face in their homes?

Ask any three people what they think the worst residential accessibility problem is and you are likely to get three different answers. I did some searching on line and I really didn’t find any valid research where the question was addressed. If you find it, please let me know. I will post it, share it, and learn from it! You can look at the development of Fair Housing Standards and also Visitability standards for Atlanta Georgia and Austin Texas and it seems that access to the house and the bathroom are addressed, with access to the house done first. http://www.wid.org/publications/accessible-housing-database-and-manual

Our records show that our clients usually have us address bathrooms, transfers, and access to the home, in that order. A good number of clients have often already addressed access to the home before calling us. They believe that a regular contractor or a family member had the ability to construct a ramp that would work. Frankly, I’m not always impressed with the quality and safety of what they end up with and I know many have ended up with ramps when low rise, deep tread steps or a lift might have been more functional or longer lasting for them, but I digress. My experience is that people with new disabilities, think about getting into the house first. Once they are there, the bathroom quickly becomes the most problematic room. Finally, transfers become important as they are needed whenever a person wants to move from one area to the other or when safety for both the individual and their caregivers is compromised with inadequate transfer technique or equipment.

Just for fun, we asked Occupational Therapists attending the Nebraska Occupational Therapy Association Fall conference to vote on which of the 3 access issues they thought was the worst. Keep in mind, this was a sample of OTs and OT students who happened to pass our booth and who chose to vote. Twenty nine voted for the bathroom, 8 voted for access to the house, and one voted for transfers. About half of them noted that it really wasn’t a good vote as they needed to ask the person living in the home which was the worst issue for them.

Trust these fine Nebraskan Occupational Therapists to hit the nail on the head or to at least think like I do. I believe that the worst access issue a person can face in their homes is the one that is causing the most problem for them right now. So to paraphrase one of the more practical minded and blunt employees at Home Access Solutions – Who cares about surveys? People know what they want when they call us.

That is one benefit of working with a private residential accessibility planning company like Home Access Solutions, Inc. We have a great deal of practical experience and access to research to help you achieve successful access to your home, but you are the person who has the deciding vote about what the worst access is for you. You are the captain of the access team.

Don't Burn Your Money

2010-09-13T07:44:00.000-07:00

Residential accessibility does not always have to be expensive. It doesn’t even always involve structural remodeling. Wow! Isn’t that good news? Who wouldn’t want to save money these days? Spending money you don’t need to or spending it unwisely is almost as bad as simply just putting it in the grill and lighting it on fire! What a waste!

Money is important. At Home Access Solutions we know that, and we respect our customer’s budgets. We save people money because our designs are based on a person’s goals, abilities, and medical condition and we have the experience and knowledge to offer a range of solutions, some of which are really inexpensive.

When it is desirable or necessary to make structural changes, it is important to build in the space you need for your mobility equipment and your transfer style. For example, we recently worked with some people who were planning a bathroom remodel for a person with a progressive medical condition. They had no experience with wheelchairs yet and just weren’t able to imagine how the chairs make corners. They’d received a design from a person skilled in building that would have actually made it more difficult to pass into the bathroom, and they would have paid for a shower base that would be much easier for her to step in now, but would not allow a transition to a roll-in shower. That would have meant another painful decision in the future to either make another modification or do without a real bath. At Home Access Solutions we think spending money on modifications that don’t match your abilities and mobility equipment is like watching your money go up in smoke.

We also believe that there are also too many people who waste money through inaction. Too many people decide that access or access equipment is too expensive before they get the real information they need. They quit before they even begin! If you think about it, not spending money by doing nothing at all when you need to make some changes to make your home safer or easier to use, isn’t really saving money. I challenge you to compare the cost of an accident that might result in a hip fracture or a head injury to the cost of reasonable accessible design. It is a great bet for us when the access design might not even require remodeling.

For example, a bath slider is a useful piece of equipment that can save the cost of a bathroom remodel and doorway widening. The user can get into it in a bedroom or other location where there is room to move around. The slider is 22” inches wide and passes through even those tiny little 24” doors that are still so common on bathrooms. The slider is attached to a stand sitting in the bathtub. The caregiver locks the rolling base and tub base together creating a bridge into the tub and then slides the seat over the bridge. If you have some interest in a bath slider, give us a call. The equipment works, but it is large. You’ll want a professional familiar with the equipment to see your bathroom or view a floor plan of the room to make sure it will work for you.

Just recently we worked with a family who thought they would have to replace the entire tub with a barrier free shower. Unfortunately the cost of that remodel was too much for them to tackle right now. Rather than continue with the dangerous transfers they were doing - literally pulling the man of the family up off the tub floor, we provided them with a tub bather system. Replacing the glass shower door and frame with a curtain rod and curtain, providing a hand held shower and the tub bather system and training was right around $500. That is a low price to pay for privacy and dignity in the tub and removing the daily hazard of one person pulling another off the tub floor!

So don’t burn through your money on un-usable modifications or through doing nothing at all. We urge you to share these stories with people who need to know that there are so many options to solve access and safety problems around the home and that it is possible to do it economically. The key is working with a professional who listens to your goals, knows about equipment and access remodeling, and who is willing to keep your budget in mind.

To see more on these systems check out our flyers on them.

Bathroom Safety

2010-08-26T07:00:00.000-07:00

What do grab bars and footballs have in common? Actually both are attempted by amateurs, but professional application requires knowledge and skill. That may be a stretch, but hopefully we captured your attention and you will read on about grab bars which we know most people don’t find nearly as exciting as watching their favorite team in action.

People aren’t usually excited when we suggest that they may want to install a grab bar or two. They believe that a person needs to be totally infirm, or older than they are, in order to need a grab bar. We hear statements like “ Well, I don’t want my bathroom to look like a gas station”, “I don’t want to affect the value of my home”, or “When I need one, I’ll have my brother Bobby run over here and put it in.” We don’t believe that grab bars have to look horrible, they don’t detract from value or beauty when done properly, and we have burning curiosity about how a person is going to anticipate the exact moment of need and get “brother Bobby” over there the day before they fall. We know grab bars installed after the fact aren’t nearly as life saving as those thoughtfully installed well before the need arises.

Here’s the deal. All people, at any time of their lives reach out and grab things when they start to fall. A grab bar is simply something designed to be grabbed. It stays put when you grab it as opposed to a towel rack or a walker, or the corner of a dresser. A grab bar used for balance instead of something unreliable like the corner of a sink, doesn’t contribute to the risk of falling. Also, who says grab bars need to look medicinal and drab? If that is your choice, fine! We like to use colors to compliment décor as well as increase safety, by making them easier to see. There are over 180 colors we can use with Best Bath System grab bars. We have a client who recently chose a red which matched her wall paper border, but it inspired us as it also matched the color of many Nebraskan’s favorite football team! Now that is an exciting grab bar!

Grab bar color can really be fun and functional, but you also need to keep two other things in mind to make a grab bar actually work for you. We provide professional grab bar installation, but we are often see the results of mistakes people make thinking that selecting and mounting a grab bar is a simple process.

Here is our critical rule number one: Make sure that the grab bar is securely mounted to some structure in the house or with newer technology blind fasteners designed for grab bars. Knowledge and skill with various blind fasteners and blocking techniques allow you to be able to work with critical rule number two.

Critical rule number two: You must put the grab bars where they are needed based on the individual’s abilities and what they are using the bar for. This seems like a simple concept, but you wouldn’t believe how many homes we walk into where the decision for grab bar location was based solely on where the home-owner or handyman could find studs. A grab bar isn’t magic. You have to reach it easily for it to really be any good. Your therapist or our access designers can help you decide placement based on your mobility, height, strength, and how you are using the device while you move.

So, join us as cheerleaders for bathroom safety! Share the news and this video with people who need to know about grab bars – that is everybody! Remember the best time to install is before you need it, give some thought as to where a bar really needs to be placed for maximum effectiveness, and get it installed properly. If you are into color whether to enhance safety or to match décor or your favorite team colors we encourage you to go for it!

Clients Sharing the News

2010-08-11T08:39:00.000-07:00

Did you get your message in a bottle?

If someone asked me, what is one of the biggest mistakes that people make when it comes to accessibility and safety in their home, I would have to say that it is simply not getting started. No one wants to hear the message about home modifications until they actually need it “yesterday!”

We meet people at health fairs, on the street, or they are referred to us. All too often they actually limp up to us or use mobility equipment like a cane or walker, or have already fallen, and when we talk about using equipment or making changes that would increase safety or reduce effort, they tell us “Oh that is great, but I’m not at that point yet.” We hear it so often and we’ve talked about creating staff T-shirts that say -When is “That Point”? We know, we know. No one would get that message either. Sometimes we feel like we are shouting out a message that no one wants to hear or perhaps we have a message that is doomed to be lost for years, just like the old message in a bottle.

We know that it is human nature to believe that we are never going to change; we won’t be the ones that have the horrible accidents; and we won’t be the ones whose spouses, parents, or children need us to learn the skills of nurses and therapists. As humans, we believe this right up until the moment that our worlds start to fall apart. We also know that people don’t want to make changes because they don’t know what to do or they don’t know who to turn to for good advice.

There was a great study done by AARP and other organizations that addressed what people wanted to do and what they were actually doing about aging in place. AARP study If you read through the study you’ll see that it confirms the things we see at Home Access Solutions every day. Much larger numbers of people believe they will be living at home all their lives than the smaller numbers of people who are actually taking action to make that dream a reality.

We often work with people facing big problems and our job is to help them find a way to make their home safer, accessible, and easier to live in. Though we’d prefer to help people avoid crises by planning ahead, we think we do a pretty good job of helping clients through crisis by coming up with practical solutions. Our clients think so too. Most of our new work comes from referrals from clients and the health professionals who work with them.

We hope that you will listen to the testimonials from our clients and check out the things people have shared for our web site. Link to testimonials What we really hope is that their comments will motivate you to be among the few who truly prepare for aging in place and that if you ever need the help, you will remember to search out people like us and companies like Home Access Solutions. Accessibility Remodeling and Adaptive Equipment can help you keep going and living life to the fullest.

Why We Love Sure Hands

2010-07-27T08:14:00.000-07:00

Picking People Up

People are not the best things to lift: They wiggle or move unexpectedly, you usually need to lift them in an area of the home that doesn’t allow for good body mechanics, and even the smallest adult weighs more than most people are capable of lifting. So what do most family caregivers do? They lift anyway.

Their motivation is usually good. The person they are caring for has to be moved. The caregiver is there to serve. What they don’t realize is that a back injury is just one transfer away- and you don’t know which transfer it is going to be. And just what is going to happen to the person needing to be moved when the caregiver can’t give care anymore?

According to the OSHA website, “Back disorders can develop gradually as a result of microtrauma brought about by repetitive activity over time or can be the product of a single traumatic event. Because of the slow and progressive onset of this internal injury, the condition is often ignored until the symptoms become acute, often resulting in disabling injury. Acute back injuries can be the immediate result of improper lifting techniques and/or lifting loads that are too heavy for the back to support. While the acute injury may seem to be caused by a single well-defined incident, the real cause is often a combined interaction of the observed stressor coupled with years of weakening of the musculoskeletal support mechanism by repetitive micro-trauma. Injuries can arise in muscle, ligament, vertebrae, and discs, either singly or in combination."

http://www.osha.gov/dts/osta/otm/otm_vii/otm_vii_1.html

Many of us therapist spend a lot of time practicing transfers ourselves and teaching others the best ways we know of to manually move people from one surface to another. Unfortunately, many caregivers don’t receive or don’t remember the training and the areas like beds or small bathrooms don’t allow them to employ safe body mechanics. They are often not really assisting someone to move, but bodily moving them. There is some thought that for this type of lift “training caregivers how to use proper body mechanics to lift residents is not an effective prevention measure because lifting the weight of adult patients is intrinsically unsafe”

Safe Lifting and Movement of Nursing Home Residents CDC National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health

http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/ergonomics/default.html#lift
The good news is that there are ways to move people that don’t pose risks to caregivers or the people they are moving. It may be simple items like pivot disks or transfer boards, but there are also great pieces of equipment to use when a person is dependent upon others for lifting.

Motorized lift systems can be floor based, wall based, or ceiling based. The motor provides the lifting power. A ceiling based motor can be independently propelled or moved by a caregiver. Ceiling based systems don’t take up floor space and the caregiver doesn’t have to move the weight of the person and the lift.

Home Access Solutions is the exclusive dealer for SureHands Lift and Care Systems in Nebraska and much of Iowa. SureHands is the US distributor for Handimove International, so this is a system of products used around the world to help people stay in their homes. I chose to represent this product when I was looking for solutions for my clients, because of 3 things: flexibility, reliability, and the philosophy of the SureHands and Handimove companies. www.surehands.com

Problems with transfers drives too many people out of their homes and hurts too many caregivers! Don’t let that happen to you or someone you love! You can visit the Surehands web site at, give us a call at 402-291-9514 and talk to us about an evaluation to determine the right system for you. Please forward this video to people you know who really need to learn about safe ways to transfer. i.e. pick people up!

Preparing for the Future Financially

2010-07-09T07:34:00.000-07:00

Your goal is to grow older, right? Of course it is. What is the alternative? That is unfortunately as far as most of us are going to go in our planning. We have a vague idea that we want to stick around for tomorrow. In the back of our mind we believe that if we live well everything is going to somehow work out. But will it?

Home Access Solutions focuses on the structure of the home and equipment that is used for safety and independence, but we work closely with other companies all over town that focus on other aspects of successfully aging and living well. One important area is preparing financially. I hope you enjoyed the interview with Dale Percival of Financial Visions. He is the right kind of person to work with to make sure that you have the resources you need to age successfully. We meet too many people who achieve long lives, but don’t have the resources to enjoy it.

There are many great articles on the Financial Vision’s website, at www.FinancialVisionsLLC.com, but one of my favorites is titled simply “How Much Do I Need to Save?” I’ve included it below. I urge you to read it and prepare yourself for a long and happy life! Then you won’t have to worry about having the money you need to modify your home, continue to vacation and eat out, or whatever you want to do when you age exactly the way you want to.

How Much Do I Need to Save?

Many Americans realize the importance of saving for retirement, but knowing exactly how much they need to save is another issue altogether. With all the information available about retirement, it is sometimes difficult to decipher what is appropriate for your specific situation.

One rule of thumb is that retirees will need approximately 80% of their pre-retirement salaries to maintain their lifestyles in retirement. However, depending on your own situation and the type of retirement you hope to have, that number may be higher or lower.

Fortunately, there are several factors that can help you work toward a retirement savings goal.

Retirement Age

The first factor to consider is the age at which you expect to retire. In reality, many people anticipate that they will retire later than they actually do; unexpected issues, such as health problems or workplace changes (downsizing, etc.), tend to stand in their way. Of course, the earlier you retire, the more money you will need to last throughout retirement. It’s important to prepare for unanticipated occurrences that could force you into an early retirement.

Life Expectancy

Although you can’t know what the duration of your life will be, there are a few factors that may give you a hint.

You should take into account your family history—how long your relatives have lived and diseases that are common in your family—as well as your own past and present health issues. Also consider that life spans are becoming longer with recent medical developments. More people will be living to age 100, or perhaps even longer. When calculating how much you need to save, you need to factor in the number of years you will spend in retirement.

You should take into account your family history—how long your relatives have lived and diseases that are common in your family—as well as your own past and present health issues. Also consider that life spans are becoming longer with recent medical developments. More people will be living to age 100, or perhaps even longer. When calculating how much you need to save, you need to factor in the number of years you will spend in retirement.

Future Health-Care Needs

Another factor to consider is the cost of health care. Health-care costs have been rising much faster than general inflation, and fewer employers are offering health benefits to retirees. Long-term care is another consideration. These costs could severely dip into your savings and even result in your filing for bankruptcy if the need for care is prolonged.

Factoring in higher costs for health care during retirement is vital, and you might want to consider purchasing long-term-care insurance to help protect your assets.

Lifestyle

Another important consideration is your desired retirement lifestyle. Do you want to travel? Are you planning to be involved in philanthropic endeavors? Will you have an expensive country club membership? Are there any hobbies you would like to pursue? The answers to these questions can help you decide what additional costs your ideal retirement will require.

Many baby boomers expect that they will work part-time in retirement. However, if this is your intention and you find that working longer becomes impossible, you will still need the appropriate funds to support your retirement lifestyle.

Inflation

If you think you have accounted for every possibility when constructing a savings goal but forget this vital component, your savings could be far from sufficient. Inflation has the potential to lower the value of your savings from year to year, significantly reducing your purchasing power over time. It is important for your savings to keep pace with or exceed inflation.

Social Security

Many retirees believe that they can rely on their future Social Security benefits. However, this may not be true for you. The Social Security system is under increasing strain as more baby boomers are retiring and fewer workers are available to pay their benefits. And the reality is that Social Security currently provides only 27% of the total income of Americans aged 65 and older with at least $50,000 in annual household income.1 That leaves 73% to be covered in other ways.

And the Total Is…

After considering all these factors, you should have a much better idea of how much you need to save for retirement.

For example, let’s assume you believe that you will retire when you are 65 and spend a total of 20 years in retirement, living to age 85. Your annual income is currently $80,000, and you think that 75% of your pre-retirement income ($60,000) will be enough to cover the costs of your ideal retirement, including some travel you intend to do and potential health-care expenses. After factoring in the $12,000 annual Social Security benefit you expect to receive, a $10,000 annual pension from your employer, and 4% potential inflation, you end up with a total retirement savings amount of $760,000. (For your own situation, you can use a retirement savings calculator from your retirement plan provider or from a financial site on the Internet.)

The estimated total for this hypothetical example may seem daunting. But after determining your retirement savings goal and factoring in how much you have saved already, you will be able to determine how much you need to save each year to reach your destination. The important thing is to come up with a goal and then develop a strategy to help reach it. You don’t want to spend your retirement years wishing you had planned ahead when you had the time. The sooner you start saving and investing to reach your goal, the closer you will be to realizing your retirement dreams.

Source: 1) Income of the Population 55 or Older, 2006, Social Security Administration, 2009. Breakdown based on people aged 65 and older with at least $50,000 in annual household income.

This material was written and prepared by Emerald.
© 2010 Emerald Financial Visions LLC •1055 N. 115th St, Suite: 200 • Omaha, NE • 68154
Phone: (402) 827-5547 • Fax: 402-934-4107
www.financialvisionsllc.com •
Dale.Percival@financialvisionsllc.com
Ben.Koley@financialvisionsllc.com
Cathy.Wyatt@financialvisionsllc.com

Securities offered through Centaurus Financial Inc. Member FINRA/SIPC (www.finra.org / www.sipc.org). 1055 N 115th St., Suite 200, Omaha, NE 68154, (402) 827-5547. Centaurus Financial Inc. and Financial Visions LLC are not affiliated.

What's the Most DANGEROUS Place in Your Home?

2010-06-29T13:22:00.000-07:00

Your Bathroom may be the most dangerous room in your Home.

We know instinctively that the bathroom is a dangerous place. Falls occur from slips and trips. Slips occur most often on wet surfaces. What floor do we tend to drip water on most often? Trips come from obstructions we don’t see. Which room is often small with limited storage so things may be placed on the floor or on storage shelves placed in the walkway? Many falls occur when lighting is inadequate. What room in older homes is usually lit by a single set of lights that we reduce even further when we close shower curtains? Better yet, if we wear glasses, what room do we routinely take them off in? Other falls occur when a person’s ability to balance isn’t adequate for the tasks they are engaged in.

What room requires us to step over a 15” high barrier such as the side of a tub, get on the floor such as getting into a tub, bend over such as pulling up pants after toileting? To top it all off, which room of our house is so small that if we fall on the floor we are likely to block the door shut with our body so no one can get in to help us? Of course we know the bathroom is a scary place, but it doesn’t have to be.

Safety can be improved in most bathrooms with careful attention to matching the environment to a person’s abilities and a willingness to try something new. It may be as simple as a well placed grab bar or a rug to absorb moisture that is really slip resistant to. For some homes, it may be a little more involved such as replacing a standard tub with a barrier free or walk in shower, or adding a walk in tub. Thinking about making a change may be difficult, but consider the alternative.

Take a look at these facts from the article Falls Among Older Adults: An Overview the Center for Disease control www.cdc.gov.

• More than one third of adults 65 and older fall each year in the United States (Hornbrook et al. 1994; Hausdorff et al. 2001).

• Among older adults, falls are the leading cause of injury deaths. They are also the most common cause of nonfatal injuries and hospital admissions for trauma (CDC 2005).

• In 2005, 15,800 people 65 and older died from injuries related to unintentional falls; about 1.8 million people 65 and older were treated in emergency departments for nonfatal injuries from falls, and more than 433,000 of these patients were hospitalized (CDC 2005).

• The rates of fall-related deaths among older adults rose significantly over the past decade (Stevens 2006).
How can we look at facts like these, know the bathroom is one of the most useful, but most dangerous places in our home, and still not take action to save ourselves and people we love?

Take action today. Educate yourself on ways to make your bathroom safer. It may be easier and less expensive than you think it will be. If you want some help planning a functional and beautiful bathroom experience give us a call. We think you are worth it.

CAPS Specialists Won't Let You Get Locked Out!

2010-06-11T08:29:00.000-07:00

The right professional can help unlock the potential accessibility of your home. All too often people who have disabilities or people whose abilities change as they grow older feel like they are “locked out” of areas of their own homes. The average house is full of barriers to people who use wheelchairs or walkers, or who have balance or strength issues.

There are so many ways to change homes to remove these barriers, but how do you know what to do? How do you pick a design or building professional that has the skills to evaluate you and your situation so you spend your money on modifications or equipment that actually works for you?

AARP released a land mark study in the year 2000 http://assets.aarp.org/rgcenter/il/home_mod.pdf that made it crystal clear that:

- Americans prefer to stay in their own homes as they grow older but realize the home will have safety and access problems.

- People didn’t know what to do or who to ask to help them make changes to their homes.

- People didn’t trust building professionals to know what to do or to
treat them fairly.

The National Association of Home Builders Remodelers responded. In collaboration with AARP, NAHB Research Center and NAHB 50+ Housing Council, they developed the Certified Aging in Place Specialist Designation, CAPS. The CAPS is a multi-professional designation which is important as Home Modifications require knowledge not only of the structure of the home, but of people and the medical conditions that affect them, and of the huge variety of equipment available to increase independence in the home.

The course work introduces professionals experienced in their own trades such as therapists, interior designers, contractors, architects to the unique needs of the older adult population and reinforces good business management and utilization of a set of ethics.

People interested in finding professionals with a CAPS designation can go to the National Association of Home Builders web site to find a national directory.

http://www.nahb.org/generic.aspx?sectionID=717&genericContentID=46799

BevVan Phillips was among the first CAPS professionals in the state of Nebraska and we are proud to announce that the newest members of the Home Access Solutions, Inc staff have completed the educational requirements to obtain their CAPS designation.

Brady Croft has a background in the building trades and will be using his construction skills and knowledge of DC motors as our primary installer and service professional.

Tara Rise has a degree in Interior Design with a focus on Home Modifications and in addition to generalized access design and equipment selection will be working closely with the Best Bath line of barrier free showers and walk in tubs that we represent.

Garrett Worner has a background in construction and real estate and in addition to working with access remodeling design and equipment will be focusing on the SureHands Lift and Care System of high tech transfer solutions that can help people stay in their homes longer.

At Home Access Solutions, Inc. we bridge the gap between the structure of your home and your abilities. You can count on Home Access Solutions for knowledgeable evaluation and professional service. There is no reason to feel “locked out” of your own home. We are right here in your community, waiting to serve you.

Give Up My Favorite Activities? Never!

2010-05-28T14:29:00.000-07:00

I enjoy spending time outdoors and gardening. It is part of what makes me who I am. What would happen if I had an accident or developed a medical condition that kept me out of the yard? Would it change who I am as a person? This happens to Americans every day.

The simple, everyday things we do define who we are and impact the quality of the lives we lead. When we can’t take care of ourselves or we can’t do the things that bring us pleasure, life just doesn’t seem as good. If a person grows older or experiences a medical crisis and they can’t engage in their hobbies – does that change who they are as a person? It can.

I’ve got news! It doesn’t have to though. There are so many ways of doing things and pieces of equipment that can help us compensate and allow us to keep on doing what is important to us.

For instance, if I had arthritis and enjoyed gardening it could be harmful to the joints of my wrist and hand to use a regular hand rake and would probably be painful as well. Just changing to a rake with an angled handled protects my joints and will reduce the likelihood of pain. The important thing is that I could keep on gardening!

Here’s the point. Don’t give up on doing the things that are important to you. Find the different technique or different tool that will allow you to continue taking care of yourself, working, or engaging in the hobbies that bring you pleasure. They are out there.

Share this video, Share the news. You don’t have to give up the things that define who you are as a person. If you need help finding something or getting started, give us a call. We know it is important and we would love to help.

Here are some useful links that may provide the opportunities you are looking for to continue doing what you love, or even find a new active passion!

The Great Plains PVA: a fitness facility that provides programs targeted at both adult and children who have developmental and physical disabilities.

Fast Foward: an Omaha-based fitness company.

Special Olympics: The leader in programs based on competition and sports training for the mentally handicapped..

Tech Tots: a wonderful company who specializes in modified toys for kids with developmental and physical disabilities.

For more information, or if you have any questions, please feel free to contact us at 402.294.9514, or email us at info@homeaccesssolutions.com!

Save Money with Access That Works

2010-05-11T11:36:00.000-07:00

There’s always more than one way to increase access or safety in your home. People who call Home Access Solutions realize that we are going to offer more than one solution. What they don’t realize is that we are often going to offer a solution that can save them Money. That’s right, the right information and the right plan can often save money while increasing independence and safety in the home.

The Truth About Access Pricing

Too many people decide that access or access equipment is too expensive before they get the real information they need. They quit before they even begin! Money is important. We know that and we respect people’s budget. Frankly we save people money because our designs which are based on a person’s goals, abilities, and medical condition really work and we have the experience and knowledge to offer a range of solutions, some of which are really inexpensive. At the very least, we can offer solutions that are less expensive than the ones people who don’t have our experience dream.

Let's Work Together to Save You Money

A great example is a couple we recently saw who were trying to decide whether to build a new home to accommodate her use of a wheelchair or remodel the existing. They really wanted to stay where they were, but they thought that it was going to require modifying a stairwell, moving a lot of plumbing or even moving a load bearing wall in order to get the room they needed in their bathroom. We were able to provide a design and resources that didn’t require moving any walls and that minimized the plumbing changes needed. The design will blend in unobtrusively in their home and has the flexibility to work now and later when her strength changes. All that and our remodel idea will cost at least 10,000 less than the remodel idea they thought they had to use. Talk about Win! Win! Win! This is a big savings, but really not that unusual for us.

Just this past week, I worked with a person living in assisted living facility . She and her family were anticipating a solution for a bathroom transfer that would have been several hundred dollars to put in and that would have had to be removed. It turned out that a simple solution costing less than $40 would work and lead to a safer transfer as well. In the place where she lives, this is a solution that saved her money right away and will help her keep her independence, but it is also going to save her money every month as she doesn’t have to pay for the extra assistance for bathing every month.

Please share the news and share this video with your friends. You don’t have to give up before you start! Great solutions can make everyday living easier and safer and save you Money too!

Planning Access Remodeling to Help, NOT Hurt Eventually Selling Your Home

2010-04-28T11:46:00.000-07:00

When we work with clients considering accessibility remodeling we ask them to remember that they may eventually be selling their home. Access, being able to safely and efficiently use your home is critically important and is the focus of our designs, but we strive to make the designs either blend into the décor of the home or have removable components. This helps protect the overall value of our client’s homes.

A terrific example of this approach is the addition of a Mother in law suite to a client’s existing home. No matter how accessible it is for a person using a wheelchair or a walker, with the right planning it can become an area of interest and use for anyone at the time the home is sold. It could be a private master bedroom retreat, a space for older teens to call their own, a possible rental area, or a wonderful family room. We take care to plan the extra access features such as roll in showers so that thresholds can be added, grab bars removed and walls repaired, and personal equipment touches like bidets or bed room safety equipment can be removed.

A good prescriptive access design works for the person it is done for because the environment is matched to their goals and abilities. A great design also looks good, feels good, and enhances the value of the home.

The "In-Law Suite"

When elderly loved ones can no longer take care of themselves, it is usually necessary for them to enter an assisted living or retirement community. Sometimes, however, it is financially and physically easier to have that person close to home. At the home featured in this video, located in Papillion, there is a perfect in-law set-up in the basement. This extra living space provides value and opportunity to the owner in various ways.

While it is commonly referred to as an “in-law suite,” this basement apartment also goes by the name of “granny flat,” but it is not limited only to the elderly. This accessory apartment comes in all types of sizes, and can house renters, hired house staff, guests and other relatives. There are various uses, advantages and features of an in-law suite that may convince everyone to consider this kind of basement remodel.

Uses

The large amount of space in a suite like this is very versatile in terms of purpose. The kitchen area is perfect for a movie night where drinks and snacks are steps away, but it can also provide extra income if you were to rent it out as an apartment. Furthermore, everyone knows that when the in-laws come to visit, it is nice to tuck them quietly into the basement where they are out of sight, yet only a floor away from hanging out with the family.

When elderly relatives are not ready for a nursing home environment, an in-law suite creates a great alternative that is more personal and comfortable for older persons. In-law suites can also be altered and planned around individual needs and preferences, which is sure to make even the most stubborn grandparent at ease.

Advantages

As BevVan describes, the in-law suite is extremely accessible for its dwellers. With a ground-level entrance, it can easily accommodate wheelchairs and walkers. In terms of cost, and basement suite is much more affordable than most nursing homes these days. In fact, the cost of one year in a nursing home is usually more expensive than a remodeling of the house to create the suite. You pay less and definitely get more for your loved ones out of an arrangement such as this.

When considering an accessory apartment, family and unity both come to mind. An in-law suite may not be the best choice if you do not wish to connect and be a part of that person’s last years, but for those who desire peace of mind and family togetherness, it should be a serious consideration. This may also provide an extraordinary experience for families to enrich their relationships, especially between children and grandparents. It is usually difficult to gather everyone up and visit grandma or grandpa at the nursing home, but under one roof, children are seconds away from hearing stories and spending time with elderly family members while they still can.

Features

As illustrated in the tour of this house, there is a multitude of features that make it easy for older folks to get around on their own, despite physical impedances. Firstly, there is a full kitchen that allows for accessible food, drinks and cooking. This is also an important feature if a home owner would like to rent out this space as an apartment. It is like another house in the basement.

Secondly, the elderly-friendly bathroom is an important feature to take into consideration. High toilets, shower handrails and a wheelchair accessible shower and bath are just a few features in this particular suite that help to eliminate hazards. It is also possible, however, to omit these features and make the bathroom area just like any other – except with a larger-than-normal shower space and lots of walking room. Again, an in-law suite can be designed with anyone in mind, so the size and number of bedrooms can be altered to accommodate.

The bottom line is that an auxiliary apartment, or “granny-flat,” is flexible in terms of model, and makes it possible for families to stay together for longer than they thought possible. Even if you do not have an elderly family member looking to settle in with the family, an in-law suite provides much value in its amount of extra living space and various features.

So keep a suite like this in mind when you are looking over the brochure of "Sunnybrook Nursing Home" or some other generic elderly care facility, and remember the importance of cohesiveness and peacefulness that comes with sharing time, and space, with family.

Winter Blues and Your Safety

2010-04-15T08:02:00.000-07:00

If You Find Yourself Saying,“Not Another Winter in This House!” Then It’s Time to Take Action!

I’m wishing you all the joys of spring!

Of course, I want you to enjoy this wonderful time of year, but I also want you to be thinking ahead to next winter if you (or one of your friends) found yourselves saying, “No, no, no…not another winter in this house!”

It’s a fact that it can become harder and harder to cope with snow on the roof and ice on the sidewalks and driveway, especially if you’ve been in your current home for many years.

This can turn winter into a real and sometimes dangerous grind, can’t it?

Well, there is a solution – put your home on the market today with us, and we can show you how to get the most out of your property!

Then, once it’s sold, you can buy that townhouse, condo, or house you’ve always wanted, and somebody else can shovel the snow and scrape the ice while you’re warm and comfortable inside!

Let my partner, Shelley, and I guide you step-by-step through the process so you can make an informed decision.

Call us today at 402.291.9514 or contact us at www.homeaccesssolutions.com!

Safety: Falling and Fear

2010-03-30T13:55:00.000-07:00

Falling is a serious issue and there are many companies and agencies all over the area who work with seniors, to provide them with information about preventing falls. I am very proud to say that Home Access Solutions is part of this much needed volunteer effort.

One of the community groups we are involved with, is F1RST, hosted by the Greater Omaha Chapter of the National Safety Council. We’ve developed a GREAT DVD to educate you on some simple precautions you can take to prevent a fall from occurring.

You can see this DVD and get more information on the F1RST (Fall Intervention, Reaching Seniors Together) committee at www.F1RST.org.

Or call the Omaha Chapter of the National Safety Council and request the DVD called, “Simple Changes Can Keep You Safe Where You Live,” at (402) 896-0454.

We are also collaborating with both the F1RST task force and the Eastern Office on Aging to provide presentations on, "Reducing the Risk of Falling," to audiences all over our community.

We taught public speaking basics to some Senior volunteers from The Foster Grandparent and Senior Companion programs of the Eastern Nebraska Office on Aging. They have personal stories about the impact of falling on a person’s life and will be working with a speaker from the F1RST committee to provide the presentations.

Listen to them and you will understand the effects and severity of a fall and why it is important to take action to save people today.

Call the National Safety Council or email the F1RST program manager today ccady@safenebraska.org to set up a presentation for your group.

Call or email us if you want to modify your home to reduce your risk of falling and please share this video with those you care for and love. You may very well save their life.

View ENOA Senior Companion Videos by clicking on their names:
-Allene
-Hestoria
-Joe
-Lois
-LaVelle
-Lenora
-Leola
-Lula

Bathroom Safety - Grab Bar Installation

2010-03-14T21:14:00.000-07:00

More often than not, I get the impression that you believe that a person needs to be totally infirm, or older than they are, in order to need a grab bar. I’ll get responses such as, “ Well, I don’t want my bathroom to look like a gas station”, or “I don’t want to affect the value of my home”.

Here’s the deal:

All people at any time of their lives reach out and grab things when they feel off balance. A grab bar is simply something designed to be grabbed. It stays put when you grab it as opposed to a towel rack or a walker, or the corner of a dresser.

Also, who says grab bars need to look medicinal and drab? If that is your choice, fine, but look at the grab bars pictured in this article. Old world bronze to match the faucets, shower head, and décor. Do you really think this has destroyed the value of this bathroom?

Actually great supports don’t even have to be permanent.In my video, I feature a superpole. This superpole has a superbar from Healthcraft. It pushes between the floor and the joists in the ceiling and provides a support anywhere one is needed in a room. You can even use these in bed rooms or in living rooms near a favorite easy chair.

This is advanced technology for grab bars. You can actually use the same pole in various orientations not only as a space saver, but also to assist with mobility. Who said grab bars weren’t fantastic?!

So back to the big question:
When do you put in a grab bar? The easy answer is before you need it, before a fall convinces you that you or someone you care about needs a balance assist. You and I both know that if you are unlucky, that one, first fall may be the one that changes your life forever.

Do you really want to be on the floor, or be loading your mother into the ambulance and thinking at that point, "I wish we had put in that grab bar?” Of course not.

We believe in supporting people at Home Access Solutions.

We believe in grab bars. We believe in being pro-active to achieve safety and independence at home. We will make it easy for you to get the right bar selected and installed and through April we will even make it cost less. Share this video and article with people who need to know about grab bars – everyone!

Remember the best time to install is before you need it.

You are smart, you know that’s true. Let’s see who gets sensible first and gives us a call at 402.291.9514 to get those beautiful grab bars where they belong!

Where There is a Will There is a Way

2010-03-03T06:57:00.000-08:00

Most of us have heard the saying “Where there is a will, there is a way”.

How often do we stop and think about what it means? At Home Access Solutions, we meet people everyday who are living examples of what it means. There is a huge amount of equipment and home modifications that we can offer to people to help them achieve their goals. But all the equipment in the world, won’t help unless a person has the drive and determination to use it. It takes the right equipment and the drive to use it for a person to successfully change a disability into ablity.

Many times, people are determined to achieve their goal before they even know that something exists that will help them do it. It is a pretty great feeling to listen to someone talk about what they would like to accomplish and then show them the equipment or describe a structural modification that will make it possible. This is one of our primary services. We have access to years of experience with modifications and equipment and the expertise to help people select things that will work for them. At Home Access Solutions, we like to say “If you have the will- we’ll help you find the way!”

Resources for Caregivers I HIGHLY Recommend

2010-02-16T07:11:00.000-08:00

When I’m in someone’s home working on accessibility remodeling or equipment to make living in the home easier, I’m often working with a family caregiver. Family caregivers are the front line providers of in home care across the United States. These are family members or good friends who are giving of themselves and their own lives to help protect the quality of life for someone they love.

They truly are every day Heros. If you aren’t a caregiver yourself, don’t stop reading. Think about the people you know. I bet that you know someone who takes care of a spouse, a parent, a child with a disability in addition to their job, their volunteer time, their other responsibilities. They may or may not have confided in you, but you know one. Listen, and you may be able to help someone someday.

Whatever motivates a family caregiver, as a group of people they are often at tremendous risk for both physical and psychological ailments themselves. Informal caregiving can quickly become a 24 hour a day, 7 day a week, unrelenting responsibility. A person can find themselves assuming responsibilities and duties that they have no formal preparation for and never imagined themselves under-taking.

They can get so busy, so wrapped up in what they need to do for someone else that they don’t take time to care for themselves or to find ways to reach out to others for assistance and reinforcement. In this circumstance it is so easy to feel alone and to fall into the habit of assuming that no one cares about what you are going through, and that you have to do and think of everything yourself.

My message to caregivers is that you aren't alone. You aren’t the only one giving for what ever wonderful reason. There are people you can share your story with. There are resources to help you figure out what to do, to make the job of caregiving easier, and to give you a little break – a respite. What you have to do is take a little bit of time for yourself to get the information and develop the will to get help.

If you are in the Greater Omaha area, I would suggest you start with The Respite Resource Center 402.996.8443. There is also a great family resource health fair in Lincoln put on by Partners in Aging 1.800.828.0072. Also in the Omaha area there are six week courses that you go to once a week 402.522.7934. Or call me for more information at 402.291.9514.

How to Use A Reverse Mortgage For Remodeling & Accessibility - Or Purchase A New Home!

2010-02-01T10:40:00.000-08:00

When I ask people why they are making the choice to stay in a home that doesn’t work for them or isn’t safe for them, I’m often told that they aren’t sure they have the financial ability to buy something that works better.

Money is important. That’s why I want to discuss not only one, but two things that can help many homeowners over 62 afford to buy a home that will be easier and safer to life in.

Jody Smythe, who is one of the most knowledgeable people about Reverse Mortgages in our area, can explain how the process works in an easy to understand way. Many people know by now, that a Reverse Mortgage can be used to pay for life changing accessibility remodeling and equipment in their current homes. It can also be used to help with the purchase of a new home that may be easier to modify, closer to children’s homes, or just plain better than what they have right now.

Jody can explain how to use a Reverse Mortgage to move “up” without spending more per month on household related expenses. I know that Jody will visit with my clients, answer their questions, and treat them with the same respect that I would. So I’m comfortable urging you to visit her web site and give her a call for more information. www.jodysmythe.com

Home Buyer Tax Credit 2009/2010

The other potential financial boon that my older clients may not realize is available to them is the extended Home Buyer Tax Credit 2009/2010. This expands the credit for up to $6,500 to people who currently own a home if they purchase another home – the contract must be signed by April 30, 2010.

The amount of the credit is determined by the price of the home (800,000 and less) and the buyer’s income. Single buyers with incomes up to $125,000 and married couples with incomes up to $225,000 may receive the maximum tax credit. People who want to take advantage of the tax credit need to get busy soon in order to have a contract in place by the end of April.

So let me ask you. Why are you, why are your parents, why are your older friends living in homes that aren’t safe and aren’t comfortable? Talk to me, 402.291.9514 or BevVan@HomeAccessSolutions.com about getting into a home that will help you remain as independent and happy as you can be for the rest of your life!

SureHands Transfer Equipment to Move Independently and Safely in Your Home

2010-01-17T10:42:00.000-08:00

Getting up out of your chair and moving to another place in your home is something that most of us don’t think twice about, yet that little task is one of the ones that can make the difference between someone being able to live at home or having to move to a nursing home.

Moving from one seat to another is called a transfer in the medical world. Fortunately most of us don’t think about it at all, but just think about how many times you get up and down in your home in a normal day. What if you couldn’t stand on your feet? What would you do?

There are many, many techniques and pieces of equipment that people with mobility limitations can use to transfer. Today I want to discuss transfer equipment that can help people who can hardly move on their own at all transfer independently or transfer without putting their caregivers at risk.

Motorized lift systems can be floor based, wall based, or ceiling based. The motor provides the lifting power. A ceiling based motor can be independently propelled or moved by a caregiver. Ceiling based systems don’t take up floor space and the caregiver doesn’t have to move the weight of the person and the lift.

Home Access Solutions is the exclusive dealer for SureHands Lift and Care Systems in Nebraska and Iowa. SureHands is the US distributor for Handimove International, so this is a system of products used around the world to help people stay in their homes. I chose to represent this product when I was looking for solutions for my clients, because of 3 things: flexibility, reliability, and the philosophy of the SureHands and Handimove company.

As an Occupational Therapist, I worked for years running a seating and positioning clinic for wheelchairs. One of the reasons I chose Surehands is that there are so many ways of supporting the motor, so many motors, and so many slings and body supports that I am able to prescribe the precise solution for my clients just as a good seating and positioning specialist prescribes a precise combination of parts to create a wheelchair.

The body support is one of the best ways I know for people to use equipment and independently transfer themselves. Even if a caregiver is needed to help, the body support is often our primary choice because it is fast, great for people with high muscle tone, and makes dressing and toileting easier. You need to feel this to believe it and that is why my staff and I will be glad to meet you here in this showroom or go to your home so you can try it. In situations in which the the body support isn’t appropriate there is a wide range of sling styles and sizes that we can select from.

The second reason I love this system is that it is very reliable. People who buy this unit need it to work, every single time, every single day. Very rarely are there any kind of problems and when they do occur my technician and I have the support of the great technical support department at SureHands.

The third reason I love my association with Surehands is that this is one of the few companies I’ve run across that shares my idea that technology and medical equipment needs to be properly selected, not just sold. Before I could become a dealer, even though I had years of experience as an OT, I had to go to Pine Island New York the home of Surehands in the US and go through training. I send my techs to for training. I recently went back for an update on some exciting new product updates. My classmates and I sat in class and learned from Handimove’s corporate trainer and also shared our experiences and learned from each other. We took products apart and put them together again to make sure that we really know the equipment inside and out. We tried out some of the new equipment and brainstormed about the optimum ways to use it. What this means to you and my clients is that Surehands and Home Access Solutions are always looking for the best way to make an individual’s transfers at home as easy and safe as possible.

Problems with transfers drives too many people out of their homes and hurts too many caregivers! Don’t let that happen to you or someone you love! You can visit the Surehands web site at www.surehands.com, give us a call at 402-291-9514 and talk to us about an evaluation to determine the right system for you, and forward this video to people you know who need to learn about really safe ways to transfer.

What Exactly Does It Take to Sell Your Home in The Cold Winter Months? (Part 2 of 2)

2010-01-04T16:48:00.000-08:00

If you are thinking about putting your home on the market, you may be wondering just what is it going to take to get your house sold during winter weather here in the Mid-West? The short answer is patience and perseverance, along with very close attention to the same three things that we realtors always coach clients about- Price that is right for the location and condition, condition and staging the home so buyers will want it, and consistent, effective marketing.

What is Effective Marketing?

In our last video newsletter, we started the conversation about how to successfully sell a home no matter what the season with an in-depth look at Pricing and Condition. If you missed it, contact us, or look in the archives of our Blog. This time we will discuss Marketing. Marketing is that part that sets Realtors apart from each other. Marketing is what helps put qualified buyers even find out about your home.

Shellie Nelson and I call ourselves the Home Access Team, but not all of our sellers have an accessible home to sell. We’ve developed some intensive creative ways to market unusual homes and offer that intense approach to all of our clients.

The key is targeted marketing combined with broad market advertising. We look at where the marketing for each home is most effective and concentrate on that. There is no one size fits all plan. We identify the probable market for the home and orient our advertising so that we hit that target, but we also advertise in a broad and general way too. Target marketing lends itself not only to marketing of accessible homes, but also to other aspects of a home, such as attractiveness to first time homebuyers, investors or others.

We recently listed a home that had a larger number of garages than the norm for the area and the garages were heated/cooled and very comfy. We sent specific flyers about the home featuring the home to contractors because we thought that contractor and other small business owners might be attracted to the garage space itself.

The Internet

The best avenue for advertising is the internet. Our brokers are always providing us statistics showing that in all age groups, most people start looking at homes on the internet before they contact a Realtor. As a realtor we use the internet not only to advertise our homes but also while searching for homes for our buyers. I can’t stress enough how important a good internet presence is.

One advantage our clients have working with Prudential Ambassador Real Estate is the expertise of the office staff to get our listings and any changes into the Multiple Listing Service really fast and a search tool people can use themselves to look at every listing in the greater Omaha area –www.paomaha.com. Being on the Prudential web site and in the Omaha area Multiple listing service also gives us access to listing on other important web sites like www.Realtor.com because the more internet exposure the better.

Prudential also has an exclusive arrangement with Yahoo! Homes are given a Yahoo! identifying number and preferential treatment in the Yahoo! real estate listings. Almost as valuable, is the search data that is generated with the Yahoo! relationship. We are able to send home sellers data that shows how many people view their home on the internet and then take the next step of getting more info. The graphs are a good way of double checking the attractiveness of our price and marketing and helps the home owner and us identify the time we need to freshen our approach.

Print Advertising

Though the internet is valuable, we don’t ignore print advertising. Research shows it isn’t as effective as the internet, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t have value. We make sure listings are put into the real estate section of the local paper and into at least one of the local real estate papers. We also have access to a real estate listing show on TV for some clients.

One important step of our active market program is reaching out directly to other agents. Even though most people start on the internet, smart buyers realize that there is valuable information and resources they can have access to if they work with a Realtor. Realtors are also more likely to have coached their clients to prepare financially so our home sellers are better protected from un-qualified buyers if we expose them to buyers working with Realtors. We value our seller’s privacy and time. I want to make sure that they don’t waste their time with buyers who are more wishful thinkers than people really able to buy. So we reverse prospect looking for agents who are looking for homes similar to the one we are selling and we make our information about the home directly available for agents in a variety of ways.

Open Houses

Many people interviewing us prior to listing their homes, ask us about our open houses. They are influenced by TV shows that lead them to believe that open houses are effective sales tools. In reality, except for a few homes on well traveled streets and in a few rare cases where the features of the home itself will attract buyers, open houses are not that effective in our current market and actually present some risks for the home owners. Shellie and I recommend an open houses only in very rare circumstances when the benefit outweighs the risk.

A Team Approach

There are some other interesting marketing tools that Shellie and I use for clients. We will cover them with you when you chat with us about selling your home. One other thing I want to mention is that we stress a team approach with the home seller. Part of that is communication. We stay on top of results from the marketing and communicate with the home owner, keeping them posted on what is working and what we are changing to get their home in front of the buyers who will be most interested in it and able to buy it.

We hope you’ve found this segment and the previous segment helpful. Selling a home in any season is not a magic trick. A successful sale is based on the 3 basics of Price that is right for the location and condition, Condition and staging the home so buyers will want it, and consistent, effective marketing. If you have any questions, please get in touch with us. Shellie and I are looking forward to helping you sell your home.

What Exactly Does It Take to Sell Your Home in The Cold Winter Months? (Part 1 of 2)

2009-12-15T09:34:00.000-08:00

Maybe you’ve just found a need to sell your home or maybe your home has been on the market for awhile, but here you are. You have a For-Sale sign in the yard just what is it going to take to get your house sold during winter weather here in the Mid-West?

The short answer is patience and perseverance, along with very close attention to the same three things that we realtors always coach clients about. Price that is right for the location and condition, condition and staging the home so buyers will want it , and consistent, effective marketing.

Yes, even though we are coming up on the Holidays and the weather that can get yucky and make getting around exciting here in the Midwest you still need to stick with the basics if you are trying to sell a home right now.

It isn’t a secret that showings and closings are typically fewer in the deep winter weather and over the Holidays, but there is news from the that shows there may actually be some benefit to having your home up for sale right now. The housing market was cooler in October, but experts who watch the market like those at RISMedia indicate that we can be looking for improvement because the expanded tax credit is available to a much wider range of buyers than the previous tax credit.

The initial tax credit did drive the market last year. According to the information I read in RIS Media, The original first time buyer tax credit accounted for 47% of the home sales nationally this past year up from 36% in 2006. Now a lot of people who want to move up to an even nicer home can take advantage of a tax credit as long as they’ve lived in that home for five consecutive years in the past eight and the income limits have increased too. That‘s likely to increase the price ranges of homes that people will be looking at.

Since buyers have to have a binding contract in place by the end of April, smart buyers are going to be out there looking soon. I also think that a lot of people will be doing a lot of internet searching while they are together and have some free time over the holidays. Most people start a home search by perusing the internet before they contact a Realtor, so it might just pay to have your home be one of those they are looking at while taking time off during the Holidays.

Let’s talk a little about the three basics of successfully selling a home.

1. Many sellers feel strongly about the price set for their home, but they don’t realize that price has to be set based on location or condition.

A successful price is not something you just pull out of a hat. What is hard for some sellers to understand is that it isn’t really related to what they spent on the house or what they’ve spent on updates. A good price is one that is mostly based on objective information on what similar houses in similar condition in the immediate area have sold for because that is the information used by lenders when they are deciding how much money they will loan a buyer for their new mortgage on a particular house.

Even if a buyer is willing to offer anything, they can’t purchase a house for more than their lender will lend them. A good Realtor will provide the seller with research about prices in the area. Sellers need to pay attention to the market research their realtor provides and come up with a price that buyers looking at their house can get a loan for.

They must also be aware of their competition, which are other homes on the market that a buyer will compare them too. Buyers are smart and their time is precious. Why would they go see a home that costs more than a similar home that costs less? There are usually enough options that they often will skip high priced houses without checking to see if the seller is willing to negotiate.

2. Condition combined with Staging is the second basic step for a successful sale.

It is so hard to see your home the same way buyers will when they walk through the door. Think about it like this. Your house has to dressed up like its going on a first date. You need to make a good first impression. Sellers don’t usually get a chance to make a second impression. If a buyers isn’t attracted to the front of the house, they may drive on by. If they don’t like the inside, even it it something kind of silly like it smells funny to them, they won’t stay and look around. If they don’t stay and look, they certainly won’t be tempted to buy.

Buyers are educated by their realtors, by shows they see on TV, and by looking at the competition- and there is a lot of competition now days. They won’t pay top dollar for homes that aren’t in top condition. People need to have everything super clean, in good repair, and attractive to buyers or buyers will really negotiate hard on price or they might not even make an offer.

If you don’t have the resources to do maintenance and upgrades, hope for a sale is not lost. You and your Realtor to discuss your options and then use price and honest descriptions along with promoting the advantages you do have. Shellie and I know several handyman who can help with fix-ups. We also assist our sellers with the services of Shaw Designs. Wendy Shaw is a down to earth interior designer with staging expertise. She usually uses items the sellers have but in a way that will appeal to the average buyer. We reimburse our sellers for several hours of her time when the house is sold.

We’ve covered 2 of the 3 basic tried and true facts of life for home selling- even over the holidays-. Accurate pricing and condition so far.

3. Marketing, which is the part of the process that Realtors have the most control over is hugely important and I hope that you will join us in January for the second part of this video.

In the meantime, if you have your home on the market, be patient and persistent – there are buyers out there, but they may only be looking not taking action until after the first of the year. If you are thinking about putting your home on the market in the Spring, consider doing it right now if it’s ready so that your home can be among those people are seeing on the internet while they sip hot chocolate and dream about the new year and the new home they want to live in.

Here's Our Downloadable List of Gift Ideas That Can Change a Life!

2009-12-01T08:11:00.000-08:00

**Download our complete Alphabet of Gift Ideas and see what you can do for the special people in your life.**

If you have friends or family that are older or that have significant disabilities you may be at a loss for a great gift idea. At Home Access Solutions we’ve put together a fun little gift list from A to Z with interesting items and ideas.

We are heading into the season when many of us start thinking about gifts for the people we care about. Giving a gift is a loving gesture. The best gifts are those people treasure long after they are unwrapped and ones that have meaning and purpose. Sometimes it is hard to come up with that perfect gift. We all know people who are hard to buy gifts for. They either don’t want anything or have everything they need. But I’m talking about the other folks who are hard to buy for. If the People we care about have disabilities that are so severe they limit what they can do or use, it is often difficult to think of really meaningful or useful gifts. Let’s think out of the box and skip the same old knick knacks and aftershave collections! How much of that stuff can one house hold? Gifts don’t have to be expensive or fancy, but they can change a person’s life for the better.

Walk in Tubs - How Do You Know If It's Right For You?

2009-11-15T13:55:00.000-08:00

How do you know if a walk in tub is right for you? How do you know if you are buying a good one?

First of All Lets be Clear that a walk in tub is not for everyone. It is wonderfully convenient for the person who loves a luxurious soak, but has difficulty either stepping over the side of a tub, or getting up from the floor of the tub once they are through bathing. You do need to be able to step into the tub. We would generally recommend other products for people who require assistance standing.

The PROs of the tub are: (1.) It can increase SAFETY when stepping in and out, (2.) It is EASIER and requires LESS EFFORT than the exertion required to sit and stand in a regular tub, (3.) It is MORE CONVENIENT than setting up tub transfer benches, or other bathroom equipment for every bath.

Walk in Tubs are a relatively new bath product and like many new products the first prototypes often didn’t hold up under use. Also there are good quality walk in tubs and poor quality walk in tubs. Those early models and the poor quality tubs currently on the market have lead to some issues that some people perceive as CONS. We will call them the POTENTIAL CONS of the walk in tub.

The POTENTIAL CONS of the walk in tub:

1. The doors leak. Yes, there are some brands that have trouble around the tub door seals. The Best Bath brand of walk in tub is constructed in one reinforced piece so there is nothing to twist or make the door fit improperly. There is a drain inside the door in the very rare event that a door fit would fail. The seal itself has a lifetime warranty. With the right product, this is not really a CON.

2. It uses a lot of water. Water capacity varies by brand and model. Most of the Best Bath tubs use about 5-6 gallons more than a standard tub. Both the air jet and water jet systems with Best Bath heat the water making it less likely that you will need to add additional water to keep your water temperature where you want it. The manufacturer, Best Bath recommends that you have at least a 50 gallon water heater. That way you have enough hot water on demand to fill the tub and still do other things that need hot water at the same time. So, depending upon brand, water use may not be a CON.

3. It takes a while to empty the tub. Yes, you definitely have to step in and out of most walk in tubs while they are empty. With normal house drains, the average is drain time is 5-6 minutes according to Best Bath research. The fill time will depend upon your water pressure. We recommend spending the time by starting your relaxation, your bath, or even starting to dry off. At Home Access Solutions we are pro-active about this walk in tub fact of life. A Home Access Solutions staff member will remind and coach you on how to work with the drain-time during our complimentary home evaluation and our session after installation. You may want to consider an auxiliary heater, like a combination heat/light/vent or a small, safe area heater if you worry you might get chilly during drain time.

4. Cost. The fact is that these tubs are more expensive than standard tubs. They do, however, offer more to you for that difference in price. They are certainly less expensive than a professional assistant to help you bathe, or the cost of a fall or injury in the bathroom. There are cheap walk in tubs of course, but you will find that they are also cheaply built. Look for quality features such as durability and ease of installation to save money in the long run. The Best Bath products are built with layers of fiberglass over wood cores with one piece construction to prevent any warping. The Best Bath system also has many features that decrease plumbing and labor costs.

Home Access Solutions provides complimentary professional design to insure that you get accurate quotes for installation and we also provide project supervision during the installation to make the process as smooth as possible for you. We will obtain a quote from a qualified local installer for you, but we can also allow you to hire your own plumber or contractor, or do it yourself if you have the skills.

COST is RELATIVE - It depends upon how much the Safety, Ease, and Convenience is worth to you.

So in conclusion,

The walk-in tub is designed to increase SAFETY, EASE, and CONVENIENCE for the person who can walk, but who doesn’t want to struggle in or out of the tub. Many of the potential negatives or cons either don’t apply to high quality products such as the Best Bath System or may be less of an issue with the right techniques and design. The worst mistake you can make is to wait until you can hardly move before considering a walk in tub. Get one early so that you can enjoy years and years of safe, pleasurable bathing.

Welcome to Our NEW Blog! - Don’t Waste Your Money using ADA Accessibility Guidelines

2009-10-19T11:51:00.001-07:00

Should you follow ADA guidelines when you remodel your home for accessibility?

It sure would make it easy if you could just use the American with Disability Act Guidelines as a cookbook when you need to make your home easier to live in. You know-Open to page 5, look at diagram 35-B and presto! An exact list of what to do to make your bathroom accessible.

But I have to tell you, using the guidelines this way is usually just a recipe for disaster. The guidelines are designed for commercial applications. They address the needs of a mythical average person with a disability, not the needs of an individual. If you or your remodeler use them for your home they should serve only as the minimum standard for situations in which the guidelines are incorporated into the building codes of the city where you live, for example ramp design in the Greater Omaha area. Sometimes you can use them as a starting place for the information you need about what might be useful for you. You should never believe that a product labeled as ADA compliant will automatically work for you.

One of the saddest wastes of money I’ve ever seen occurred when a family thought the ADA description on a shower unit was all they needed to know. The family contacted us after the shower was installed. There was a high school aged daughter with a physical disability requiring the use of a wheelchair. All her life her mother had lifted her out of her wheelchair and put her into the tub and then back again. The girl was bound for college. Mom didn’t want to go to college with her so they were doing everything they could to help the girl learn to be more independent with self care to prepare her. They decided to remodel the bathroom so she could bathe by herself.

A family friend who was a contractor said he would help. This friend found a shower unit that had information on the box indicating it was ADA compliant and everyone agreed that was the shower they wanted. He took out the tub, put in the shower unit and really did a very nice job. Unfortunately, it was not possible for the girl to move into the shower by herself after all because of where the built in seat was located, and now the Mom had to actually step in and out of the shower to get her onto the seat. Worse yet, the seat was so small that the girl couldn’t balance on it and Mom had to hold her in place. The result was the new shower, that was labeled as ADA compliant, was more disabling to the girl than the tub it had replaced and the money the family had saved up for the remodeling was gone.

It was too late, but there were several types of freestanding seats costing under $600 that would have worked with the original tub, a removable device that would have lowered into the tub that was under $2,000, and several different types of shower surround that would have actually worked based on how the girl transferred, or moved from surface to surface. This family learned the hard way that ADA guidelines don’t always work for every individual with a disability.

Don’t waste your money by using the ADA guidelines as a shortcut. Rather than starting with the guidelines a better way to design accessibility remodeling that will work, is to start with your goals, your abilities, and to take advantage of the huge selection of equipment available today to find an answer that meets your needs, your budget, and your style.