Category: Glen Miller The Home Doctor - page 13

As parent’s age or you parent a child with special needs you begin to realize how hard life is when you have limited mobility. When you are the caregiver of someone with limited mobility you begin to search out products that will ease their lives and that also gives them independence from having to always ask for assistance. In most cases aging parents would rather age in their own homes. It is up to us as their children to begin preparing their homes for them to use as they age. It is also our job as the parent of a child with handicaps to help make our homes accessible for them in a wheelchair or walker using handicap ramps and other products made for people with disabilities.

There are many different home improvements that can be done with to help aide in the processes of allowing for mobility and independence. It is up to you as the caregiver to seek out all the possible products available to help your loved one. A house needs to be a place that is safe for them. In order to create this environment you must have some special products installed to aide in this.

The first area I would look at is the ease of entering and exiting the home and vehicles. Ramps can be put in place to help with these transitions. Handicap ramps can be made to be temporary or permanent structures on a home. Metal ramps are becoming popular because they are inexpensive and can be easily installed. Wooden ramps can be made to match the exterior of your home making a lovely addition to any porch. Garages can be made to be more accessible by gradually decreasing the incline so that the vehicle is able to be approached with some extra height.

Another area that is important is the showering situation. Privacy is huge no matter what point you are at in life. It is important that your shower and tub be fit for someone with special needs. Many people decide that a walk in shower is the best solution. This is advantageous because a wheelchair can fit within the shower allowing for an easy transfer to a chair where they are then able to wash. Shower heads are now made to be removable to also help with getting those hard to reach spots. Another less expensive option is adding a chair to your bathtub. Along with a removable shower head this option is inexpensive and can be helpful to those that still can transfer easily.

Stairs always present a problem for those bound to wheelchairs. A good option to this is a chair lift for the stairs. My grandmother uses one of these because the laundry lives in the basement. It is only her in the home so the laundry is limited. The chair lift makes it accessible for her to go up and down with the laundry without the worry of cascading down the stairs. We have also added railings by the washer and dryer for her to hold onto for her to stabilize herself if she stands to long forgetting to sit before her body tells her she is ready for a break. This is what happens with her hips and legs leaving her weak.

Another improvement that you can do to create independence is to make sure your doors are equipped with handles instead of knobs. This helps with people who have limited strength or use of their hands. If you keep all doors well oiled it allows them to open more freely and this helps with transitions between rooms. It is also difficult to reach items overhead. It is important to keeps things organized and well within the reach of your loved one. It is important that they are able to care for their nutritional needs without always asking for help. Make sure your kitchen eases this ability with items placed well within reach. Also make sure stoves and refrigerators are able to be used.

All of these little things will help create an environment that helps invite independence back into your loved ones life whether they are young or old. If a loved one requires a handicap ramp or other special equipment to get around that does not mean they cannot be independent. The goal is to aide in their success with little improvements throughout the home environment.

People throughout our society are depending upon wheelchairs and electric scooters to get around more than ever before. Most likely this comes from the fact that people are living longer. Another reason is that people with debilitating diseases are living longer thanks to medical miracles. All of these reasons have made it necessary for society to adjust building access for wheelchairs and motorized handicap vehicles. The American with Disabilities Act governs that public, commercial, state and local government facilities must accommodate for the use of wheelchairs and other mobility devices.

Think about the last time you traveled with young stroller bound children. Do you remember how difficult it was to maneuver? Think about going through life facing these challenges when trying to get in and out of facilities. What about your own home. Wheelchair ramps are what make access available to homes and public facilities.

Laws protecting the disabled are set in place to ensure equality. There are many things besides the law that need to be also taken into consideration when building or attaching a ramp for handicap use. When looking into a home wheelchair verse public access the things to consider are purpose, dimensions and style.

Purpose – It is pretty straight forward that the purpose of a handicap ramp at your home is to ease mobility in and out. Handicap ramps are used for many different purposes. Walkers, wheelchairs, electric scooters and disabilities are the number one reasons people look to install a handicap ramps. It is important to note that any building that has stairs as a main access should also have an assisted access.

Dimensions – The dimensions that are used to build ramps vary. Although standards exist and the guidelines of the ADA should be followed the size of the ramp should take into consideration the people who will be using it and the mode by which they might be entering and exiting. It is suggested that for every foot of ramp one inch of incline for entering buildings and for homes that every foot of ramp two inches of incline. You want to make the access as easy as possible. Think about climbing Mount Everest each and every time you leave a building. This is not ideal for anyone using a wheel chair or motorized device.

Style – There are many different styles of handicapped ramps to look at. Determine if you need something permanent or temporary. For instance are you taking in an elderly parent, this case might call for a temporary ramp. Metal ramps can often be rented or grants provided to purchase them. Wood ramps are often meant for more permanent situations such as elderly parents aging in place. Also, make sure you look into your community guidelines.

It is important to look into the rights of those who are disabled or elderly. Making sure that they are not restricted helps improve the quality of life they lead. The ADA guidelines help make this possible with laws such as the one enacted for the use of wheelchairs. It is also important for society to remember that independence is something we all wish for. If it eases life for a senior citizen in your life and they stay in their home a little longer than a handicap ramp is such a huge deal. Local, licensed contractors are available who have been trained to properly install handicap ramps to homes and businesses. When hiring an individual to install a ramp make sure the specifications they are using match your expectations and the laws governing wheelchair ramps.

Maintenance is good for everything we all know that. We are told to maintain a healthy weight, to keep red meat to a minimum to maintain our heart health, to change our oil every 3,000 miles to maintain the engine, it is everywhere. Maintenance keeps things running at their best. The same goes for our homes. Handyman services are used to prevent major issues with your home and will help avoid an outlandish amount of maintenance to tackle later on. It is super easy to hand this over to a handyman that offers handyman services but if you insist I will give you a schedule to follow.

Let us start in the spring since that is the season we are enjoying in Michigan right now. The spring season should bring an inspection of your roof. It is important to look for any signs of wear and tear that comes with changing climates. Broken, torn, missing and bowed shingles should be replaced or repaired. It is also important to inspect gutters, downspouts, flashing around chimneys and vents. Make sure they are in good condition.

Another spring maintenance tip is to repair torn screens. It is super easy and inexpensive fix. Screens on sliding glass doors are often damaged and need replacing. Basically you purchase new screen cut the size you need and install it with a special tool that helps put the screen and rubber molding back in place. Most handymen will offer to provide this service if you are leery of trying it on your own.

It is also important to do some maintenance on your deck. Handyman services often include anything from power washing and staining to minor clean up and touch ups. Mildew will need to be treated properly to bring a deck back to life. It is also important to remove loose nails and screws and replace them with new ones. Sometimes it might even be necessary to replace a rotted board.

Summer maintenance starts with the outside of your home. Take a good look at the siding. Thoroughly clean the siding and remove any mildew that has built up in the shady spots of your home. It is also important to remove and repair any vinyl that has been damaged by the weather conditions. If you have a home what has brick, wood or stone simply look over the exterior and replace any areas that look like they are starting to fail. Catching a problem before it becomes urgent will help prevent bigger problems down the road.

Summer is also the time to fix fences and gates. Each year my spouse, who supplies our handyman services, has to replace parts to our split rail fence. They wear out and become moss covered leaving a much desired look to the fence. Each summer we review the fence pieces and replace any that look have issues. This is the best way for us to keep up with the fence so that we don’t end up with a multi-thousand dollar project on our hands. The same goes for aluminum, plastic and metal fencing.

The winter/fall season is the time in which the handyman services reach the inside of homes. This is when we repair grout and caulk. We also look at all of our heating and cooling systems and have them tuned up for optimal use. In the fall my spouse always has a painting project for me to do to keep the colors of the house fresh and modern. I would rather maintain by painting one room each year verse a whole house anytime. It is also the time when I have the service men out to clean out the washer and dryer to prevent any disasters that are created by built up lint or lost toys that have worked their way into the components of the machine. This has happened believe it or not. We do run chemicals in the sinks and toilets to loosen any clogs that may be starting in the fall also.

As you can see there is a lot that goes into maintaining a home. This is why so many people prefer to hire a handyman service company that schedules regular visits to your home to take care of these issues. Many companies offer quarterly rates for these services. It is something worth investing in because as I see it regular maintenance costs less than one major disaster.

I have the best grandmother in law. She is highly independent, full of spunk and insistent that she will forever live on her own. In order to understand my concerns you must understand she is in her eighties, has been in several severe car accidents and has recently had her hips replaced. She has a rod holding her back in place and has a limited range of motion in her neck. The scariest part of her accidents was one car crash that landed her in a halo. It is very disturbing to see a loved one in head gear that limits their mobility that much. Through this entire time Gram has stated that she will continue to live in her own house without aide from a daily helper.
After her hip replacement she was in a rehab facility that was very close to where we all live. We thought for sure we had her hook line and sinker into moving closer to us in one of these assisted living facilities. Boy was that the wrong thing to hope for. Gram is very independent and wants to continue living in that manner. It might be scary for us but this is her life and she has lived long enough and through enough that she is allowed to make these decisions on her own.
In order to help her age in place we brought in a general contractor that specializes in aging in place remodeling. One of the major areas of concern for us was the fact that she still insisted on doing her own laundry which is in the basement of her home. In order for us to feel safe for her to continue with this practice we needed to install a chair lift. This was a very easy fix after all. The chair lift was a bit pricey but the installer was able to complete the whole project in a weekend and she is now able to go up and down the stairs without us having to worry. She sits in the lift buckles in and away she goes.
There were a few issues that we had concerns about within the house. For instance there are times when her knees are very weak. For this we had installed a seat within her shower and grab bars around the tub and toilet. This alleviates the issue of her needing extra support. We were also concerned with the door handles. She often has a hard time gripping them so we had the handyman come in and install levers. These are much easier for her to use.
There are many different products available for purchase to help seniors age in place. If you have someone in your life that is not interested in going to one of those and I will quote Gram, “places where old people live.” mind you now she is in her eighties, hire a contractor who specializes in age in place remodeling. They help make their home safe and help them keep the independence they so desire.

I often wonder how women who are widowed or single do it. I think my wife would be lost if she had to keep up with all of the maintenance that needs to be done or checked on throughout the year. That is why I am so thankful I recently ran into a gentleman that does handyman repairs. What a great concept for a profession. Whether you live a lifestyle that leaves you running ninety percent of the times without time for household chores or you are a single person who needs help there are now people who specialize in handyman services.
There are many chores that I just do not want to do, chores that would be easier to hire someone else to do, someone that offershandyman services. Inside I cringe when I think about wasting an entire weekend repairing drywall. Sanding, filling, sanding again and then the waiting for it to dry before you can touch up the paint and surrounding wall. Who really wants to do these mundane household tasks? I am so happy that I can hire a professional to come out that specializes in home maintenance. Handyman offer professional services that normal household need not only major home renovations but the simple projects too.
Interior handyman services can include but are not limited to painting, trim carpentry, installing and replacing things like light switches and fixtures, repair windows or even installing new ones and even something like assembling a book shelf or any other type of boxed furniture. You name it handymen often specialize in it. Handyman services are available for all of your honey do list items.
On the exterior handyman offer services such as painting, repairing driveways, assembling swing sets, caulking windows and some even offer to hang those pesky holiday lights better yet taking them down. Who really wants to take those things down after the holiday buzz wears off?
Handyman services also specialize in room repairs also. Bathroom fans often need to be replaced which takes electrical knowledge as well as basic installation know how. Another thing that often happens in bathrooms is that tiles need to be repaired or replaced. These are projects that cannot be left undone as water will seep in and ruin the drywall if not caught and dealt with immediately.
Kitchen handyman services can be something as simple is changing out the hardware on the cabinets to installing a new countertop. Even installing a water purifier to your sink that is what is so wonderful about handymen. When it is something more complex than you want to give your time to you can hire a handyman to accomplish it. General contractors are often too wrapped up in large scale renovations to deal with the minor details that arise in home repair.

So much goes into home renovations. A lot is dependent on if you are choosing to do the renovations yourself or hiring a professional contractor to do the work. Many people will choose to do some smaller home renovations on their own leaving bigger remodels such as kitchens and bathrooms to the professionals.
No matter what you choose when it comes to your own home one of the first tips I can offer you is to stay organized and keep an eye on the progress of the work. Even if you are working on a home renovation by yourself you will want to keep a checklist on yourself to ensure the project does not drag on forever. Of course flexibility is often needed when it comes to set backs and ordering delays. Don’t let those things throw off the entire timeline of the project. If you are stuck because the flooring has arrived do not let that stop you from completing other finishing touches to keep the momentum.
One great organizing tip I received from a friend is to keep folders for each separate trade. If your project calls for you to have to deal with an electrician, a plumber, and a general handyman you would have three separate folders. In them you then would keep track of contracts, notes and conversations that have taken place. This way if you need to refer back to a conversation you have it at the tip of your fingers. This applies if you are the contractor or if you have hired someone to do the remodel. The great thing is that you will also have at your fingertips these references if you need them later on.
When dealing with different contractors you will want to make sure that your requests are spoken and written. Make sure, for instance, if you hire an electrician they know that so many outlets need to be within a room of each size. It is up to you that if you want them placed in certain areas that you make sure your electrician knows this. If you do not specify what you want they may not place them in locations that are desirable for the way that your room and furniture will be configured.
Another handyman tip is that if you have a painter in to paint the house. Remember that they will not automatically save extra for you to touch up. Make sure that you ask for a container of touch up paint. These are things that your contractor will automatically think of.
There are some areas that will bring you more return on your purchase. These areas include home renovations in areas where the water is such as kitchens and baths. These are areas that people will focus a lot of attention on when they enter your home. Another thing that people look for way before name brand fixtures are is trim work. Money spent on crown molding and trim work done in a professional manner will definitely make your money back in the long run.