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On 01/30/97 21:57:22 Joan Cutchins asked for advice about accomodations for a PWP in a new home. Dear Joan: You are fortunate to be able to plan for the future with your new home. It is difficult to remodel existing housing to accommodate a person who may need a wheelchair at some time in the future. Here are some suggestions, based on our experience, to add to those excellent ones others have sent you. About Vinyl Flooring: There are many styles and surfaces available. It does not have to be slippery. We had to rip out the plush carpeting that had been installed in the master bath when we moved to our present home. Vinyl, or other washable material is a necessity in the bathroom, particularly for a male PWP who has a bad tremor and difficulty standing and maintaining balance. My husband keeps threatening to call in a plumber to install a standard urinal. We make do with a walker placed over the fixture which provides support but does nothing to improve tremor induced problems with aim. Vinyl solves the cleaning problems, but we also have to keep some non- slip rugs on the vinyl floor because it is more comfortable for him on the frequent occasions when he must crawl on hands and knees to reach his goal. About Bathing Facilities: Be sure the shower is large enough to allow a wheel chair access. At some future time this may be necessary to allow transfer to the built in seat. Dual water controls can be installed to allow a seated person to operate them, and at the same time provide standard height controls for a caregiver. About Plumbing: Higher than standard toilets are available in most wholesale plumbing outlets. Consider leaving enough room beside and in front of the fixture to allow a wheel chair to be placed for east transfer. Grab bars all around, of course. Faucets that are of the lever type that lift, rather than pull out, are easier to use. Floors and Floor Coverings: There will be falls in the future. Use resilliant materials that are somewhat forgiving. Carpeting over foam is resilliant, but plush, uneven loop and cut pile, and high pile carpeting is difficult to roll a wheel chair over, and dangerous for a PWP to walk on. Tight, low pile carpeting material is available. Room Access: Wide doorways are essential for the use of a wheelchair. Counter tops may need to be of non-standard height. Rooms need to be large enough to accommodate furnishings AND allow room for a wheel chair to get around without running into coffee tables or chairs. Our son inherited some of our tables recently so that the wheel chair could enter the living areas and turn around. Getting In and Out: Plan for wheelchair access before building. Steps and high thresholds are a big problem for wheelchairs or walkers. A door to the outside in the bedroom is essential, if one considers the possibility of having to get a PWP out of the house quickly in an emergency. One of the first things we did when we moved to our present home was to convert a bedroom window to a door and to build a deck outside where my husband can enjoy the garden. Electrical Stuff: There are connections now that allow light switches, fans, etc. to be controlled by a hand-held device. Finally, AARP (American Assoc. of Retired Persons) has a couple of helpful publications on this subject: "The Do-Able Renewable Home" and a kit, "Don't Move!Improve!" (601 E Street, N.W., Washington D.C. 20049). Hope these suggestions will be useful Martha Rohrer (CG for Neal, 76/11)