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Technological Innovations in Accessibility

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A disability is any physical, sensory, or cognitive impairment that makes daily activities more difficult. Many people are born with a disability. Others acquire a disability later in life, from an accident, an illness, or the aging process. Many older individuals are diagnosed with chronic conditions that lead to functional or cognitive disabilities. Pacific Mobility Center specializes in products that give those with disabilities freedom and independence.

Over a billion people globally have some form of disability: 360 million people worldwide have moderate to profound hearing loss; 285 million people are visually impaired (39 million of whom are blind) and 75 million people need a wheelchair (of which, only 5-15 percent actually have access to one).

In recent decades, new and innovative technologies have helped lower the barriers that people with disabilities encounter in their daily lives, helping them with tasks that able-bodied people take more or less for granted, such as speaking, travelling, reading, and writing. These new technologies can be classified as assistive, adaptive, or accessible.

Assistive technology

Assistive technology is technology designed specifically to improve a disabled person’s functional capabilities, and includes a wide range of devices and services, including IT-enabled prosthetics and implants, custom computer interfaces, and accessible communication tools. Adaptive technology provides a mechanism that allows people with disabilities to use technology that would otherwise be inaccessible to them. Text-to-speech technology, for example, helps users with vision impairments to be able to “read” materials that are written. Computer screen readers and screen magnifiers help make computer output accessible for visually impaired users. Accessible technology helps remove barriers and make the world more accessible for people with disabilities. Speech recognition software, for example, has many uses such as dictation or automated telephone systems; however, the technology can also provide independence for quadriplegics by allowing them to control a computer with their voice. Consumer Electronics Shows annually feature these types of products.

While there remains a long way to go before all new technologies are made accessible to people with disabilities, in recent years there has been a great deal of progress. Mainstream technologies are becoming increasingly adaptable, and specialist technologies have, in many cases. become increasingly affordable.

Some examples of innovative new products that further help disabled people function more easily, while acquiring more independence, include:

• Dot: the world’s first Braille smartwatch
• Talkitt: an innovative application that translates unintelligible pronunciation into understandable speech
• The Sesame Phone: designed to be used with small head movements, tracked by its front-facing camera
• Uni: a tool that detects hand and finger gestures that it converts into text
• The Finger Reader: a wearable tool that can scan a text and give real-time audio feedback of the words it detects
• Be My Eyes: an application that connects blind people with volunteers from around the world who can help with simple tasks
• AXS map: an app that carries information about wheelchair-accessible ramps and restrooms in public places
• Transcence: an app that converts spoken words into text in real time for group messaging
• Liftware: a self-stabilizing handle on which one can attach an eating utensil like a fork or spoon for patients who suffer from Parkinson’s disease or other forms of motion disorders that causes hand tremors.

Some other new and/or emerging technologies include:

• Driverless cars
• Smart glasses that include facial recognition software which interprets facial expressions and tells the wearer how the person in front of them is feeling. This could be particularly useful for people Asperger’s Syndrome, for instance, who struggle to interpret facial expressions unassisted
• Prosthetic limbs that allow wearers to “feel” touched objects, while offering better control and efficiency
• All terrain wheelchairs, capable of scaling uneven surfaces
• Smart belts that can detect when a person is falling in order to deploy air cushions prior to impact
• Medical exoskeletons which can be used to assist people who have trouble walking
• Smart canes that can alert a user’s relative is there is any unusual use or movements of the cane

Contact Pacific Mobility Center with any questions about how you and/or your loved ones can benefit from the best accessibility products available today: Stairlifts, Residential Porch Lifts, Vehicle Lifts, Ceiling Lifts, Shower Buddy, Electric Door Opener, Ramps, Scooters, Lift Chairs, Wheel Chairs, Power Electric Wheel Chairs, Walkers, Turning Automotive Seats, Automotive Hand Controls, Pool Lifts and Other Aids to Daily Living.

Hand Rail Systems Can Make the Home More Safe

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While many seniors prefer to live in their homes for as long as possible, most homes are not designed for maximum safety. As people age, their balance, stability and muscle strength tend to wane. This diminishing vitality, coupled with a concomitant decrease in visual acuity, is the cause of many home accidents. Indeed, falls are the number one cause of injury among seniors, responsible for almost three million emergency room visits and more than 25,000 deaths in Canada and the U.S., annually.

One type of home modification that can help make the home safer is a handrail system. There are three major reasons to install handrails:
• To support walking
• To support overall mobility
• To prevent falls

It is important to understand that railings and banisters are not handrails and should not be confused with them. Railings and banisters may provide some support, but they are generally not strong enough to prevent a fall should a person grab onto it in extremis. A true handrail must withstand at least 500 pounds of force.

In addition, according to the Americans with Disabilities Act, a handrail needs to be:
• 1¼” – 2″ in diameter
• Round (or equivalent)
• 1½” minimum from the wall
• At least 1½” above any horizontal protrusion
• Continuous on and between stairs, ramps, landings and horizontal extensions at the tops and bottoms of slopes

Handrails can be installed in many different areas of a house. For example, a handrail can be installed on the wall above the bath tub; in a shower or just outside it; next to a sink or toilet; alongside a bed; on a staircase; in a kitchen or work space, or anywhere else where a senior or anyone else who is mobility challenged, requires or desires one. Usually, they are made of metal, such as aluminum, but they can also be made of wood or heavy plastic.

More important than the actual handrail material is the strength of the bracket that attaches it to the wall.Therefore, it is highly advisable that handrail systems be installed by professionals using the appropriate fasteners and fixtures. Do-it-yourself installations may also be available, but instructions must be followed carefully when putting them up. Also, there may be cases where handrails would impede movement or create risks for the elderly if they are installed in an inappropriate location.

At Pacific Mobility, we can assist you in planning the best and most appropriate type of handrail system for your home. Our experienced staff can also install your handrails, providing you the best in safety and reliability.

Staying in the Home You Love vs. Moving to Assisted Living

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Most seniors, if given the choice, would choose to remain in their own home for as long as possible rather than move to an assisted living facility. In fact, one study puts the number as high as 90 percent. This is not a mystery. For most of us – seniors included – home is where we’re comfortable; where it’s safe and familiar. We get to sleep in our own bed, eat what and when we like, and have a certain amount of privacy.

By and large, an elderly person who remains at home has a greater measure of independence than a contemporary who lives in an assisted living situation and giving up one’s independence can be difficult. In fact, for some seniors, transitioning to an assisted living community can be psychologically devastating, as it portends the end of one of life’s chapters, and the beginning of an unknown experience out of one’s comfort zone.

However, some seniors who do choose to remain at home may experience social isolation and poor nutrition which can contribute to cognitive decline, health problems, depression, and a diminished quality of life – especially if some of the activities of daily living (ADLs), like dressing, bathing, cooking, cleaning, going up and down stairs, etc. become too difficult. These seniors must come to terms with the situation that is facing them. Either they can stay in the home they love, or they can make the move to assisted living.

Luckily, today, more and more seniors have the option of “aging in place,” as long as they are willing to make certain modifications in the way they live and to the houses in which they live.

For example, even if one is not completely healthy, with home-healthcare, seniors can have their medical needs attended to most satisfactorily without having to leave home. In fact, one study found that those seniors who received in-home care visited the doctor 25 percent fewer times than those that didn’t receive in-home care. Clients with Alzheimer’s or other dementia diseases made almost 50 percent less trips to the doctor. In addition, other in-home services such as housecleaning, non-medical care, shopping, transportation, and food services can help offset the need for an elderly individual to have to struggle with common, everyday chores.

Making the home more “senior-safe” is another tactic that will allow an elderly individual to remain longer in the home he or she loves. Some general home alterations include the widening of doorways, and the installation of grab bars in the bathroom and/or shower, bed rails, and some type of stairlift in homes that contain more than one story. For seniors restricted to a wheel chair, an outdoor ramp or porch lift can enable them go in and out safely and at will. In addition, home monitoring equipment can let family members keep an eye on an aged loved one from a distance.

None of this should suggest that a transfer to assisted living can’t be a viable option for some seniors. There are certainly some advantages for the elderly individual whose needs – both medical and mundane – can be attended to in a professionally operated assisted living facility staffed by competent and caring people. However, for those seniors who wish to stay at home, and know the necessary modifications that are available, aging in place is certainly easier to accomplish now than ever before.

At Pacific Mobility, we are the aging in place experts. Our staff has the knowledge and experience to help you design and implement your home modifications so that you can continue to remain in the home you love for as long as possible. Call us today for a free consultation.

Making Bathrooms Safe for Seniors

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We like to think that our bathrooms are safe and private places – places where accidents don’t generally happen. But it doesn’t take a lot for a bathroom to become a dangerous place for a frail or elderly senior. According to a recent study from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), nearly 200,000 Americans are treated in hospital emergency rooms, every year, for bathroom-related injuries. And since more than one in three persons over 65 fall each year, it’s safe to say that many of those who receive emergency treatment are elderly.

By and large, bathrooms have many hard and slippery surfaces, making them especially hazardous for individuals with mobility challenges, such as poor muscle strength or bad balance. But before one can make bathroom trouble spots safer for seniors, it’s important to know where and how bathroom accidents occur. Most bathroom falls occur while getting in and out of the tub or shower; sitting down and getting up from the toilet; and walking while attempting to use towel bars, sink tops, or other objects for support.

The first modification that can be made in a shower is getting rid of any lip that has to be stepped over getting in or out. If possible, a traditional shower stall can be replaced with a walk-in model. If that is not possible, or even if it is, grab bars should also be installed close to the shower opening to supply balance support. Another bar, or set of bars, should be installed in the shower, as well. A shower chair is an easy fix to supply stability as well as a place to rest for a senior who can’t stand for long periods. Another way to modify a shower for safety is to install a hand-held shower head with a long enough hose so that its user doesn’t have to stretch or bend.

Getting in and out of a bathtub can be very difficult for a frail senior. Here, again, well-placed grab bars can be helpful. For floor to tub transfers, a bath bench is another modification that can promote safety. Two of the bench’s legs are placed outside of the tub and the other two, within it. The user sits on the bench and swings his or her legs over the side, and then slides into the tub, without having to stand up. Of course, for both tubs and showers, non-slip mats are necessary inside, and non-slip rugs should be placed on the outside.

Toilets are another potential trouble spot, but there are several modifications that can be made. Raising the toilet seat several inches reduces the need to squat and the distance that has to be covered. Additional safety features include brackets or locking clamps that stabilize the seat on the toilet rim. Also, grab bars can be attached either to the wall near the toilet, or to the toilet, itself.

Of course, bathrooms should be well-lit, with towels, soap, and toiletries within easy reach. All surfaces, walls and floors, included, should be clean and free of any soap scum that makes them more slippery. Finally, the bathroom should be as free as possible of any fragile items or those that can fall and break.

At Pacific Mobility we provide all of the necessary safety items and equipment that can help make your bathroom safe for seniors. We can also help you make the best choices for any extensive bathroom modifications that you might wish to make. Call or visit us today.

Long-term Living Facility vs. Aging in Place Modifications

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As the Baby Boom generation ages, the pelderly-people-294088__180opulation of American seniors will double in size over the next 25 or so years. And like countless seniors before them, these now elderly individuals will need to make decisions about their long-term care, especially if age, sickness, or disability makes it difficult, or even impossible, for them to care for themselves.

Many studies reveal that a majority of seniors would prefer to stay in their homes as long as they are able, but this is not always possible. However, when faced with having to move into an assisted living facility or a nursing home, the costs can be prohibitive for many families.

According to a recent report by Genworth Financial, the median price for a private room in a nursing home is now $91,250 a year. And although long-term care insurance policies are available to help cover costs, Medicare, the federal government’s health insurance program for citizens over 65, does not cover extended stays in long-term care facilities.

When it becomes preferable to keep an aging senior at home, either because of desire or financial constraints, it may also be necessary to make modifications in the home environment in the interests of safety and the peace of mind of that senior’s loved ones.

Some common home alterations include the widening of doorways, and the installation of ramps, grab bars in the bathroom and/or shower, bed rails, and some type of stairlift in homes that contain more than one story. And in many cases, the costs for these home improvements are a lot less than what a family might have to spend for long-term care in an institution.

The term, “Aging in Place” is now a popular way of describing the shift away from expensive institutionalized care and toward the more affordable choice of staying at home for as long as practicable. As this trend continues, more home care companies will come into existence offering services such as housekeeping, meal preparation, bathing, and transportation to medical appointments, among other tasks.

In addition, companies that provide home modification products and services will also proliferate in order to meet the growing need of seniors who decide to “age in place.” At Pacific Mobility, we excel at helping our customers make practical and cost-effective decisions about how they can make their homes safer and more accessible for aging seniors. Give us a call or stop by our showroom for a first-hand experience.

Grab Rails and Bathroom Safety

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Bathrooms are the site of the most falls by senior citizens. Slippery surfaces and activities that involve bending, sitting, and standing conspire to make bathrooms extremely dangerous areas of the home for those who have mobility issues. It’s all too easy to slip in the shower or fall while trying to stand after using the bathroom and hit heavily on the abundance of hard surfaces or the hard floor. This also makes a fall in the bathroom even more dangerous since a fall in the bathroom can more easily result in a serious injury. And due to the nature of what bathrooms are commonly used for, a fall and injury may also add embarrassment to that injury when calling for help. No one wants to have call for help and be found in a mortifying situation.

Consequently, for the mobility-impaired bathroom safety must be a top priority. However, not everyone has the money or the ability to remodel their bathrooms and add walk-in tubs or lifts. This does not preclude the need for safety. Therefore, we are going to discuss a more economical and easier solution for those with budgetary restrictions, those who rent, or those who simply do not want to go through the time and trouble of remodeling.

Installing grab rails in a bathroom is an easy and economical way to add safety in a troublesome area of the home.

What is that solution? Grab rails. Grab rails are easily grasped handles that can be affixed to the wall in a bathroom or other trouble areas of the home in order to give seniors and others with mobility issues something to hold on in order to more easily lift themselves or to improve safety during times when they might easily slip and fall. Grab rails are simple and easy to install with a minimum of damage to the walls to which they are attached. Grab rails are also more economical than lifts or walk-in tubs. For these reasons, if you rent your home or are otherwise unable to or not thrilled by the prospect of remodeling your bathrooms, grab rails may be just the perfect solution for you.

Pacific Mobility Solutions is your go-to company for sales of grab rails in San Diego. Locally owned, Pacific Mobility Solutions is a family operated business that understands the unique needs and issues of the mobility challenged in the San Diego area. And right now, we are having a special sale. Buy any three grab bars at the regular price of $125 each, and we’ll give you a fourth for free. This sale is only good during the month of February, so make sure to hurry in and pick up your grab bars today! Please contact us with any questions regarding this or any other issue, and see what a difference experience and family ownership makes when choosing and purchasing mobility assistance products. From grab bars, lifts, and vehicle controls to scooters, power chairs, and walking aids, our friendly and knowledgeable sales staff has the experience to help you make the right choice for your budget and your lifestyle. We offer installation of some products, too! Come on in today and see us to reclaim your freedom and reclaim your life. We make mobility easy. We are Pacific Mobility Solutions.

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