The main question in your mind might involve how to make a split-level home handicap accessible if you have a loved one or relative who uses a wheelchair or other device. You might also want to know how to make your home handicap accessible for someone who is partially deaf, blind, or has another limitation. It’s crucial that you take all the necessary steps to make it easy for your loved one to navigate his or her way around the home. These are some tips for doing that.
1. Regulate the Temperature
Making it easy for your loved one to change the temperature in the home is a vital instruction for how to make a split-level home handicap accessible. You can go about doing that using several methods. One thing you can do is have someone adjust or replace your current thermostat.
For example, you could lower the thermostat so your relative or loved one can reach it while in a wheelchair. Other options are available if you have a partially-blind resident. Some manufacturers make thermostats with large or bright numbers for those who have vision challenges. Thus, you can speak to a salesperson about the most appropriate option for your loved one.
You also have the option to get furnace services that can make the system more accessible for someone who has challenges to overcome when moving about the house. The vast selection of ADA-regulated appliances and equipment grows wider daily.
2. Reduce Insurance Claims
You also have to think outside the box when considering how to make a split-level home handicap accessible. That means you should do some things to ensure you reduce the possibility of insurance claims. It would help if you had policies with several insurance companies but still try to avoid having to call in any incidents. These are some tips for things you can do to reduce the number of claims:
Move Appliances
Move the appliances to more easily-reachable locations. For example, pull the microwave up or put it on a table or shelving level with your relative’s wheelchair. That will prevent that person from accidentally pulling the microwave down and sustaining an injury.
Remove Obstructions
Ensure you remove all obstructions from the floor. You don’t want anything in your loved one’s path that can cause him or her to trip, slip, or stop a mobile device from moving smoothly.
Add Grab Bars
Adding grab bars in numerous spots around the home can help prevent slips and falls that might onset insurance claims. Grab bars are typically inexpensive. Thus, you can easily purchase several of them and set them on both levels of the home.
If you use all those tips, you should prevent insurance claims successfully. You’ll probably even think of additional creative ways to prevent accidents that could initiate an insurance claim.
3. Finish the Basement
Working on your basement is another way to know how to make a split-level home handicap accessible. You might want to have a wine cellar in your basement, or maybe you want to use it as an extra room for your loved one. Maybe you want to keep your water heater or boiler down there. It’s completely within the realm of possibilities to do either.
No matter what you plan to do with your basement, you’ll need to ensure your loved one can access the area easily for water heater repairs, boiler install jobs, wine selection, or a good night’s sleep. Adding a stair lift is the first thing that comes to mind. Stair lifts are mechanical devices that attach to the side rails and transport people up and down the stairs. They can make access to the basement hassle-free and even fun in some cases.
You’ll probably need to speak to several providers to find one that you feel has fair pricing for the equipment and installation. However, the expense will pay for itself threefold when your loved one can move about without too many challenges. You may want to purchase two wheelchairs and keep one downstairs and one upstairs to make this process even easier.
4. Have More Than One Ramped Entrance
Ramps are a huge part of how to make a split-level home handicap accessible. Thus, installing a ramp at the entranceway to your home is a good way to start providing your family member with comfort. You don’t have to stop there, however. You could place ramps in any area of the home where people normally have to step over something to get in. Theoretically, you could place a ramp at your home’s rear entrance and even in the garage’s entranceway. It might be wise to call garage door repair companies while you’re in this process. They can assist by looking for inconsistencies and damages to your garage door and working on them while you’re doing your renovations. That way, you can get several things taken care of simultaneously.
5. Have Telephones With Closed Captions
Don’t forget about your telephone service when considering how to make a split-level home handicap accessible. You can also do certain things to make life easier for a hearing-impaired person. One of those things is to inquire about certain phone repair services.
Installing a telephone with the closed caption feature might be a great way to add comfort to your loved one’s daily activities. Closed-caption phones come with display screens that translate the speaker’s words into visible text for your loved one to read. He or she can then respond accordingly.
These devices also often amplify sounds significantly, making it easier for the hearing-impaired party to hear the other person. The great thing about these devices is that they aren’t super expensive. They may require a learning curve, but your family members will get the hang of it quickly, and they’ll be thankful you thought of them.
Something else you can do for your loved one is to get involved in looking for the best hearing aids price for them. Having a hearing aid is essential to improving that person’s quality of life. Therefore, you’ll want to find them the highest-quality devices at the most affordable pricing.
6. Stabilize the Foundation
Stabilizing your home’s foundations should be the very next step in your journey of how to make a split-level home handicap accessible. You might need construction scaffolders to do this, as there may be issues with the roofing or higher parts of the home’s foundation. Roofing often wears and causes leaks and other problems. You won’t want your loved one to be subjected to getting an injury or illness due to a worn roof. Therefore, you should have your home inspected before you move that person into the home.
You’ll also have to ensure that your home retains all of the heat and cold air that comes into it during various parts of the year. This process will make your loved one more comfortable while keeping your electricity bills manageable. To achieve that, a professional might need to do chemical grout injection services to fix any leaks or cracks in the home’s crevices. You can find a reliable company by performing a search for a business in your area that has a positive reputation. Then you’ll need to use the elimination process to find the one that’s most affordable for you.
7. Keep It Free of Clutter
We want to reiterate the importance of clearing clutter as a part of the process of how to make a split-level home handicap accessible. You will need to put a high level of effort into ensuring that your home is free of clutter on the floors or any pathways your disabled home dweller needs to cross. It’s the most effective way to prevent accidents, injuries, and mobile equipment damage.
Hiring a company to do a cleanout service is an effective way to get rid of clutter. You don’t have to exhaust yourself doing it or put the responsibility on any of the other people in the home. Instead, you can find a provider that offers such services and do a price comparison for the cleanout.
The best process to use is the three-to-five rule. Compare no fewer than three and no more than five companies. Please review each business’s website and read about its history, mission statement, list of services, and pricing grid. Next, head over to the consumer reviews and read what other homeowners have to say about their cleaning services. Choose the company that has the longest tenure and the most positive reviews.
8. Create a Bedroom on the First Floor
Do you still want to know how to make a split-level home handicap accessible? One of the easiest ways to do it is to bring your loved ones needs directly to them. Providing them with a bedroom on the lowest level of the home is an effective way to do so. This process will be easier if you already have several bedrooms on the first floor. Then you can choose the most comfortable room for that person.
You could even make it work if you have a den in your home. It’s not hard to turn a den into a bedroom by adding bedroom furniture and other accommodating equipment and devices. However, your home might not be equipped with enough bedrooms for an extra person. In that case, you can hire a contractor to build an additional room. The pricing for such services will vary between providers. Therefore, you’ll need to take your time and do your research so you can find someone who has fair pricing and quality services. You might come across a provider that gives discounts to new clients so you can save on the renovation.
If you don’t have the funding, you can apply for it using several methods. For one, you can visit your local bank or credit union and ask about home renovation loans. You can also seek assistance through donations and peer lending sites. You’ll find a way to make it happen if it needs to happen
9. Widen the Doors
Your doors are a crucial part of how to make a split-level home handicap accessible. You’ll need to ensure that all your doors are wide enough to accommodate your family member’s wheelchair. If not, they’ll be required to get up from their chair, fold it, and get assistance walking into entrances. These activities can place a burden on the individual and any family member that might have to assist.
Taking steps to have the doors widened will prevent all parties from having to over-exert themselves just to get in or out of the home. Door specialists can visit the home and do measurements to see what kind of changes they’ll need to make to accommodate a wheelchair. After doing so, they can do the work to widen each door appropriately. That way, your family member won’t have to struggle to get into the entrance or any other part of the home. It’s probably the most helpful thing you can do for that person.
10. Add a Toilet Riser
Installing a riser for the toilet is one of the least expensive yet the most helpful things you can do for a disabled person. That’s why it made it to the list of how to make a split-level home handicap accessible. It will be wise for you to add such a device for someone who has a difficult time bending down and rising from a seated position.
You can review your budget to ensure you purchase a riser that fits it. The options range from basic risers that require the use of the user’s arm strength to mechanical risers that do almost all the work. Either product will make bathroom visits less tedious for a family member or friend who lives in your home. Expressing your compassion and interest in this person’s comfort can be a great gift.
You’ve just read about several changes you can make to your home if you plan to have a disabled person live in it or will move one into your home in the future. You’re fully aware of how to make a split-level home handicap accessible now. It’s time to start making those changes and creating the perfect atmosphere for the people who mean the most.