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Managing The Stress ~ Making The Decisions ~ Discovering The Meaning |
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Caregiving |
Solutions To Your Caregiving Situations Throughout Your Caregiving Years |
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Home Modifications Making It Easy For My Wife So It’s Easier On Me By Thorpe DeVoid (Editor’s Note: We asked a Thorpe DeVoid to write about a recent bathtub modification he completed. Thorpe is 83-years-old and sole caregiver to his 84-year-old wife, Lorrie. Married for 60 years, they have one son, who lives 400 miles away.) Lorrie was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in March 2000, although there had been signs of dementia for at least a year previous to that. The bathtub modification came about as a result of her difficulty stepping over the side of the tub. I had mentioned it the problem in a post to the online support group and a fellow group member, Lauren, told me of a possible remedy. She gave me the name of the contractor who did such a modification; I contacted the San Diego Bathtub Refinishes, of National City, Va. The modification involved: 1. Remove the front glass tub enclosure. 2. Cut down, at the forward end of the tub, to a level of about four inches and as wide as a shower door. The tub was cast iron and cutting was the hard part, taking about three days. 3. Refinishing the tub. 4. Ordered and fitted a new frontal glass enclosure including a shower door. 5. Installation of four grab bars in appropriate places and a hand-held shower. Voila! The entire process took about 6 working days. Although I could have replaced the original front enclosure with a hanging curtain and used a transfer bench, I thought that, over the period of time that this would be in use, I would prefer the finished look of the modification. The transfer bench plan would, however, have been far cheaper, for the entire project totaled $1,700. As it turns out, Lorrie's ambulatory skills have taken a nose-dive and she needs a great deal of help even getting into and out of this shower. If she had just a little more strength and sense of balance she would really use this with great ease. But, I think that with my help that this will work well for us. Commotion during the modification was minimal, due to layout of the house. Lorrie was not in the least disturbed, although she was aware. The facilities other than the shower were available at night and other adequate toileting facilities were available during the work. I don't regret having done this although it was more expensive than a tub-transfer bench and curtain. We intend to live here for a long time yet and it is nice to have a good looking set-up. Our place is pretty well suited to us as is; we have one floor, seven rooms, only one step down to the patio (negotiable with transport wheel chair) and a smooth, paved passage to garage and street. Since I have lost the sight of my one good eye (central vision) during the last six months, I can no longer drive. Whereas we had a sports coupe with minimal rear seat, I needed to get a car that would accommodate a driver and allow me to easily get into a back seat, leaving Lorrie in front. And I also wanted enough room to easily carry her chair and a load of groceries and/or supplies. Home Modifications and Products for Safety and Ease of Use Funding Your Home Modifications Making It Easy For My Wife So It’s Easier On Me |
Quick Tip Do you find yourself struggling to move a wheelchair in and out of the bathroom doorway? To allow more room, remove the door and add curtains in the doorway for privacy.
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