Home and Living Modifications Tips

Read these 17 Home and Living Modifications Tips tips to make your life smarter, better, faster and wiser. Each tip is approved by our Editors and created by expert writers so great we call them Gurus. LifeTips is the place to go when you need to know about Handicap tips and hundreds of other topics.

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Is there some way to modify my car so I can reach the pedals?

Pedal Extenders

Every person has the right to drive, so if being short is holding you back, you might be interested in pedal extenders - rather than buying a specially-equipped car! Choices are available for several different makes of vehicles including forklifts - you can even order extenders to help you reach the pedals of your piano.

http://www.pedalextenders.com/

   
How can I help an Alzheimers patient remember who I am"

Wear A Name Tag Please

For memory difficulties such as Alzheimers have a package of stick-on name tags handy for visitors and caregivers to wear. The patient can then know who is talking to them. If you make it a routine, it may save embarrassment and confusion for both patient and visitor.

   
What can you use to make yourself always available to the handicaped?

A Must Have

If you are a caregiver for a person with disabilities, buy a wireless doorbell from any hardware or home improvement store to use as a call bell. They are completely portable and you can place both the button and the bell in any spot in the house. It will allow both you and your patient a little privacy and still make you available. They start at about $6.00 and are worth their weight in gold.

   
What can I use in the bathtub when my child cannot sit?

Anyone can take a bath

If you have a child who has a hard time in the tub because they are unable to sit, you can line your tub with egg crates or some other type of non-slip foam. This will help your child from slipping in the tub and it will give them a more comfortable time in the bathtub.

   
Can a disabled person take a cruise?

I Want To Take A Cruise

This weeks tips are brought to you compliments of: TravelPage.com`s Cruising with Special Needs page

Cabins: Probably one of the most important factors in determining which cruise ship you select will be your cabin requirements. Most cruise ships today have a number of "handicapped accessible" cabins designed specifically to meet the needs of people who use wheelchairs or need help moving about.

Getting Around: Another important consideration when selecting a ship is how well you will be able to get around. If you use a wheelchair, you need to know what type of obstacles you might encounter and what you can do to overcome them.

   
Should I make a face board?

Face Boards

For persons with memory difficulty it may be helpful to create a "face board" with pictures of caregivers or other important people and their names underneath. You might also put a brief explanation such as "one of your nurses who works the day shift". Put the board in an area where the person can see it readily and refer to it.

   
What can a handicaped person do in case of an emergency?

DISASTER PLANNING

When you dial 9-1-1, tap the space bar to indicate a TDD call.

Store a writing pad and pencils to communicate with others.

Keep a flashlight handy to signal your whereabouts to other people and for illumination to aid in communication.

Remind friends that you cannot completely hear warnings or emergency instructions. Ask them to be your source of emergency information as it comes over the radio. Another option is to use a NOAA Weather Radio with a tone-alert feature connected to lights. When a watch or warning is issued for your area, the light would alert you to potential danger.

For more great tips like this go to: Person with a severe speech, language, or hearing disability

   
Can you modify your clothing to make it work for you?

Get Independent

There are many clever ways you can adapt your clothing so it is easier and more convenient to get on and off:

Sew cuff buttons on with elastic thread; keep them buttoned all the time and simply slide your hand through.

Remove buttons from the cuff or front of a blouse or shirt, and sew the button to the closed buttonhole borders. Sew Velcro on the two sides and press to close.

Attach a ring or loop to the zipper tab so it's easier to catch with fingers or a dressing aid.

For more great tips like these go to: DRESSING TIPS
Modify clothing you like for convenience

   
When should I see my doctor for my depression?

Depression: When to see Your Doctor

1.) When you feel a sad or empty feeling that never seems to go away.

2.) Things that had once made you happy have now lost there joy.

3.) You can't sleep or you are sleeping too much.

4.) You cannot concentrate or are having trouble making decissions.

5.) You are experiencing crying spells.

6.) You are thinking of suicide.

   
Is it okay for you or your child to use special equipment?

Use Them

There are so many devices available for disabled people. Things that before I went searching I would have never guessed were available.

Don't be afraid to use these devices. It is not a sign of weakness, but rather a sign of courage to go on and succeed on your own.

   
Should I be careful with my wheel chair ramp?

Wheel Chair Ramps

When parking a van with a drop-down wheelchair ramp, always be careful to check before dropping the ramp by remote. It can really catch passersby off guard. A small child could happen by in a parking lot and be struck by the ramp.

   
Are bed pads useful in helping in stopping bed wetting?

Bed Pads

Bed pads that are attached to an alarm that will go off at a drop of moisture is probably the best way to help stop bed wetting. These are only helpful if the child is ready to stop wetting the bed though.

   
Can exercise programs help me with my depression?

Exercise the Blues Away

Many times people will exercise the blues away. You will find that a regular exercise program will have an antidepressant effect.

   
Is the use of special equipement essential to the handicaped person?

What Should I Use?

Most families and individuals with special needs have purchased, played with, researched and returned a variety of products that claim to dramatically improve the lives of users. So how do you define (and find) unique products? It's a combination of know-how, gut instinct and learning from the feedback of people who have actually used the product.

Visit Making life easier at Ideal Lives for more great information.

   
Can you have equipment delivered to where you are going?

Making Life Easier

My son is in need of special equipment that would have been very difficult to travel with. He needs oxygen and pump feeding equipment. This would have taken up so much room in our van that there would have been room for nothing else.

What we did was to call the people who supplied us with these things at home. They then contacted their affiliates in the area that we were traveling to. When we arrived at our destination, everything we needed was waiting for us.

This makes things so much easier. We just took what we needed to get from our home to our destination, and everything else was taken care of for us.

We again made one simple phone call when we were ready to leave and the affiliate company gave us enough equipment to get home and picked up the rest.

   
Should I leave the ramp space for those who need it?

Be Kind

If you drive an automobile with a handicap parking permit, but it does not have a drop-down ramp, try to use the parking spots that don`t have ramp access when available and save the ramp spaces for those with wheelchairs who will need the extra room to get out of their vehicles.

   
How can you lighten you load?

Lighten Your Load

Make a routine out of your sleep/wake cycle. Cut out those afternoon naps. This will make regulating your sleep cycle much easier for you. It will also help you to get more done which will boost your self esteem. Do Not permit your schedule to become too overwhelming.

No one can be in three places at one time!

   
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PJ Campbell