Harmar Stair Lifts- Made in USA

Any home can be accessible. Harmar Pinnacle Stair lifts are made in the USA, guaranteeing high quality! Call us today to learn more about stair lifts at (734)414-9525 and check out the Stair lift section of our website here.

Motivation Monday

This is Dan Holt. He has his law degree and is taking his exam to be able to practice as a lawyer. If you know about Cerebral Palsy, you know that it can't stop you from reaching your goals.

Click here to see the BBC article.

Our motivation is being advocates for people with disabilities. Everyone has the right to an accessible home and to live as independently as possible.

What is your motivation? Comment below.

Are you a Disabled Veteran?

BFA LLC. is proud to be on the Department of Veteran Affairs Contractor List for the State of Michigan. We have worked with disabled Veteran clients, whom have received Housing Grants from the VA. The purpose of the Housing grants are to enhance disabled Veterans quality of life by providing a safe, barrier free home, where they can live as independently as they can.

Through our experience, many of our Veteran clients have no knowledge that they have these grants available to them. And, much to our surprise, we found it difficult to find detailed explanations of their options. Thankfully, we found a document from Julian Gray Associates , where Cindy S. Alvear,  clearly explained the grants available and the specifications to qualify for them.

The VA offers a few different Housing Grants:

Specially Adapted Housing Grant (SAH)

• Veteran may receive up to $67,555 for accessible home modifications.
• Veteran is only qualified if they were permanently disabled during service.
• Click here for details.

Special Home Adaptation Grant

• Veteran may receive up to $13,511 for any accessible home modifications.
• Veterans qualify if permanently and totally disabled as a resulf of Military service.
• Click here for details.

Click here for more information on SAH and SHA grants from the Department of Veteran Affairs.

Home Improvement and Structural Assistance (HISA)

• Veteran may receive $2,000 to $6,800 for accessible home modifications.
• Veterans qualify if disabled as a result of service related or non service related conditions.
• Requires a perscription from VA facility or physician.
• " A HISA grant is available to veterans who have received a medical determination indicating that improvements and structural alterations are necessary or appropriate for the effective and economical treatment of a disability. The HISA program does not cover major modifications that are generally covered by the SAH grant program. For instance, handrails installed in showers are covered under HISA, while widening a bathroom doorway is not. A veteran may receive both a HISA grant and either a Special Home Adaptation (SHA) grant or a Specially Adapted Housing (SAH) grant."
• Click here for more details.

Are you wondering if you qualify? Do you know where or how to get started?

If you are asking yourself these overwhelming question, contact the BFA LLC. team today!    We have contacts at the Department of Veteran Affairs that we can directly connect you to. Don't wait any longer.

Ask for Gwen, mention this article and receive a 10% Discount! Call 734-414-9525

**Discount Expires on 11/13/2017**

Water Therapy?

Sofia and her PT Christie, enjoying therapy in the pool.

I recently came across a nonprofit organization, dedicated to enhancing the quality of life of kids with Autism and their families. And, well, that is right up our alley! 

Izzy, a pro-surfer and father of two, found out his son, Isaiah, had Autism at the age of three. After a rough day and no one being able to reach Isaiah, Izzy took him on the surf board with him in hopes that the waves would help Isaiah in the way they help him. The waves did exactly that, so he started his non profit, Surfers Healing, a surf camp for kids with Autism and their families.

Besides relating to the passion for enhancing the quality of lives of people with disabilities and their families, I could also relate to seeing the water, especially the ocean, be therapeutic for Sofia. As many of  you know, Sofia is the inspiration to our families business. Just like Izzy, Luis and Gwendolyne knew that there were other families dealing with the same difficulties and wanted to a resource to them. 

Sofia and Gwendolyne on the beach in Turks and Caico.

Sofia loves Adventure, so our family cruise to the Caribbean was her cup of tea! Did I mention she loves being in the water? I have never seen her be in a bad mood when she is in the water, even in the shower. Her favorite part of summer is going to PT in the pool. So, of course we had to take her to the beach. After figuring out a way to take her to the shore, in her wheelchair, and successfully complete it, she was finally in the water. Sofia radiated pure joy. You could tell her body was relaxed, her muscles didn't hurt and she was in paradise. Literally!

The point I am trying to make, is that I am finding more and more people in the disability community, find relief and a sense of calm in the water. Have you tried  any kind of water therapy? What is your experience with your loved one with disabilities and the water? 

Let us know in a comment below.

Make sure to follow our facebook page to see updates on current projects and events we participate in!

Pets and their Special Abilities

 Sofia and Hana (family pet)

Our family loves animals, especially dogs! What can I say, we are dog people :)

Truthfully, the main reason for getting a dog was for Sofia, our loved one with Cerebral Palsy. We knew many people in the disability community who had dogs and mentioned that the dogs enhanced their quality of life. This resulted in extensive research on different breeds and deciding what we wanted in a dog. Once we decided, we welcomed Hana, a red Shiba Inu, to the family. As you can see, Hana is always by Sofia, she even sleeps with her. There is a special bond between human and animal, but I believe it is even more special when the dog has a purpose/ job. In our case, Hana is not a professionally trained dog, but she knows Sofia needs special attention and care, making Hana her helper.

From research I have read, there is a common misconception that service dogs are meant for people with visual impairments, but that is not the case. There are many ways a service animal can help anyone, especially with physical disabilities, M.S. in particular.

Sofia, Grandma and Hana (family pet)

In the National MS magazine, Momentum, I found a great article about pets helping people with MS. They mention that there is no specific animal that is good for MS. Really, any animal that gives you joy and that can motivate you to be responsible for something other than yourself. They also  explain that trained service animals help improve balance, compensate for numb or spastic hands, provide visual assistance.

What I love the most about this article, is that it has stories of people with MS and their experiences with pets.

Brenda Bolster said, “Every day, Sam (her dog) made me get up and focus on him and not my MS. Along with the joy and comfort he gave me, I found myself working harder to regain my strength in my arms and legs so I could walk him and carry him.”

Pets aren't only therapeutic for the person with disability, but also their caregivers and family members. Worrying about your loved one with the disease is a lot of stress. Bolster found that Sam helped her husband release stress as well.

Whether your furry helper is a service dog or family pet, “nothing can compare to the unconditional love and emotional support they give you,” Bolster says. “They are such a healing thing for the whole family.”

We cannot agree more!

Read the full article here to learn more about service animals and their benefits.

Let us know your experience with your pets or service animals by commenting below.

I don't need that yet...

When it comes to having an accessible home, the best advice we can give you is to think ahead !

Families often call us after mom has fallen for the second or third time. We want to be able to prevent you or your loved one from that happening in the first place.

This is why I was immediately sucked in to this article from Momentum, the magazine for the Nation MS Society.  The article has stories of individuals with MS. Read below to learn from their experience.

After Anthony Andrade noticed difficulty going up and down stairs, he got a ramp. Anthony says, “Now I can drive my electric wheelchair up the ramp. It’s so much easier getting in and out of the house. And I can be home by myself.”

Another women diagnosed with MS, Retta Yorns mentioned this, “I knew things would become more difficult for me, so we started making certain adaptations." She renovated the bathroom and kitchen, as well as the doorways and floors throughout her house to make them more accessible. “I’m not using a wheelchair now, but I’m trying to think ahead,” Yorns says.

“Often people don’t want to do something until they need it, But you want to stay ahead of the curve, even if you don’t need it right now.”

Check out the article here.