Home modifications for the physically disabled
I am always amazed when I get to a point with Quincy when I find that I am at my physical limit with what I am trying to do. I am not big…I barely break 5′1″ and Quincy is close to being as tall as I am. She weighs close to 90 pounds. I can still lift her and do transfers, but have had to make changes as she has grown. About a year ago I realized that I could no longer pick her up off the floor if she were lying on a blanket. It was just too much physical strain on my knees and back and I was going to hurt myself. So, we constructed a changing table and a bed with gates so when she needs to lie down to rest or to be changed the lifts are from waist level.
About a year ago I realized I could no longer lift her up and into a car seat. We have a pickup and a large SUV and both sit quite high and the lift into these vehicles was again something that I was going to hurt myself doing. So, we finally broke down and bought Quincy a van with a ramp and wheelchair tie-downs. Now, when we transport her we just wheel her in, lock her down and go. A gain of independence for both of us.
What I see as my next problem with be bathing. At this time we transfer Quincy from a wheelchair into a bath seat which is sitting in the tub. This works well, but the lift from the chair to the bath seat or the bath seat to the chair with a slippery, wet teenager is starting to be hard. It’s probably getting close to time to look at re-modeling the bathroom so it has a roll-in shower. Then, we can simply put Quincy in a shower wheelchair, wheel her in, bathe her and wheel her out.
Up until this point we haven’t had to do any major modifications to our home to accommodate Quincy, other than adding ramps and safety equipment like bed gates and seating systems. But, the time is quickly approaching for us to consider the big stuff. It’s always a tough decision to make and I’m not sure I can explain it well, but every time I accept a new modification it feels like I am giving up hope for Quincy to gain new skills. I know that isn’t necessarily true and modifications are as much about my physical health as her safety, but it still feels like a bit of a defeat. Our challenge will be to make modifications that are practical, yet stylish so that our home still retains its beauty while being a safe place for us to raise Quincy.
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