A successful recovery from surgery, injury, or chronic illness depends largely on one’s environment. Occupational therapists (OTs) and physiotherapists (PTs) understand that healing does not end when the patient goes home from the clinic—it continues at home, where barriers can facilitate or hinder progress. At My Lifetime Home, we specialize in creating accessible living spaces in the Calgary area that support healing, safety, and independence through individually customized modifications, as directed by healthcare professionals.
What Are Customized Home Modifications?
Home modifications are structural additions and changes to living spaces that maximize accessibility, safety, and usability for individuals with mobility limitations or health conditions. They can range from simple installations, such as grab bars, to extensive remodels, such as doorway expansion.
Importance of Home Modifications During Rehabilitation
During rehabilitation, patients will practice and learn new skills and movements to support their recovery. Obstacles in the home can make these skills difficult to practice and maintain. Safety and accessibility renovations create supportive settings where patients can practice therapeutic exercise, perform daily activities independently, reduce the risk of setbacks, and build confidence.
How Rehabilitation Experts Assess Patients’ Needs
Rehabilitation experts such as OTs and PTs evaluate the way patients perform within their own homes through observing daily habits, identifying mobility patterns, examining support systems, and taking measurements of living spaces. They then create adaptive home solutions customized with the patients specific needs.
Identifying Safety Risks and Mobility Barriers
OTs and PTs are trained specifically to recognize possible risks that can go overlooked. During their assessments at home, they are looking for the following:
- Fall hazards, such as uneven flooring, inadequate lighting, or blocked paths
- Transfer difficulties, such as entering and exiting bathtubs or beds
- Reaching limits that limit access to necessities
- Stair navigation challenges
- Clearance between doorways and corridors
Accessibility Upgrades Recommended by Rehabilitation Therapists
Bathroom Accessibility Upgrades
Bathrooms generally present the greatest obstacles to people with mobility limitations. The most critical modifications are grab bars, zero-entry showering spaces, shower chairs, non-slip flooring, raised toilet seats, and lever-handled faucets that require minimal grip strength.
Entry and Stairway Modifications
Safe access to the home is essential for independence. Essential solutions include ramps of proper slope, stairlifts for homes of multiple levels, doorway widths accommodating mobility aids, double handrails on stairways, and improved lighting.
Kitchen Adaptations for Accessibility
Kitchens designed to be accessible include reduced height countertops, pull-out shelves, side-opening ovens at heights accessible to people, lever-handled faucets, anti-fatigue flooring, and wheelchair-accessible areas around the sink when required.
How Home Modifications Improve Outcomes for Patients
Home modifications translate to faster functional improvement, reduced hospitalization, reduced reliance on caregivers, improved quality of life, and facilitating proactive aging at home.
Fall prevention and safety enhancements
Falls are one of the most dangerous risks to rehabilitation patients and often lead to subsequent injury and setbacks. Home modification greatly reduces the occurrence of falls through the following modifications:
- Eliminating hazards such as slippery surfaces
- Providing stability aids such as railings and grab bars
- Improving lighting to provide greater visibility
- Creating smooth paths without any obstructions
- Minimizing the need to perform high-risk movements
Encouraging Mobility and Independence
Beyond safety, effectively designed modifications promote healing by allowing patient mobility and independence through the following improvements:
- Offering opportunities to practice therapeutic movement
- Reduced energy burden on simple tasks
- Enabling participation despite limitations
- Allowing gradual return to pre-injury activities
Partnering with Rehab Therapists
Successful modifications at My Lifetime Home are achieved through collaboration between health professionals, experts, and clients. We share recommendations from OTs and PTs, conduct accessibility assessments, develop detailed plans, and install solutions that are designed to minimize disruption to the household.
Our Patient-Centered Design
Every patient is unique, and their needs, desires, and circumstances determine the changes that would be most beneficial. Our patient-centered philosophy ensures the following:
- Changes are made for the individual’s unique restrictions
- Solutions are focused on the patient’s recovery goals
- Designs account for all members of the family
- Aesthetic choices are based on the patient’s personal taste
- Changes accommodate immediate and potential long-term needs
Resources for Healthcare Providers
For professionals searching for professional collaborations, our Healthcare Provider resources offer assessment collaboration, documentation of insurance, ongoing communication throughout the modification process, and advocacy support for funding.
Real-Life Examples of Improved Recovery
Stroke Recovery
After his right-sided stroke, Michael had difficulty getting back home. His occupational therapist worked together with My Lifetime Home to put in a stairlift, accessible bathroom and roll-in shower, and one-hand modifications to the kitchen. Six months after his stroke, 80% of Michael’s daily functioning was restored and he continued to make improvements in his exercise regimen at home.
Recovery from Hip Replacement
Temporary ramp installation, bathroom alterations, and bed transfer aids were ordered by Linda’s physiotherapist following her hip replacement surgery at the age of 72. These alterations allowed her to remain independent, and she was able to make a smooth recovery and get back to gardening three months earlier than she expected.
Why Home Modifications Matter Rehabilitation Success
Rehabilitation is not limited to clinical settings, it is an important part of daily life. At My Lifetime Home, we understand the crucial impact accessible spaces can have on rehabilitation outcomes. Through working together with occupational and physiotherapists, and prioritizing personalized solutions, we construct homes that support positive rehabilitation and foster long-term independence.
If you are a health practitioner looking to collaborate on home modifications for rehabilitation patients in Calgary, or an individual looking to enhance your home environment to facilitate healing, we encourage you to get in touch. Let’s turn obstacles into possibilities for independence and enhanced quality of life.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are home modifications important to the recuperation process?
They create an environment that supports rather than interferes with therapeutic goals and daily activity, and they promote safety and independence.
How does My Lifetime Home collaborate with health professionals?
We collaborate to turn clinical recommendations into practice, providing technical expertise while staying in contact along the way.
How do modifications to the home facilitate aging in place?
They address immediate needs while also planning ahead, creating spaces where people can live safely at home as they age.
How do I get modifications made to my house under My Lifetime Home?
Phone or email us to organize an initial consultation. We will then proceed to the assessment, proposal, and tailor-made implementation to suit your personal requirements.
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