Did I happen to mention I do not do well with downtime? I had some things scheduled today. Plan A was the cruise. That went down the tubes. Then I was supposed to testify in a court case (not my own!). That has been continued until the end of summer. So much for plan B.
Nephew #1 is coming around later to “take me out” (as if I were a dog?????) and do a little shopping. Hip hop is this evening but I need to deal with now.
Since I am stuck at home, I figured I would listen to some of that audio book about safe living at home. It is called Making Life More Livable and it is available from BARD. [It is also available from AFB in paperback, e-book and online/download forms.]
Although the book stresses there is no one size fits all adaptations, it does make some basic suggestions. Also – note to caregivers – it stresses it is important for anyone making adaptations to actually look at the set up already in place and ask the visually impaired person what he thinks and wants. And yes, I find that to be common sense but if there is one thing I have learned in life, it is common sense is not so common!
So, onward!
Running into doors is apparently a common accident. Sliding doors or leaving doors off of cupboards and rooms altogether is suggested in the audio book. If you cannot take doors off, making an effort to keep them all the way closed or all the way open was suggested. Curtains and beaded hangings could also be used and are a lot softer when you run into them!
Rugs are another hazard. If the edge is coming up, tack it down. Do the same if the rug slides on a slick floor. Sometimes it may be best to just remove the rug.
You may not, however, want to get rid of small, area rugs entirely. Rugs of a contrasting color can be used to define an area. Remember I once missed the last step and almost twisted an ankle? The dark tile at the bottom of my dark-carpeted stairs now has a light-colored area rug covering it. So far, no more missed last step there.
Door sills are supposed to be another big cause of accidents. If you have door sills, hopefully they are beveled so your toes don’t clunk into the sides of them. If they are not beveled, painting them some crazy color might be helpful. Yellow not required. Be creative. After all, we are the generation that introduce the term ‘psychedelic’ to the world!
That is what I have learned so far. Hopefully helpful. 11:30. Pet the dog. Lunch. Listen a little longer. I will let you know what else I learn.
Click here for more ideas from the book.