Home modification Report

Students are to complete a home visit report, submit scaled drawing of a proposed modification and compose a letter to a funder

Report clearly identifies the problem and the solution.
Report written concisely
Demonstrated ability to identify structural barriers to effective discharge to the home environment.
Clinical reasoning clearly identifies recommendations
Appropriate diagrammatic representation of the plans and elevations for the modified home environment are provided.
Plans are clear enough to be interpreted accurately by a third party, e.g builder, funding body.
Letter to the building/funding provider is clear in content and identifies aims of intervention.

Case Scenario: Mavis

I have always considered myself to be an independent person, after Frank , my husband died. Things have started to creep up on me, and I have had my oldest daughter Jenni move in with me. She was starting to worry after I fell in the ensuitebathroom.and it was difficult for the ambulance to lift me.

At 79 years of age, I have had to admit that my health has caught up with me, and I am not as sprightly as I once was. But I will tell you a little about myself.

I had my first stroke in 1971 and my second in 2010. I now walk with my 4 wheeled walker for support. My Dr thinks that these were caused by my high blood pressure, atrial fibrillation and high cholesterol. When I fell in the ensuite, they found that I had osteoporosis. My weight has increased with my thyroid. I also have asthma , whichmeansinthewinterIfindithardtobreathewithallthewoodfiresinmyarea.

I live in my own home, and have lived here for 50 years. My husband and I extended the original house and removed all of the asbestos. It has three bedrooms, and open lounge dining area, an ensuite off the main and the original bathtub. So original that it has the iron bathtub still in place.

My daughter helps with the cleaning and cooking, and I have a carer who comes to help. I am washing in the middle of the main bathroom, as I cannot take mywalker into theensuite.

The floors are wooden in the lounge, dining and hallway and I have carpet in the bedrooms and tiles in the bathrooms.

The ensuite has a curtain and hob. The main bathroom has a shower over the bath with a screen that makes it difficult for me to use. I had the toilet raised, because I found using an overtoilet aid was uncomfortable and I did not feel safe. I also didn’t have enough room for the over toilet aid, as it needed to be bigger as I weight 140kg.

I have trouble walking down the driveway, it slopes to the carport, and my daughter has to drive there for me to be able to get in to the car.

I have a long veranda at the front( 7465mm x 1910mm) but have a step that stops me from pacing my walking frame down safely. This step is on a slope and it varies in height. I don’t have any problems with the front door, because I had a man put a ramp there for me. The last community worker told me that it wasn’t right as it doesn’t have a landing, but I don’t have a problem so I am not going to change it.

I don’t use the back door and I don’t go into the backyard.

I have a showerchair in the ensuite but only use this when I am being washed in the main bathroom.

I can stand from my recliner chair and have no problems getting into and out of bed with my bedrail and monkey bar. I dress in the bedroom not the bathroom. There is very little space around my bed.

I don’t have problems going out, as Jenni drives me.

I wish I was able to shower without help, and that I could take my walking frame down the step from the veranda , it would make things so much easier for Jenni.