The Impact of Home Modifications on Independent Living

As a care manager assistant, my job is to complete various tasks for other care managers. Since being hired, I’ve particularly noticed the heartwarming impact home modifications have on our clients and caregivers.

At first, home modifications were daunting tasks because of the numerous steps involved. Now that I’ve mastered and seen the positive outcomes of the modification process, I love completing them, and I’ve worked on more than 100 home modifications since being hired in July 2018. While our contractors produce amazing work, I want to focus on the impact these modifications have on our clients.

The one struggle many clients share in common is performing daily tasks. One’s ability to complete daily tasks worsens with age, which can potentially affect one’s quality of life and the ability to remain at home safely and independently. As a care manager assistant, I’ve learned that the clients we serve strongly prefer to be independent and remain in their homes for as long as possible. In order to make independence and accessibility a reality for clients, home modifications are a necessity.

We provide a variety of home modifications such as bathroom modifications, ramps, stair lifts, and vehicle modifications. I recently had the chance to sit down with three clients to discuss their lives before and after their modifications, and below you will find how home modifications have positively impacted their lives.

Lisa’s Bathroom Modification
As a precaution, Lisa always had a caregiver assisting with bathing due to her history of falls. Since receiving her bathroom modifications, Lisa is now able to sit in her shower with no caregiver assistance. Lisa says her bathroom is now suitable for her needs, and she loves that she can sit and use the extendable shower head to bathe easily and freely.

Anna’s Stair Lift
Anna had to become resourceful when it came to bathing since she had limited access to her full bathroom upstairs. She required full assistance getting to the second floor, and she would quickly become short of breath. Since receiving her stair lift, Anna has gained full access to her entire home and currently doesn’t require any assistance.

Michael’s Bathroom Modification & Ramp
Michael found difficulty moving easily around his home since it wasn’t wheelchair accessible. It was challenging to use the bathroom without assistance, and it was inconvenient to enter and exit only from the home’s garage. Michael received both a bathroom modification and a ramp to his front door. His bathroom modification has allowed him to gain more independence since his wheelchair can now fit comfortably when he shaves and brushes his teeth. Also, his wooden ramp allows him to freely enter and exit his front door, which he previously wasn’t able to do. Because of these modifications, Michael can now participate more frequently in the community.

Jessie Pouch

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