These are our recommendations for our friend from Portugal with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) who is renting his flat so reconstruction isn’t an option. Click here to see the background on our friend.
Home Automation
It’s important that this home is as automated as possible and at this point my friend has a strong voice so voice automation is part the goal. My favorite way voice automation tool is the Amazon Alexa products, but Google Home products are also a good choice.
Recommendations for home automation:
- Amazon Echo or Dot or Show.
- Smart light bulbs.
- Motion lights.
Front door
The front door needs a safe, easy way to check who is at the front door and to let visitors in and out as well as a keypad to allow friends to enter in case of emergency. There are many options out there. Our favorite is the August Wifi Smart Lock.
What we liked the August Wifi Smart Lock:
- Allows locking/unlocking the door directly from a smart phone with app.
- Compatible with an Amazon Echo/Dot/Show so it has the capacity to work via voice commands.
- Shares permanent, scheduled or temporary access to your home with friends.
- August Wi-Fi Smart Lock is able to Auto-Unlock as you get home for totally hands-free unlocking (optional). With Auto-Lock and DoorSense, your home automatically secures once your door is closed, or after a set amount of time.
Ring video doorbell
Love the Ring video door bell will allow easy monitoring of the front door and the ability to talk with people at the door directly from smart phone and
What we like about the Ring video door bell.
- Can be used with the Amazon Alexa products.
- Head-to-Toe HD+ Video
- Motion detection, privacy zones and see who stops by at night with Color Night Vision.
- Two-Way Talk for convenient in-home monitoring.
Living room
Our friend spends much of his time in the living room, we want to make transfers easier and safer for him as well as make it easier to utilize his iPad for art.
Our first recommendation is this power lift chair with heat and massage. One of the best features of this chair besides it will lift him up it also will lay completely flat to allow for more comfortable positioning and naps. Naps are always nice.:-)
2nd choice risers for chair: Risers to raise the level of the chair to make transfers easier. It’s important to know the dimensions of the chair legs prior to ordering to make sure the risers will fit the chair. There are different heights of risers for chairs, in this case we recommend 6″ risers. If chairs don’t have legs that will fit in risers then a platform under the chair will work or taller chair legs can also be ordered.
iPad holders
An iPad holder is difficult recommendation for our friend. He has one functional hand to create his art so we were a bit hard-pressed to find something that would work best. He’s going to have to be the one decide what he thinks would work best but below are some options for him.
Still Cool iPad holder:
MagicHold 360 Degree Rotating Bed Tablet Mount Holder Stand
Lap Desk for holding iPad
A lap desk may be the best option since it will allow our friend to utilize the iPad while having some upper extremity support. There are many options.
Yogibo Traybo 2.0 Lap Desk
For the bathroom:
The bathroom as always is a very important part of the home to make accessible. Our friend has a built in shower bench that is too low for safe transfers. If you’re going to install a shower bench it needs to be a good height for the user. In this case a 21″ high shower bench would’ve been a good height.
In general I don’t like built-in shower benches, predominantly because they are often the wrong height or depth and also because if the bench no longer works then typically there isn’t enough floor space to utilize a free-standing shower chair. Built-in benches limit the flexibility of the space, with a progressive issue like MS you need to be able to change the space to accommodate changes in function. Below is a bench to raise the height of the built-in bench.
Homecraft Savanah Slatted Bathseat, Shower Chair with Slats for Sitting in Bathtub, 6″ High
Another option for making the shower accessible
This option may work to allow access to both the toilet and the shower. It would need to be oriented so the back of the shower chair is up against the wetwall or the wall the shower head is mounted on. A longer shower hose, 72″ would help as well.
It’s important to be sure you have the correct measurements of your shower/toilet area so this fits correctly. If there isn’t the needed space I kn doow of a company that makes these custom.
HydroGlyde Sliding Bath Bench with Cutout Seat and Extra Long Travel, Perfect for tub to Toilet transfers.
Wall mounted soap/shampoo/conditioner dispenser
This dispenser can be used with one-hand. A robe hook outside the shower will also increase ease of showering.
Shampoo/soap dispenser that can be used one-handed
Increasing toilet accessibility
If the sliding transfer bench, between the toilet and the shower is not used then below are other solutions. One issue with the existing toilet is it is too short for easy transfers due to the height of the user. This toiletvator increases the height of the toilet, it’s basically a base or a riser for the toilet.
Toiletvator
Another transfer aid, armrests for the toilet.
There are many options out there and Comfort Arms are my favorite, they’re just difficult to get. The best, most cost-effective toilet armrests in my opinion are Moen Toilet Safety Rails. One thing I like about these toilet arms is that they can be used with a bidet seat.
Bidet seat
Bidet seats fit on top of toilets, they are easy to set up and require an electrical outlet. The bidet seat will assist in toilet hygiene.
