Home Access Solutions

In my last column, I wrote about marketing your home accessibility business. As a follow-up I am writing about the “service skills” that will help identify the issues and solutions of prospective customers. Here’s a list and definitions of the most common areas/aspects of ADLs of prospective customers.

• Home entry/exit: the place/places where a person can enter and/or exit
• Sleeping
• Eating: ingesting, chewing and swallow in turn
• Toileting: the act of and hygiene
• Bathing and personal hygiene: the act of washing yourself and the hygienic measures concerning a person’s bodily condition, notably external cleanliness
• Walking/horizontal mobility: being able to move at a regular, if slow, pace by lifting and setting down each foot in turn, one foot always the ground
• Rising/vertical mobility: being able to move from a lower position to a higher one
• Communicating—orally or by other means: the ability to convey one’s ideas or evoke understanding of others
• Pain control/management: an interdisciplinary approach to easing the suffering and improving the quality of life of those living with pain
• Medication administration: taking/receiving/giving treatment using drugs or medicines
• Visibility: the distance one can see as determined by light and weather
• Cooking and preparing meals
• Doing laundry
• Household chores: cleaning, dusting, vacuuming, etc.
• Comfort: a state of physical ease and freedom from pain or constraint

In each of the above 15 areas or aspects of ADLs, people may have issues that cause some or all to be difficult. In many situations there are effective solutions or products that will make these tasks much easier for people to perform. As an example, I will discuss toileting in depth. Can person enter/exit bathroom and get on/off toilet and effectively perform toileting functions independently? If “yes,” no further analysis is needed. If “no,” further analysis is necessary. Can they enter/exit the bathroom? Is the doorway wide enough to for safe entry, is the floor free of obstructions and is there enough space in the bathroom for the person to navigate safely and effectively? Possible product solutions: Grab bars near entry and on walls throughout the room, and nonslip flooring Disrobe/rerobe/dress/undress effectively? If manual dexterity is compromised, assistance or specialized devices may be required to remove/lower garments. Possible product solutions: Reachers, dressing sticks, hand grips, grabbers Get onto/off toilet properly? If manual dexterity, sense of balance and/or strength are compromised various assistive devices may enhance the safety. Possible product solutions: Raised toilet seats, grab bars, safety frames, handrails, hand grips, stand poles, stand bars and nonslip flooring Void urine/have bowel movement (BM)? Adjust eating and drinking habits to enhance. See physician because diuretics or stool softeners may be necessary. Possible product solutions: Special diet educational/instructional materials Perform post void or BM hygiene? If manual dexterity is compromised assistance or specialized devices may enhance post void/BM hygiene. Possible product solutions: Pivoting or rolling toilet paper holders, bidets, grab bar placement, reachers, grabbers, inspection mirrors, toilet hygiene aides, specialized sprayer, cleaner and drying devices Perform post toileting hygiene (wash/dry hands) effectively? If dexterity, sense of balance, strength or ability to stand at sink are compromised additional assistance or specialized devices may be needed. Possible product solutions: Enhanced/modified on/off water faucets and soap dispensers, air hand dryers, specialized walkers and accessible sinks *VGM/AHIA has developed a certification program for an “Aides to Daily Living Specialist (ADLS)” to help you meet these educational demands.