Bathroom with bars in shower and bathtub

Mobility Limitations and Assessing Homes

Nary, Young, and Renault developed a 31-page pdf titled “Making Homes Visitable: A Guide for Wheelchair Users and Hosts”, which details the importance of considering ways to make homes visitable for those with mobility limitations, such as those who use walkers, wheelchairs, scooters, etc.

The pdf discusses what a visitable home looks like, provides a “preparing for a visit” worksheet for guests and hosts, mobility equipment and access tips, removing barriers that exist in the home, and tips on how to measure doorways, pathways, slopes for ramps and barrier checklists for the outside entrance, throughout the home and bathrooms.

Life care planning requires an assessment of a patient’s home either by in-person evaluation or by interview to take into consideration what type of home modifications and adaptations are required to make a home accessible.  But often it is not thought what a person does when they are visiting friends or family members and those hosting people with mobility limitations may not be prepared to provide alternatives and assistance with access.

To read the information and tips provided in the pdf please click here.

Resource

Nary, D., Ph.D., Young, B., M.A., & Renault, V., M.A. (n.d). Research & Training Center on Independent Living. Making homes visitable: a guide for wheelchair users and hosts. Retrieved from https://rtcil.ku.edu/sites/rtcil/files/documents/Making%20Homes%20Visitable%20with%20TAGS%20(3)–fixed.pdf