ALS home remodeling is an important step in supporting you or your loved one with Lou Gehrig’s disease.
ALS, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects the nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. Due to the severity of this disease, everyone with ALS experiences incredible changes in their ability to perform basic activities of daily living.
This means that even basic things you do during the day, such as getting into or out of your home, or even moving about inside your home, will become difficult.
It is a sad truth, but a truth nonetheless.
DeVol Design Build Remodel has been helping people (and their families) in the Cincinnati area with ALS home remodeling and deal with these obstacles for nearly a decade.
ALS home remodeling
The changes that occur for people with ALS can be daunting. However, there are many things you can do to help someone with ALS. Whether you are a family caregiver or a friend, these changes can help everyone involved.
The goal is to make the person’s home more accessible and easier to use for the ALS patient and caregivers.
If a person with ALS is still walking around, the time will come when they will not be able to do that. If you have a multi-level home, you may think that a stair lift is a good idea. However, people with ALS have a condition that can change quickly, which will make it difficult (if not impossible) to navigate stairs or even use a stair lift.
This is the reason that ‘main floor living’ is such a good ideas. The best choice for them and your family is to try to accommodate main floor living … where everything they need is on the main floor of the home.
Here are some ways you can increase the accessibility and ease of use for a home for someone with ALS.
Have the home assessed
A home remodeler experienced in home modifications and remodeling for ALS will have people on staff or resources to ensure that your home can be assessed for the needs of the individual.
At DeVol, we have years of experience providing this service to clients. We also have Occupational Therapists we can call on, should a situation be so severe that it requires medical input.
Ensure access to the home
If your home is going to be accessible, you have to be able to get into it and out of it easily. Over time, what this means will change.
Early on, it may mean an easier step into the home. Later, it could mean a ramp and wider doorways to accommodate a wheelchair (or a motorized chair).
This is a main reason to prepare early, so you don’t have to make further modifications as a person’s needs change.
Moving around inside the home
There are basic needs that people with ALS have (or those with other physically debilitating diseases). One of those is being able to move around inside your home.
For people with ALS, these needs will change over time. At first, a home may be fine. However, eventually the person will need assistance moving around their home. This could include wider doorways, wider hallways, a handicap accessible bathroom and more space to move around in a bedroom.
Bathroom remodeling for ALS
The fact is that having an accessible bathroom on the main floor, where all the living is done, is one of the most important options you can make.
Ensuring that the ALS patient can access the bathroom is of paramount importance. As well as, ensuring the family caregivers can assist as needed.
This includes a roll-in shower, a comfort-height (or taller) toilet with grab bars or other assistive devices, roll-under sinks and a seat in the shower.
Find the right contractor
A contractor that knows about ALS home remodeling (or for any other debilitating disease) will be able to show you how they have helped other clients. We will gladly do that for you. If you or a family member is suffering from ALS, we’re here to help. We’re willing and able to provide ALS remodeling to your home to make it easier to live in and to care for someone with ALS.
We are Certified, licensed and insured. If you have questions about our abilities, please call us. If you have questions about ALS, you can contact the ALS Association of Central and Southern Ohio.