We've been talking about doing some remodeling. My husband is still functioning quite well except for memory and some reasoning problems. As I said on another thread, he's a Master Gardener and loves to dig around in the backyard been thinking I'd like to fence in our backyard with a privacy fence with gates that need to be locked with a key. I'd really like him to be able to be out there even as he gets worse, without having someone with him all the time. Does that seem sensible to those of you whose spouses are further along or am I expecting too much?
Also, our carpet is 20 years old and very worn. Before AD, I planned to replace it with hardwood floors. Now I'm not sure what do do: leave it as it is, get new carpet, or get hardwood? Actually, we can't afford to do anything on this for about another year, so I may have a better idea by then. But what do you think would be the best choice?
Janet if you are looking for new carpet i wouldnt spend a lot on the best. i would opt to go ahead and replace with a med quality as with AD you know by reading some and most become incontinent and have accidents at the least. i know i have white carpets all thru my house. and lots of them. i am not sure hardwood is a good choice due to the risks of getting urine stains but maybe some of the others here do have them. pergo floors are nice but shiny and some AD persons are afraid of shinyor dark coloring and refuse to walk them. i can tuse dark carpets at all my DH tries to step over anything dark. as far as gardening i think if you plan simple and avoid traps for injury or muti levels he would have to step over etc i think its a good idea to engage him in an acitivity he loves. have some shady areas of course they can dehydrate fast in heat and you would need to monitor how long hes out there -too cold-too hot etc. a good lawn person could give you input how to arrange it. best of luck. divvi
Janet - the fence sounds like an excellent idea - both for something for him to do and his safety in the future. If you go to AD facilities they have fenced courtyards which enable patients to go outside and still be safe. Would you or someone be helping him put the fence up? I hope so. With the memory being compromised, frustration could build up. My hb and I have put up fences in our yards and unless you he is a pro at it, can have its challenges. But, I still think it would be good to do. As a fellow gardener (not master), when the weather turns nice, I want to be out getting my hands dirty.
The carpet - that is a hard call. If you have the equipment to get urine out if that should happen down the road or you wouldn't care, then do it. You could opt for a cheaper carpet. As for hardwood - they can be slick. If he gets to a point where walking is hard, then that could cause additional danger. My sister put laminate flooring in. When her hb got worse after his stroke, he would slip while trying to walk. On the other hand, it was easier pushing him on the laminate than the carpeted area. (he had a walker that you could sit down on). If you choose carpet, I definitely would not choose white or dark. And if it is a carpet with multi shades/lenghts or patterns, stains do not show as much.
I'm renovating this summer with light wood Pergo type (laminate) floors. They are supposed to be waterproof unless the water stands for several hours. I'm trying to make his part of the house ready for a wheelchair though he is far from that--wide doors, lever handles, roll-in shower. The designer is convinced he needs a low placed microwave but I think by the time he is in a wheelchair he won't be able to operate a microwave. He will have a partial kitchen on his level (walk-out basement).
Janet - We (I) built a new house 3 years ago and keeping my dh (early Parkenism with AD/VD and spinal stenosis) and 93 yr. old Mother in mind I tried to make it pretty handicap accessable. I have been very pleased so far but I still do not have the incontenance issue to contend with.
I opted for the Pergo type floors except I used one of the lowest price I could find because I was not sure how I would like them. I figured we should get a min. of 15 years out of it and the padding under it was another reason I chose this. I used it everywhere except bath and laundry room and I love it. I use a large area rug in the bedrooms for warmth and to cut down on echo. Also, my dh is allergic to some carpets.
I made all doors 3' and hallway extra wide, had grab bars installed in bathrooms, lever door knobs, exit to garage directly with only 1 step. I wish I could have eliminated that step but the backhoe ran into solid rock.
We live in a rural area and my dh was an avid gardener. We have a fenced (because of deer) garden spot within a few feet of the house. The first year it worked great and he lived out there in the summer but gradually his spinal stenosis causes so much back pain the last 2 years he can only walk out there then we have a couple chairs positioned for him to sit on. He will only stay outside a max. of 1/2 hour now and last year did not do more than hoe 1 short row at a time. Interest has dropped considerably so I wouldn't invest too much in it. A couple raised gardens would be more convenient now I think, where you wouldn't have to bend much and you could keep your fenced area smaller. He is driving me mad wanting to plant the garden now and it is not suitable until mid April. Any other questions you have my e-mail is posted with my personal information.
Hi Everyone! Some may recall an earlier site when I shared this information. My DH is a textile engineer and after retiring from DuPont Textiles, he owned a major carpet supply company. THis I know for sure. The problem with Urine is not getting the stain out of the carpet,..it's the PAD that is the problem. The industry makes a pad that is waterproof. Urine and other stains cannot penetrate the membrane that is fused on the top side of the pad. Vinegar and water will remove the stain from the carpet, but the smells that penetrate the pad is the biggest problem. We would encourage this pad for everyone...but especially those who had pets (cats in particular), small children and other spillage 'opportunities' in their lives. The pad is not an expensive item, (membrane covered pads are more expensive regular ones, of course) but please consider a low pile carpet with a waterproofed pad - and you'll be good to go! Keep in mind that Plush carpets are hard to walk on when they begin to shuffle their feet or if they become wheelchair bound. If you have specific questions, I'm here to help. I was a licensed interior designer and flooring was one of my specialities.
lmohr, I went on line and bought a little ramp that eased the step down into the garage. To make it easier, our handyman built a supported handrail that extended straight out from the wall next to the door that was the length of the little ramp. (Didn't have to drill into the garage floor for the handrail this way. The ramp screws into the threshhold on one end and into the garage floor n the other end. I added the skid proof tape at 5 inch intervals across the ramp just to be sure he wouldn't slip. Works for us! Look it up under "handicap ramps'. It's exactly the width of the kitchen to garage door..and about 30" long.
The little ramp sounds like it would work. Right now he can negotiate the step with little problem because I installed a saftee bar on the wall beside the door that he can grasp as added support. It worked great for my Mom. I have enough room that I could use a small L ramp if necessary. Thanks for the suggestion. I had 3 steps at our old house and I had a pipe rail installed similar to what you were talking about except we bolted one pipe end to the floor.
Getting in and out of the car is becoming a big issue now, as is fastening his seatbelt. Sometimes I have to get hold of him and give extra support getting out.
lmohr, do you have the auto transfer bar that fits into the door latch? It is wonderful! and DH uses it every time he gets in and out of the car. I have to hook it in place..(it stays in the door pocket all the time). Go to this website and look at it: http://www.mobility-aids.com/site/492331/product/CMT96314/handicapped.
It is stable, does not rock and they can push down or pull up on it and it holds tight.
Threshhold ramp for the step down between kitchen and garage. http://www.handiramp.com/thresholdramp.htm
I bought this particular one and handyman installed it in less than an hour. This is the little step-down where my DH fell and broke his hip. If only I could have bought it sooner. It would have made such a difference in OUR lives.
When we replaced the beach sand colored 1" plush carpeting in our house (ALL our house)we put in high traffic carpet in the living room(low density)and linoleum with a slight texture in the rest of the rooms(Kitchen, dining room, hall, and bathroom. Dining room looks like cherry wood floor and Kitchen/hall are a brick pattern. Bath has a classic bathroom print--white squares wih little blue triangles in corners. All those are mop and go. Our in-home helpers even skate floor towelds over themn so I don't have to worry about wet spots with my crutches. And any accidents can be wiped up in no time. Between pets, DH. and klutzy me we need the easiest care/clean up we can get.
Carosi seems to have done the right thing. Plush carpet, extra thick pads, step ups and step downs..all make for trouble with people on crutches, wheel chairs and walkers. I'm curious about how carosi's helpers skate floor towels ... are you saying they wipe up wet spots with a towel on the floor, being pushed around by feet? I saw a funny item once in a catalog...big slip on fuzzy socks that worked like dust mops. We could put those on our feet and dance our woes away!
I checked out the ramps on the web site above. Measurement is 14" from garage floor to threshold and is actually 1 wide pad so according to that I would need a 5'ramp. I have a 3 stall garage with 1 vacant so I could come out straight and park vehicles on the ends. I can have son in law make me a wood one with railings. Will check it out with him. He can make one cheaper and better than buying readymade.
I'm also planning ahead and want to make some bathroom renovations. I need to do a handicapped accessible shower, and replace the floor tile. Any suggestions on shower features, and new flooring material? The existing tile is shiny, I know I want to replace it with a matte finish tile. Other than installing grab bars and removing the existing tub/shower combo (fiberglass) and replacing with shower only (tile) with a low threshhold, hand held shower apparatus, is there anything else to be considered? I was advised not to build in a bench, that a removable seat would provide better access for bathing assistance.
I have found that my matte finished floor tile is still slippery (to some extent) when it gets soapy. I purchased a clear 'bubble looking" mat (actually bought two) and put them on the tile when he's taking a shower. I have a stool, because the height can be adjusted. A bench isn't as good and ends up becoming a shelf for shampoo, soaps and sponges. Can't stand behind the bench to help him wash his back and it's really not deep enough. I use the stool as well and prop my foot on the bench when I'm shaving my legs and 'doing my toes'. The stool has rubber, non slip tips on the legs. Even nursing homes use stools.
The built in stainless bars are far better than the suction devices you see on Gold Violin and similar websites. IF you are retrofitting your old shower (and not able to completely redo it , the suction ones work pretty well and you don't have to drill through the tile and possibly crack it. Be sure the suction ones are secure every time they're used. They can come lose if moved or if the housekeeper takes it off and doesn't reattach it properly. (Voice of experience). If you are plumbing in the shower, I'd recommend separate valve, one for the lower hand held device and one for the main(tall) shower. My DH cannot remember how to divert the shower from one setting to the other (by pushing the device in or pulling it out up at the main shower head). Sit down on a stool in your shower... and look around and make certain you can reach everything you need. Also, ask your plumber if he can install a shower pan that recessed gradually below floor level so he does not have to step over the edge to get into the shower. The best design would be a shower without doors, that he can enter and exit without manuevering around the door itself. Often you will see these immediately behind the bathtub - shaped in a curved configuration. Anything that avoids stepping over ledges, bumping elbows and allows more room for a helper is the best design. That PLUS a separate valve for the lower shower head which is indispensible.
marilyn I have the full height shower with a hand held shower head attachment and I leave it dangling because I can't reach to hang it up, but I think I would leave it that way for other people to use. When our son comes he flips the lever on the shower and does not use the hand held unit. I think also a portable seat is better. I agonized over vinyl flooring and ceramic and finally went with vinyl because people told me the ceramic was slick when wet. I like it but vinyl seems to always get some moisture around the tub area. When I need to replace I think I will use ceramic or similar. Daughter has something that looks like ceramic but is not. Put in at least 2 grab bars. Practice yourself with getting in and out of the area and where you would need handholds to assist you. We did our second bathroom with a walk-in shower with floor ledge and seat. Seat does not work for him and there is no room for a seat.
I was thinking of a fold-down bench in our new shower, but the idea of being able to stand behind sounds right. We are moving the bathroom so the plumbing will be all new. One control that sets the temperature, one control that controls the water volume for the permanent shower and one control that controls the water volume to the hand-held shower. The temperature control doesn't go above 104 degrees unless you push a button on the top. The line I am looking at is: http://www.us.kohler.com/onlinecatalog/detail.jsp?item=10924702§ion=2&category=8&subcategory=50 but I may try to find something less expensive.
The built in or fold-down bench sits too far from the shower for my dh. I put the seat in the middle of the tub. I can't bring up the model you were talking about. I am not real happy with mine. It sounds like the one you chose has more options. My dh was leaving the hand held unit dangling with water running down the drain and wasting water so I ordered a hand held unit off the Internet that has a griptype control like a basic outside hose faucet and when you let go of the grip the water shuts off. I can't remember now where I got it. It works better for me. He used to be very saving with water but now he will drain the hot water tank and think nothing of it. This works better than the other two I bought. I have my hot water heater turned to the next to lowest setting and it will not burn you at full force. He cannot adjust the water temperature. (I posted a comment on your blog the other day)
At the last house we had, I bought a hand held shower/shower head that had an extra long house (8 feet?) and an on/off switch on the hand held part. It was designed to be used by someone with a bath stool. PatB
I cannot get those items to "stick" to my bathroom tub wall. Does anyone have a secret remedy? I have about 4 items laying around I would like to stick up.
About the gadget to use to get into the car. I bought that a few months ago and he can't seem to get it to work to his benefit. I will get it out and try again. It looks like it would be helpful. I also bought the gadget that looks like a oversize paper clip to attach to the seat belt making it easier to reach and he won't use it.
You do also need to think: five/ten years down the line, if he's in a facility (I don't know how old he is), are the remodeling things I want to do going to help the house sell? I decided NOT to replace the tub with a walk-in shower because it's the only tub in the house; we have a half-bath downstairs but no tub or shower. Real hardwood floors DO stain with urine (I know because of my cats, not my husband) unless they're highly polished which means my husband might slip on them. You can get bathroom-floor tiles which aren't shiny and not particularly slippery.
Lois-if any of the safety stick-ups don't stay put then don't use them. For convenience items try putting a dab of lubricant like vasoline on the suction cup.
The safety grip ($20-$30) works with two large suction cups and small flip clips to open/close when fastening to the shower wall/glass wall / side of bath tub - doesn't stick? mmm. Odd. The wall needs to be totally dry...non oily.. and cannot be tile with grout that would allow air inside the suction grips. I have 3 of them, one on the tub for ME,... and two in the shower. One to pull up from the bench help...and the other to hold on to when stepping over the ridge at the door of the shower, which I hate!
You would think that the step-over was knee high...it's that difficult for him to step up and over. He has a depth perception problem, and I guess that's the reason.
If this house was not on the market for sale, I'd rip out the entire unit and rebuilt it just to make his shower process easier.
OT, have you noticed how many doorways are not wheelchair accessible in most houses built before the 1990's. What did wheel chair bound people do before the ADA rules were written.
I didn't realize that my house was built for the handicapped as are most in my development. No steps-just a shallow ledge to get into the main door. All doorways very wide. All opening devices are lever rather that knob. Outlets are above floor hight. Thermostat is low enough for me to reach. Both bathrooms will accommodate wheel chairs at the sink because of recessed lighting under the front of the vanities. Main bath has a heavy duty full length grab bar and the shower is very large with only a 1" ledge to keep water from spilling out. I appreciated all of this while my leg was in the splint.
That is amazing, bluedaze. You are very lucky! You had a builder with foresight. These items are easy to do during construction, .... and extremely difficult to add later. Just the heavy duty full length grab bar has to be anchored to large studs and if they are behind a solid surface wall, they are hard to locate.
Our house was built in I think 1918 or thereabouts - in other words not long after bathrooms and electricity were common.In the basement , believe it or not, there are ac and dc wires strung on either side of the floor joists; we've had the kitchen and dining room (where the computer is) rewired and put in breakers etc but since the ac and dc wires (which still go to the rest of the house) don't touch, the electricians say don't worry about them; it's very safe. I don't know about that but none of the houses around here have ever had fires..
IN any event, all the doors to the bedrooms, bathroom, etc, are plenty wide enough for a wheelchair or a walker; however, the bathrooms are small. My husband can brace himself on the counter in the bathroom and reach across to the grab bar at the tub and pull himself over and into the tub. I maintain that houses (yes, even the ones in that rotting onion Houston) built between WWI and WWII are the sturdiest, best built ones imaginable. (I say Houston's a rotting onion because as the inner city "suburbs" got old, people just built farther and farther out. If you know Houston, I grew up within walking distance of the Tower Theatre on the other side from the Montrose section.)
The Tower Theater was coverted into "The Book Stop" for many years. You wouldn't know the area now... and all of that area has either been or IS cleared out and replaced by million dollar condominiums and patio homes. It's an extension of 'River Oaks' now, with the chi chi West Gray shopping areas and upscaled Shepard Drive.
Who'd have thunk it, huh?
Re: older homes. My trade background involved a great deal of study in the field of architectural history. The Dining Room was where the deceased were often laid out prior to burial. That's why many of the homes from that era had exterior doors in the DIning Room. It was not considered appropriate to take a body out through the front door. We built a beautiful home in SC that was inspired by the architecture of Charleston's anti bellum homes and Andrew Jackson's home, The Hermitage, near Nashville. All the doors were at least 42" wide and most were double doors.
Be kind to the inner city of Houston. You'd be so happy with the way it looks in the West Side now. It's the "in" place to live.
I'm in KY and my house was built in 1913. As briegull said, all doors are plenty wide for wheelchairs, etc. Have one large bath downstairs with tub/shower and one up with walk-in shower. Plenty of room in both baths. These older homes are so sturdy. All elec/plumbing has been updated, but still has original hardwood floors downstairs and up the stairway. I removed carpet from the 3 bedrooms and den upstairs and put in laminate hardwood. It is working very well. Also replaced carpeted bathrooms with vinyl and I love it - so easy to keep clean. If we get to the point that DH can't do the stairs (not near that yet); I can always convert the downstairs den to a bedroom as the bath is just off it, with pocket doors to the dining room, pocket doors from dining to living room. Love the layout. Wouldn't trade it for a new one!
Imohr, i have tile and marble in bath and i found the pool putty epoxy worked really well for me to stick up the handles and holder for the shower hose. you can find at pool supply houses. it is waterproof and takes about an hr to dry to solid. you just kneed the two colors together and use a bit on whatever you want to stick. its stix! i even used it to repair the metal toilet roll holder came out of the wall and a glass shelf over the tub. it doesnt come out easily once its stuck- i also use to fix small tiles underwater in my pool! works great. divvi
We have original oak floors downstairs and up the stairs too. We have stored in the basement the doors to the dining room with the square glass panels (5x8 maybe?) in them. We do have updated heating, baseboard heat with a good gas furnace, no radiators. A lot of people around here still have radiators and OIL heat. Big windows, so if we open them we don't need a.c. more than maybe 4-5 days a year, so we just have fans.
Nancy, I was wondering if I'd get a rise out of you about Houston! Are you sure the TOWER was the bookstore? I know the Alabama was. I have been back to Houston from time to time. I went to Lamar, and Rice, had my kids at St. Luke's, married at Christ Church, and my good friend Helen was the pastor at St. Stephens for many a year. Do you know this site:http://www.houstondeco.org/ ??
Floor towels---old towels, folded in half, one under each foot and skate the floor. Takes upo nearly all water and the tiny bit left dries in less than 2 minutes.
When uising step in shower, I put a double bath sheet on the floor. I don't stand or walk without my braces, so I get in and sit oin the stool, then we tke off shoes, braces, socks and liners. After shower and toweling, we put on liners, socks, braces, and shoes. Then I stand in shower and with grab bars and help lifting left foot over stupid rim, step out. Transfer to toilet and finish dressing. Towel on floor doesn't slip and shoes' soles get dried before I leave the room. Yes, I have an attendant to help me. DH also has one, who showers him. All he has to do is stand and turn, raise an arm or foot. Sure glad they figured out I couldn't shower him.<grin>
Briegull, you are correct, The Alabama theater on Shepherd is the one that became a BookStop. The Tower theater was on Westheimer.
We have attended many weddings and even more funerals at Christ Church. Will go check on your website. I had forgotten you were a Houston gal. ... So, to match you, did you know my oldest daughter was born in the Newport General Hospital in Rhode Island. We lived in Portsmouth. (We were part of the Naval community). I moved to RI in '56 and came back to Texas in 58.
We used to love to go to the Mexican restaurant across the street from the Tower. Ruggles Restaurant was next to them for a while. Last time I was at the Tower, I saw a live show with Bert Bacharach and Carole Bayer Sayer. They co-wrote lots of wonderful music and the evening was reminescent of that music, with Bert at the grand piano and Carole on a tall stool. Just good music with words we could understand.
We have tile floors and like them. My husband is/was a contractor and had done beautiful work in his past. Now, it is iffy - he is very high functioning and people never suspect that he has AD - but then they don't live with him. What we have done with projects is that we talk about it a number of times, break it down into very small increments, write eveything down and keep is a simple as possible. He did my bathroom over and did such a beautiful job about three years ago and plumbed hot water to the toilet and kept telling me that wasn't so and even if it was, it was ok. Took some time, but he did get it changed. Poor thing had such a hard time figuring it out. That's when I decided to keep it simple and concrete. We limit the hours that he works to keep him from being overwhelmed. There are fewer and fewer jobs that I get him to do.
Wow! talk about being on the "hot seat". That's sad, but a little funny, too! Lucky you for having had such a talented person. You can always see the work of his hands...all around you. That is a special gift.
Janet.......... I replaced all of our carpet about a year ago with hardwood flooring..... Its been the best decision I;ve ever made... Less dust,, so easy to maintain ( I use a cleaning system from comsentech " SH-MOP " and citrus hardwood floor cleaner ) kind of like a big swiffer pad on a swivel handle... Someone mentioned the accidents our LO can have and I have experianced messes on the floor from both ends and believe me I would have destroyed carpet to replace if I had not gone to hardwood..................... DAN