Having a child with disabilities can bring with it many challenges. However, a child is still a child whether they have disabilities or not, and you will love and care for them the same as any other child. As they grow older, you will need to think of ways to adapt your home to meet their needs. This means putting a plan in place to put in the facilities and adaptations that you need for them to have a happy and healthy life.

Adding Space

One of the first things you need to think about is how much space you have in your home. If you are living in a small house, then you need to decide how to create more space in this area. Even if your child is not in a wheelchair, they may still need additional space to get around without falling. You might be able to accomplish this by moving some furniture or removing some from the house that you do not need. You might also be able to change the function of some of the rooms to allow more space to move around. This could be especially important if they need a home caregiver as they will also need access to the room. You can read more about caregiving and the services they offer online. As they grow older, this space may need to be increased to accommodate their growing size.

Make it Wheelchair Friendly

As well as adding more space to your home to help your child get around you might also want to consider making it wheelchair friendly in other ways. For example, you might want to get rid of raised thresholds. So it’s easier for a wheelchair to get through. You also want to think about access to the house; this could include having ramps put in and steps removed. It is also a good idea to think about areas outside of the house such as in the garden for example. The pathways need to be level and safe for someone to walk or use a wheelchair. Inside the house, you might want to look at the doorways to ensure that a wheelchair can pass through safely. If not, you may need to have the doorways adapted or removed to make the house open plan.

Check the Height of Objects and Facilities

If your child is going to be in a wheelchair for most of the time, then you need to think about adapting to other areas of the house. Some of the things to be aware of are light switches, doorknobs, and faucets. Things need to be of a height so your child can reach them if they need to. It will give them more independence and allow them to move around safely. If you are installing a chair lift, then it’s important the child is able to use it themselves if you wish them too. Their bedroom is one place in particular where you need to have as much to help them as possible. It needs to be child-friendly as well as wheelchair friendly so that they can move around freely and do things on their own if they wish to. This could include having an adjustable desk that they can sit at as well as an easy way in and out of bed. Above all, it needs to be a place where they can relax, listen to music, or watch TV.

Bathroom Adaptations

In many cases, the bathroom can pose the most difficult challenges when dealing with disabilities. If your child has difficulty sitting or standing on their own, then you may need to install aids to support the child. Firstly, however, you need to think about how your child will wash themselves. There are now many alternatives that you can consider such as wet rooms, walk-in bathtubs, and traditional showers. The one that you choose depends on the ability of your child to move around. For example, if your child can stand for a short period of time, then a shower might be the best option. However, if they cannot stand, then a chair in a shower could be the best option for you. It is also important to think about adding handles to the shower and to the toilet area so that your child can support themselves. Many bathrooms can be quite small, so it may be necessary to make the bathroom bigger by extending it.

Your Garden

Everybody enjoys being in the garden, and your children are no exception. However, a child with a disability can sometimes have issues navigate in a garden. To help with this, it is a good idea to ensure that your garden is safe for people with mobility aids and wheelchairs. You might want to install a slope from the back garden into the house; it should be easy for them to use so that they do not get stuck in the garden. Another good idea is to install paving through the garden so that they can take a wander through safely. You might even want to add some raised flower beds so that they can help plant some flowers or vegetables.

Think About the Details

Often, people will look at the bigger picture but will not consider the smaller details. For example, do you need to add push and pull faucet handles for your child to use on their own? Do you need to add easy to use door handles or have automatic doors? One way to make things more independent and automatic for your child is a smart hub. This can allow them to turn lights on and off, select movies and play music only using their voice. For children with highly limited mobility, this can be a hugely beneficial thing to have.

Your child wants to have the very best quality of life that they can get. And you as a parent also want to ensure that they have as much freedom as possible.