Those of us with a permanent disability are always adjusting to the world, with a watchful eye on the environment.

• Watching that crack or uneven sidewalk,

•  the pothole; 

• the heavy door;

• The planning to get groceries from one place to another;

• Carrying the hot drink, or not;

• How to tackle the curb when there’s no curb cut;

• Buying adaptive footwear with zippers for easy on and off;

• Eliminating all scatter rugs and ‘stuff/ clutter’ that can be a trip hazard;

• Use of hand controls in my car;

• Using a variety of assistive devices- state of the art ergonomic crutches, a lighter weight rollator, a utility cart that serves as a grocery, laundry garbage cart, buffet line helper,  computer cart when using the recumbent bike while watching Netflix…;

• Going to physical therapy and taking an active role in keeping active; 

•  Using wheelchair assistance in the airports, tipping others to carry and ‘do the grunt work’;

• Calling ahead and asking questions to prevent ‘the unforeseen”

• ASKING FOR HELP to prevent the possibility of falls- planning, planning, planning, one step ahead of every situation!

I have done all of this and more… and STILL  sometimes the unanticipated happens when you think you have everything covered!

When you live in a setting that is supposed to be ‘one size fits all’ for younger or older seniors, the beauty often far exceeds the functionality.

This is particularly true in the South where disability accommodation is an afterthought at best! I’ve talked to government leaders, business owners, property managers, building contractors who could become pioneers for retirees moving to the tropical states in need of such accommodations. 

But, they don’t want to face it. They turn a blind eye and instead focus on tourism dollars and the influx of new homebuilding, never giving a thought to the fact that we are consumers too who deserve a safe and convenient place to live. 

The PROBLEM ‘Laundry List that often plagues Senior Housing is long…

It matters not if the building is newly constructed. It does matter what type of builder was used. In our case, a company accustomed to building college dormitories was hired and they failed in most cases! 

 To name just a few - Cheaply constructed cabinets that ‘rise to the sky’ where the upper 50% can’t be reached, no lights in pantry closets, counters that are mounted too low and have edges that are pointed versus rounded causing injury, wretched wire shelving mounted too high that doesn’t balance items; absent or inappropriate placement of towel racks, window blinds with rods that are a foot long from the top and unreachable, cook top stoves versus burners, stainless steel appliences requiring much pressure and maintenance to prevent streaking, scatter rugs- a fall risk,chairs without arms to assist sit to stand etc.

WASTED SPACE (i.e  overall poor space planning) etc, etc. I actually have a spreadsheet!) 

I suffered an injury recently in my bedroom due to the relative lack of space I need for dressing in the morning. Although I am a minimalist by nature, the space needed in case of a fall is not there. 

A 3 foot long wall encasing a large HVAC system intrudes into my smallish bedroom on one side, with another 2+ feet taken by part of the walk-in closet. On the other side of the wall,  there is a combination Living Room-Dining area - nearly 15 X 17 feet adequate for a barn dance! 

This room is sparsely used with the very occasional guest! 

It is too bad and a lesson for me and my injured face and upper body colliding into the ‘HVAC wall.’

The incident was partly my fault with my footwear. However, the fact remains it is not safe for me.

Therefore, I am fortunate to have a physical therapist who is very skilled and will take each session according to my needs. I requested that we do some serious ‘space planning’ i.e- rearranging furniture, my dressing area,  perhaps a grab bar, an electronic remote for my lamp (considering my  ‘bed mobility’ - moving from one side of the bed to the other) is difficult for me.

This may be a good temporary solution, as I am now ‘very wary of ‘the HVAC wall’.

Parting Thoughts -

Not one size fits all. My individual needs are likely different from other people’s needs. Therefore, what works for me, may not work for another who has the same type of disability. After nearly seven decades… I thought I knew exactly what was needed. Surprise, surprise! Even the  most seasoned can learn new lessons the hard and painful way!