Good news at last for our veterans suffering permanent or total disability as a result of serving the country. As from 25 October 2010 the Veterans Association adopted a final rule that allows an expanded eligibility for Veterans needing a grant to help with home adaptations to allow them a better lifestyle.
To qualify for these grants veterans must have extensive burns that limit movement to two or more limbs or to the trunk and one limb. Grants will also be available to permanently and totally disabled vets who lose the use of both hands and those with inhalation injuries.
This will result in our disabled vets being able to live normal lives in their own adapted home. With grants of up to approximately $13,000 for home adaptations care will still be required in planning the adaptation. What do you need most? How can you ensure that you get value for money? Who can assist in planning and arranging the adaptations? The maximum grant is up to approximately $64,000 for a new home provided this is not more than 50% of the cost of the new home.
You might need to consider access ramps, a handicap accessible bathroom, suction handles, toilet safety, shower chairs, or other aids for independent living.
Bathrooms generally pose the greatest issues for disabled vets. Often the bathroom door only allows an opening width of 24″. This can pose major adaptation problems as it is not always possible to increase this width if the doorway is tied between walls etc. Most wheelchairs require a wider width doorway. Most bathrooms in the US also have a tub that we shower over, great if you are able bodied, but expensive to change if you have difficulty with mobility. Given the restriction we face with costs of modifying bathrooms it is not always possible to do major changes. We need to consider the best alternatives.
Some aids for independent living that are readily available do offer the best functionality when needing to convert a standard bathroom into a handicap accessible bathroom. Also, because these aids are lesser cost than converting the whole bathroom it is often possible to purchase shower chairs designed to transfer the user over the tub or into the shower stall plus buy the accessible ramps for the exterior entryway, suction handles for the rest room and bathroom and other aids all within the grant allowance. Many of these chairs fit through our narrow doorways removing the expense of changing door openings. This is possibly a better option than rushing ahead with a full scale adaptation to your home and finding that the costs have exceeded the grant and your ability to finance the changes.
Check out the options available on line. Search “bathroom transfer systems” in Google and you will find numerous shower chairs that offer a mobile transfer system from the bed to bathroom – and over the tub. While you could purchase a low cost shower bench or bath chair you will find that a strong and sturdy, non rusting, mobile transfer shower chair much better for long term use and also much safer with a higher level of comfort.
