The 6 Stages of Accessibility: Progressive Diseases

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), over 60,000 people are diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease each year. Over 400,000 people have been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in the United States, and the number is growing weekly. Each day, 15 people are diagnosed with ALS in the United States. These are but a few of the many diseases that debilitate people in the United States alone, but alarming statistics demonstrate that these diseases are not necessarily the cause of death. Many deaths are caused by other factors that are very preventable.

Accessibility and mobility issues provide one of the first major of hazards for people with progressive diseases. As a disease progresses, knowing the aids that are available to prevent catastrophic events, and utilizing them correctly is key to precluding another major event from adding to the physical condition and future prognosis of the individual. Let’s review four specific areas that can be a major cause of concern regardless of the progressive disease:

Standing and Sitting

Think of the number of times you stand and sit each day. How many did you come up with—10, 20, even more? Sitting and standing with ease is definitely something we take for granted when we have good mobility. Yet even with a low number such as 10 times per day, this equates to 3,650 opportunities to fall and become injured each year. There are several things that can be done to reduce the possibilities for injury.

1. Make sure that when you sit or stand, you have sufficient, sturdy surfaces you can use to obtain and maintain balance
    
2. Incorporate daily exercises that assist in helping increase your balance
    
3. Utilize aids that are designed to help you stand and sit without falling. EZ-Sit is a product that is convenient and easy to use. The inventor of this innovative product saw the need in this category and sought to develop a product that would be easy to carry with you and could be used wherever the individual that needed the assistance would go, such as a restaurant, a game, a family gathering, church—almost anywhere. The price point of this product makes it very affordable as well, coming in at under $200

Slipping and Falling

As progressive diseases advance, the dangers of slipping and falling increases. Studies show that slips and falls are one of the top causes of injuries that can become fatal. In 2014, 30 percent of all emergency room visits were the result of slips and falls. An injury such as this can prove to be fatal while dealing with a progressive disease, so eliminating the obstacles that can cause them is a definite must. Evaluating the home for mobility obstacles begins with the entries and exits. As mobility needs change it is imperative that your entry points change with them as needed. If there are steps to the doors, make sure that there are sturdy handrails to maintain balance and stability. Often times wooden steps can shift and warp, creating unequal rises and slippery surfaces. Products such as Handitreads, are easy to install and provide extra permanent traction for your steps.

Getting In and Out of Bed

As mobility needs change, getting in and out of bed may become an increasingly challenging task. This area of the house that should be relaxing and refreshing may become hazardous. There are several tasks that can help ensure a safe, hazard-free environment in the bedroom.

• Make sure the bed is at an appropriate height. Many beds and mattresses require you to climb up into bed, or sit down into bed. The height of the bed and mattresses should be such that you can comfortably sit down on the bed and recline to lay down without having to boost yourself up into the bed
   
• Have a sturdy surface to assist you to get in and out of bed. A sturdy night stand, will often suffice, but other items are available as needs change. Products such as the Stander Pole are an easy to install, easy to use safety feature
   
• As mobility needs change, it is important to make sure that the equipment you are using changes with the needs. In-home assisitive devices that aid both the caregiver and the patient such as Friendly Beds can assist in keeping you safe and secure in your own bed as mobility issues change, making it more difficult to get in and out of bed. This can often reduce the need or postpone the timeline for assisted living care as progressive diseases worsen
   

Using the Bathroom

This final category is in many cases the largest area of need and can provide the greatest risk. Simple things such as sitting down on a toilet, getting in and out of a bathtub or shower, reaching to grab a towel or even slipping on a wet spot on the floor can prove to be a hidden hazard with major consequences for those with mobility problems.

Having a solid strategy for the bathroom is crucial to safe living in the home.

• How easily can I get in and out of the bathtub? If a traditional bathtub with a shower, maneuvering over the side of the tub is often an overlooked obstacle. Additionally, making sure that the surface inside the tub is slip resistant will eliminate many of the hazards from falling. Clear, self-adhesive stick-on treads such as those offered by People Treads can eliminate the issue of a slippery bathtub service
   
• How easy or difficult is it to use the toilet? Many times siting down on a toilet or getting up off of the toilet can become hazardous as a disease progresses. Products such as the TILT from EZ-ACCESS, can assist in eliminating that hazard
   
• Grab bars are a common need in the bathroom, and having grab bars that function as other needed bathroom fixtures such as the towel holder or toilet paper holder can take care of a need and eliminate a hazard at the same time
   

As products are chosen in the home it is important to find products that can progress with the disease. When the prognosis is established, understanding the various stages of each disease and seeking products that will change as your as your needs change is an important aspect in the long-term outlook of disease progression and overall health.

This article is the fourth in a six-part aging-in-place case study series. Each segment will focus on a particular aspect of aging-in-place. Read other articles in this series here.

Major Causes for Concern:

• Standing and sitting
   
• Slipping and falling
   
• Getting in and out of bed
   
• Using the bathroom