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Home Accessibility Solutions
A Few of the Most Common and Cheapest Home Accessibility Solutions
Grab Bar Installations
Professional Handyman is a CAPS (certified aging-in-place) contractor. A certification program from the National Association of Home Builders. The course materials focused on a wide range of topics related to universal design and barrier free living. None of these topics were reinforced more than fall prevention.
According to the CDC:
More than one out of four Americans age 65+ will experience a fall each year.
Falls are the leading cause of fatal and nonfatal injuries among older adults.
Well positioned and properly secured grab bars can prevent these falls. They also provide a greater sense of security when getting in and out of the tub or shower. This can have a profound psychological impact and make aging in the home you love a more viable option.
Without a CAPS background like myself, a typical handyman doesn't have the full appreciation of just how important grab bars can be.
Door Widening and Swing Clear Hinge Installation
The phrase door widening is often used in the home modification industry. It sounds misleading. The door isn't actually widened. But rather the existing door and its jamb are removed. Then the rough opening is re-framed, and a larger door and jamb are installed. These can be somewhat costly, especially when done in load bearing walls. Sometimes this is the best option when a substantially larger door is needed.
If only a couple extra inches are needed, offset hinges are a great option. Buying and installing them are also a very budget friendly way to gain about 2 additional inches of clearance in the doorway. An offset hinge is a hinge shaped like an "L"; they position the open door outside the jamb. Unlike a traditional hinge, that leaves an open door still inside the jamb.
Not only do you gain those 2 additional inches by having the open door outside the jamb, but the door itself is no longer an obstacle to be bumped into with a cane, walker or wheelchair too.
Threshold Ramps and Tub Conversions
Another quick and cheap modification that can have a profound effect on the activities of daily life are threshold ramps.
These are small aluminum or rubber ramps that make stepping over exterior door thresholds easier.
Tub conversions are another great affordable option. They remove the front "wall" of the tub. Typically, about 15 inches high, these are difficult to step over and the primary source of most bathroom falls.
Not offered by any other handyman companies, we at Professional Handyman have installed many of them. We offer lots more home modifications too. Call or text to discuss these further.
Let Professional Handyman solve all your home access issues.
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