Status
Not open for further replies.

BK2011

Distinguished member
Joined
Aug 2, 2011
Messages
201
Reason
PALS
Diagnosis
06/2011
Country
US
State
Florida
City
Clearwater
Got approved for a VA Special Adaptive Housing grant. So looking forward, what will I need or better put, what will my wife need to make this manageable? Don't want to mess up the house too much, my wife has to live here after I'm gone and I don't want her to have to live in a "Handicapped House." I can pretty much suck it up and tolerate anything but I need to make this as easy as possible for my better half.

Right now I'm still getting myself around but I know those days are limited. Doors to bedroom and bathroom need to be wider to accommodate a PWC and a clumsy driver. Need ramp into the house front and back. Bathroom needs a remodel to make it more accessible both to the john and to make a roll in shower. But how much room do I need, my wife sure can't pick me up so she'll have to use a lift of some sort? Do I need a lift over the bed (kids will rib me about getting kinky)? I've seen pictures of portable I-beam like equipment that can go when I do. Or is a hoyer lift adequate to get me up and into a chair or into the bathroom? I think I need an electrician to upgrade the wiring to the master bedroom, when my wife plugs in an iron with the TV on and a light on, the CB pops. How much power does a BiPap pull? Should I consider a generator for standby electric power, we lose power sometimes with storms? What modifications would you recommend to the kitchen? VA rep recommended a new refer with water and ice dispenser on outside to make more accessible.

OK, you've got the general idea; CALS what else do you recommend I try and get done to make my wife's life easier? PALS, what do you find makes life easier?

Thank you all for your time!

BK
 
Definitely get a generator. You may be on a priority list for restoration but depending on outage you might be out for a while. Once you are on bipap you do not want to risk it.

Kitchen things depend on your progression and lifestyle. If you are,as I believe you have said, slow progressor and are alone a lot then maybe the fridge is worthwhile. It would have been a waste for my sister who could only have used it for a very short time.

Sounds like rewiring bedroom is smart idea. Bipap,bed, eyegaze etc all need power

There are old threads about bathroom renos that should be helpful if you search for them

Others can answer better re lifts we have not used yet. Sister is tiny and her husband is strong!

Good luck. Glad you have the VA
 
Last edited:
Make sure that the toilet is higher than you think you need. A bidet seat (after market) is a must have. The door to the bathroom is a barn door. Much easier when I am in the chair. I used touch faucets for the sink. Talk to your ALS social worker. Good luck.
 
The VA housing rep should give you a whole list of do's and don't's for the grant. There are standards that need to be followed and when they can't a waiver can be written for it.

A generator is possible, however, this comes under the prosthetics department not the housing grant as the does a Hoyer lift or the lift that is attached to the ceiling.

If you are less than 70 years old you can apply for mortgage insurance when the shovel hits the ground for the renovation. The insurance will pay up to $200,000, and will pay off the mortgage directly.

Our experience is that we waived changing the kitchen and laundry room because the reality is that he will not be able to do much of anything in either of those rooms. Our main focus is for the bathroom to fit his needs and the VA has specs for that like a 5 ft turning radius around the toilet and a shower that can handle a non-powered wheelchair, a bedroom that has room to maneuver the wheelchair, the proper ramps to the house with 5 ft turning radius and a closet to store equipment. We waived everything else. Also, choose a builder who has worked with the VA before in this capacity - it will make your life much easier.
 
Mary is right on with what she says. Contact Paralysed Veterans of America (PVA) and they will be great advocates for you. We built from brand new, and did not alter the kitchen sink or stove, as my husband would use the use of his arms, and would never be able to use them, and this was waived. There is a HISA grant that provides $6800 in modifications, but you have to apply before you even start, check that out on the WEB, and it will even show you the application. Our bathroom has a 5X5' square open area that my husband can off load from wheelchair to commode shower chair, or to toilet. If you have attic space above your bathroom they can install ceiling lift system which I love. The hoyer lifts do work well, but they are harder on the care giver. Our shower is also 5'X5' and open with tile work that extends out over the floor and the wall the connects to it so splashes aren't a problem. I can get all the way around my husband while he is tilted back in his shower chair. We also have a ceiling lift next to the bed where he is off loaded with sling and swung into bed, the other advantage to this system is that you don't have to deal with storing the hoyer lift. Hopefully you have enough room to expand the size of your bathroom and bedroom. I love our home, and receive many compliments on it from visitors, saying they would love to have the room that we do. The other thing that we did is make a large walk in closet with a built in set of drawers on either side for each of us, that way we don't need a dresser in the bedroom to take up room for moving equipment around. Check out the John Louis home closet ideas, they are easy to instal, are solid maple and they give excellent service. It is a little more expensive than IKEA but no off gassing from particle board and last well.
 
VAH TAMPA has an outstanding ALS Team.

When my PALS lost use of her legs, we used the YMCA showers. They'll give you an idea of how much room you need to transfer to your shower chair.

The Hoyer lift was a Godsend. We taught our 14 year old girl to transfer mom by herself.

When my PALS lost use of her arms, we moved her hospital bed (and a little bed for me) into the living room, so that she could be with family without transferring.
 
Thank you all for your input, I appreciate your time! Didn't think about doing a search for previous posts on bathroom renovations and such, duh! Wish I'd known about the bidet seats last year; my mom moved in with us last July and passed in October; the bidet seat would have made life easier on my wife and I and probably a lot more pleasant for mom. Again, great input, thank you.

Now I've got to write down my "absolute needs" and things that would be nice to have and develop somewhat of a plan before I start getting contractors out for estimates.

Thanks.

BK
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top