A rare genetic disorder, Muscular Dystrophy weakens the body muscles and eventually affects also the skeletal muscles.
The population of Muscular Dystrophy patients is mostly male children. This hereditary ailment is difficult to recognize as children who suffer this disorder are diagnosed in the later stage. They generally go through normal childhood development however understanding the symptoms that characterize Muscular Dystrophy is helpful.
The disability level of Muscular Dystrophy patients increases as the patients grow older. Their disability can extend to scenarios like the inability to perform the basic functions in life like walking, climbing stairs, taking a bath and so on. Because of these limitations, parents of Muscular Dystrophy patients have to understand profoundly what the disability will bring to the patient and to family members.
The right home will be helpful not only to the patient but also to the family members. Here are few things to consider when choosing a home for Muscular Dystrophy patients.
One-story house. It is always the best option to have a one-story house. Mobility will be much easier as Muscular Dystrophy patients face difficulty in using stairs and taking other elevated areas.
Accessible home facilities. Because Muscular Dystrophy patients struggle with their mobility, a wheelchair will be necessary. Bearing this in mind, you have to consider that Muscular Dystrophy patients in wheelchairs can only reach certain heights. To help the patient’s mobility, try fixing the light switches, kitchen counterparts, shelves, door knobs, and other home features to a certain height that is reachable by the patient.
Improving mobility within the house. Wider sideways and hallways will be primary factors in improving mobility within the house. You may wish also to install grab bars in areas where it will be helpful for the patients to move around. It is highly recommended to use non-skid materials on all floor areas.
There are more ways to create space or improve mobility within your house. Just remember that one of your family members needs a wider and extra space than normal.
Choosing a home that will allow accessibility and easy mobility to Muscular Dystrophy patients will ease the burden of the family. Also, by modifying some areas in your house it allows the patient to perform the basic functions in life without much needed assistance which will somehow reinforce the patience’s confidence knowing that he still has the ability to perform things independently.
To read my previous article on MS, click here.
To discover more about Muscular Dystrophy, click here.
Source: http://www.mda.org/Publications/journey/
Cyra Miles is a freelance writer living in Abu Dhabi, UAE and her areas of interest are travel, events & holidays, health, culture & society, human interest stories and education. Her writing services include SEO writing, webpage content, article writing, blogs, essays and feature writing.
Visit her at http://www.cyramiles.com/