The Recipe for the Perfect Mobility Solution

I will never forget the client that I had a few years back whose mom had a fall in her home after going through her 2nd chemotherapy session. Her Mom had become weak and could not be on her feet safely after her treatment for at least a few days afterwards. My client, the daughter, lived an hour and a half away from her and realized that she had to do something to help since she could not run over there quick enough to help her.

So many questions came up. “Do we get a home health aide to be there on those days?” “Do we put a grab bar in?” “What about for when she can’t get out of the chair?” “How do we help her to get in the house in a wheelchair? She used to be able to do that herself.” For my client, the answer was more of a recipe for success than a straight solution.

The truth is she had needed a home health aide for quite some time, but Mom was reluctant to have strangers in her home. The first thing I advised was to call the home care company so they can come out and educate about home care, discuss what services they provide, the recommended hours and how to pay for it. She spoke to the home care company and they came out to do an assessment. As with most of my clients, they reached out to me afterwards to let me know what was discussed. The nurse was concerned about my client’s Mom being home alone due to her level of weakness, even though she visited a week after her last chemo appointment. She recommended a live-in caregiver. This was within my client’s budget and a better option for mom than the alternative. Her wishes were to age in place at home if she was able do it safely.

That was only one ingredient in the recipe. Sure. Having a certified home health aide in the home was extremely helpful. There were some other things that could be done to keep mom safe. The home care company recommended some home modifications. Mom loved her easy chair. She had been sleeping in that chair for years and it was worn. The arms were worn out and it was not easy for her to get out of the chair any longer. Each time she got up was a struggle and a safety risk. Once her daughter found out there was a chair that would help her to her feet, she wanted to learn more! She ended up contacting a home modification company and purchasing mom a chair that she could work herself with a remote control so that she could get up on her own. The aide always supervised for safety, but independence was important to her Mom. My client needed to help her to stay as independent as possible for as long as possible for her Mom’s quality of life.

Next was the bathroom. She was unable to go in and out of the shower, even with a shower chair. Grab bars would have helped a bit, but in this case, she could no longer maneuver her legs over the tub. My client learned that she could rent a shower that was portable! The aide was able to shower her right in the living room in the wheelchair safely. It was the first time her Mom had taken a full shower in months now that she found a safe option.

These solutions were this client’s “recipe for success”. We must remember that every single person’s needs are different and there is absolutely no cookie cutter solution to safety. It is important to contact someone who understands the different ingredients available to create that successful recipe.

Situations like the one I mentioned, made me realize that it is so important to have the resources you need for the solutions you need. You don’t know what you don’t know. Years later, these lessons stay with me. At Angelion Mobility, we provide mobility solutions for clients who wish to age in place at home or for those with disabilities. We take extra care in being sure to create each client’s personal recipe for success to empower them to remain safe at home. My personal goal as Your Mobility Concierge, is to enable those with long-term illnesses and seniors who are aging in place, the ability to remain in their home if that is what is safest for them, as long as it will help them remain independent and honor their dignity while doing so. Each client will require a unique recipe to do meet that goal. Each “ingredient” will be specifically chosen for the individual client based on their specific needs to allow them to live a life without limitation.

What is the recipe for the perfect Mobility Solution? Call us today to speak to Your Mobility Concierge to help you find a solution for you or your loved one. No two recipes are the same.

Now, let’s get cooking!