The Centre For Ageing Better have just published an excellent article looking at the challenges of finding accessible accommodation.
Janet and her husband Paul moved into a sheltered housing scheme after Janet’s disabilities made it impossible for her to remain in her previous home, which was neither accessible nor adaptable for her as a wheelchair user.
When they married, they pooled their resources and moved into the house they now share. Janet tells how they went about finding and adapting their current home and how, as she and Paul age, they think about what they might need to do next to keep their home working for them.
“Having an accessible home means everything because it means you can lead a life for yourself and not feel that you are constantly relying on other people. It’s so important to your own personal wellbeing to be able to live your life and continue living it.”
Over the years, a series of accidents, injuries and related health conditions have had a progressive impact on Janet’s mobility. She started using a walking stick around 37 years ago and then started using a wheelchair for moving around outside about 28 years ago.
Now aged 77, Janet uses a wheelchair both in and out of the house. She currently works part-time as a lay minister. Before that she was facilities manager for a large retail chain where she also acted as their disability advisor.
When Janet’s disability reached the stage that she needed to use a wheelchair indoors, she realised that the house she had lived in since she was born couldn’t be adapted.
Read the full article on the Centre For Ageing Better website – it’s a great read!