By Tim Johnson, tjohnson@nonpareilonline.com
Our houses are built for able-bodied people,” said BevVan Phillips, owner of Home Access Solutions.Stairs, doorways and conventional countertops, sinks, toilets, bathtubs and other household features can be obstacles to people who depend on walkers or wheelchairs to get around or who use a cane and are just a little unsteady.The League of Human Dignity has a Barrier Removal program that offers assistance to those who qualify. The organization offers a variety of services to help make homes and buildings accessible to people with disabilities. Services include: Barrier removal grants, accessibility design consultations and a resource center of catalogs and information, a brochure states.“One of the main reasons people feel they need to transition into a nursing home is lack of accessibility,” said Carrie England, director of the Southwest Iowa Center for Independent Living, 1520 Ave. M. “By making their homes more accessible, we’re giving them the choice of remaining in their homes, if they don’t want to go into a nursing home.”Grants of up to $5,000 are available to income-eligible people with disabilities for modifications that make their homes more accessible, including lifts, ramps, roll-in showers, wider doorways, etc., a League description of services states.When a person calls for barrier removals, they are usually put on a waiting list, England said.“Usually, we have a year to a year-and-a-half waiting period,” she said.The grant money is on an annual cycle and is used up each year, she said. The League’s designer, based in Omaha, does a consultation, and England takes photographs of the person’s home. The designer figures out what needs to be done.
The project is put out for bid, and the lowest bidder is engaged to complete the project, England said. Bathroom modifications are primarily rails, roll-in showers and reachable sinks and counters.
“They tear out the old tub and put in a roll-in shower, so they can use a shower wheelchair, which is a simple one that can get wet,” she said. “It also helps for people who have trouble stepping into the tub.”
Professional builders do all of the work, England said.
“Family members, they might build a ramp for the elderly person but they don’t follow the code, and it becomes unsafe or the (ramp) is too steep,” she said. “And, of course, most people who experience a disability do not have the (needed) funds. A lot of these projects run $7,000 to $12,000, and they just don’t have those funds available.”
Money for the grants comes from CDBG grants and from the Dana and Christopher Reeve Foundation, she said. The Iowa West Foundation has sometimes helped, as well.
“We work with the consumer to find other resources,” England said.
Other contributors have included the Henry K. Peterson Foundation, Vocational Rehabilitation, Medicaid and local service clubs, she said.
The League can complete a limited number of projects each year.
“Generally, we serve six to 10 consumers modifying their homes,” she said. “That covers all of the cost. The consumers don’t pay anything for these modifications at all.”
The League can also provide information on home safety, England said.
“Generally, if they don’t need a modification, we can go in and talk to them about arranging their furniture so they can get around their home, putting in handrails and that kind of thing,” she said.
People who do not qualify for a League of Human Dignity Barrier Removal Grant may want to contact Home Access Solutions. The business does accessibility design, sells equipment and consults with contractors, Phillips said. They are not licensed to do construction in Iowa. The business is based in Omaha near Crossroads Mall but does not have a showroom.
“We go to people’s homes so we can see what problems they have,” she said. “We do all of our work in people’s homes. What we do is make it easier for people to remain in their homes.”
The organization looks at a person’s house to identify modifications that can be made – or, if an older couple is building a new home, they can help design it to be free of stairs and other obstacles, Phillips said.
“It’s all very customized, and it depends on what a person needs,” she said.
If a person needs to move from one level of a home to another, there are several options, Phillips said.
“Dealing with levels can be as simple as adding a handrail on both sides and making sure it is fastened securely enough that it can bear a person’s weight,” she said.
The cheapest mechanical solution would be to install a chair glide, Phillips said. More expensive options would be a platform lift or an elevator.
“We don’t have one solution,” she said. “We offer a variety of things. All of the solutions are based on a determination about what that person is trying to accomplish and what that person’s abilities will allow.”
Home Access Solutions has been in business since Jan. 1, 2000, and Phillips has been an occupational therapist working with people in their environment since 1981.
“It could be changing how a person does something, and then it could be very simple,” she said.
She also works as a consultant with others on new construction.
“When we’re building in, we’re trying very hard to preserve the value of the home and not just throw stuff at it,” Phillips said. “You can’t just change stuff willy-nilly. You have to keep that value in mind.”
Home Access Solutions can be reached at (402) 291-9514.
The project is put out for bid, and the lowest bidder is engaged to complete the project, England said. Bathroom modifications are primarily rails, roll-in showers and reachable sinks and counters.
“They tear out the old tub and put in a roll-in shower, so they can use a shower wheelchair, which is a simple one that can get wet,” she said. “It also helps for people who have trouble stepping into the tub.”
Professional builders do all of the work, England said.
“Family members, they might build a ramp for the elderly person but they don’t follow the code, and it becomes unsafe or the (ramp) is too steep,” she said. “And, of course, most people who experience a disability do not have the (needed) funds. A lot of these projects run $7,000 to $12,000, and they just don’t have those funds available.”
Money for the grants comes from CDBG grants and from the Dana and Christopher Reeve Foundation, she said. The Iowa West Foundation has sometimes helped, as well.
“We work with the consumer to find other resources,” England said.
Other contributors have included the Henry K. Peterson Foundation, Vocational Rehabilitation, Medicaid and local service clubs, she said.
The League can complete a limited number of projects each year.
“Generally, we serve six to 10 consumers modifying their homes,” she said. “That covers all of the cost. The consumers don’t pay anything for these modifications at all.”
The League can also provide information on home safety, England said.
“Generally, if they don’t need a modification, we can go in and talk to them about arranging their furniture so they can get around their home, putting in handrails and that kind of thing,” she said.
People who do not qualify for a League of Human Dignity Barrier Removal Grant may want to contact Home Access Solutions. The business does accessibility design, sells equipment and consults with contractors, Phillips said. They are not licensed to do construction in Iowa. The business is based in Omaha near Crossroads Mall but does not have a showroom.
“We go to people’s homes so we can see what problems they have,” she said. “We do all of our work in people’s homes. What we do is make it easier for people to remain in their homes.”
The organization looks at a person’s house to identify modifications that can be made – or, if an older couple is building a new home, they can help design it to be free of stairs and other obstacles, Phillips said.
“It’s all very customized, and it depends on what a person needs,” she said.
If a person needs to move from one level of a home to another, there are several options, Phillips said.
“Dealing with levels can be as simple as adding a handrail on both sides and making sure it is fastened securely enough that it can bear a person’s weight,” she said.
The cheapest mechanical solution would be to install a chair glide, Phillips said. More expensive options would be a platform lift or an elevator.
“We don’t have one solution,” she said. “We offer a variety of things. All of the solutions are based on a determination about what that person is trying to accomplish and what that person’s abilities will allow.”
Home Access Solutions has been in business since Jan. 1, 2000, and Phillips has been an occupational therapist working with people in their environment since 1981.
“It could be changing how a person does something, and then it could be very simple,” she said.
She also works as a consultant with others on new construction.
“When we’re building in, we’re trying very hard to preserve the value of the home and not just throw stuff at it,” Phillips said. “You can’t just change stuff willy-nilly. You have to keep that value in mind.”
Home Access Solutions can be reached at (402) 291-9514.
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