Just diagnosed?

Many adaptations can be made to the home to make it easier for a person living with Parkinson’s disease (PD) to get around and maintain their daily activities. One of the best resources for assessing and making recommendations for home adaptations is an occupational therapist.  They are licensed healthcare professionals that are focused on enabling their patients to engage in daily activities as seamlessly as possible. One of the ways occupational therapists do this is through suggesting adaptations or modifications to the person’s environment.

Home adaptations for people with PD range from small changes to major building changes requiring construction. Adaptations to the home may include:

• Adding rails to doorways or stairs

• Creating half steps to make large steps smaller

• Installing ramps

• Widening doorways

• Removing or leveling threshold strips between rooms

• Adding stair lifts

• Replacing a bath with a walk-in shower

• Installing a tub transfer bench

• Adding shower chairs

• Mounting bars or handrails in tubs, showers or near the toilet

• Placing non-skid rubber bath mats in showers or tubs

• Installing a raised toilet seat or commode frame

• Switching out faucets to those that are easier to grasp or those that only require a touch to turn on

• Inserting chair or bed raisers

• Adding a handle or bed rail for getting out of bed

• Adding a motion-activated nightlight

Click to know more on Home Adaptations and what to do next.