When moving about the home becomes difficult, whether it be from a change in circumstance, or as one ages, there are plenty of home modifications and specialized mobility equipment options to chose from. When one needs help with simple, daily tasks, here are 6 home mobility aids that you may have never heard of for your home.
1. Push, Pull Rotate Door Knobs
Push, Pull, Rotate Knob by Brinks
These clever push, pull, rotate door knobs, made by Brinks, can open a door three ways: By pushing, pulling or rotating the knob. They would help a handicap person in a wheelchair, or an older adult that relies on a walker or cane to walk, or for anyone with limited use of their arms and hands. A hip, an elbow, or a mobility aid like a reacher can easily open a door. Best part, they still rotate as most of us are accustomed to.
2. Expandable Door Hinges
Expandable door hinges maximize a doorway’s width
These expandable door hinges act to swing the door out of the way altogether, which can add inches to the doorway path allowing a wheelchair or a walker to enter and exit with ease, while in use. The bathroom is the most narrow doorway in a home. In fact, most bathroom doorways of American homes built in the last 20 years are only 24 inches wide. Not only that, but they swing into the bathroom, which can further impede getting in and out and actually using the bathroom. Expandable door hinges can add between 1.5 to 2 inches to an existing door.
Side note: Firefighters hate the narrow bathroom doorway design in homes because if a fall happens, and if that person lands pressed against the doorway, the door has to be torn down in order to come to the aid of that individual.
3. Automatic Door Openers
An automatic door opener grants quick, easy and secure access through any door in a home
An automatic door opener is just as effective in the home as it is in commercial settings. It grants a wheelchair rider, an older adult using a walker or cane, and anyone that struggles with mobility touch-free access into and out of a door. Automatic door openers are controlled by a remote control, and can be sophisticated enough to be controlled by a puff of air from someone’s mouth. That’s pretty cool!
4. Nitro Aluminum Rollator
A Nitro Rollator aids in mobility like a traditional walker. What sets this product apart are the larger wheels that are less prone to getting stuck on uneven floors or on rocks, if using outdoors. The best feature is that with the pull of a lever, it collapses and becomes skinnier, allowing it’s user to navigate in and out of narrow doorways, most commonly found in bathrooms, and throughout narrow living spaces. This feature also makes transporting it, or storing it away, easier.
5. SuperPole for Grip and Fall Prevention
SuperPole is a great addition to a home for fall prevention
The SuperPole is a safety pole that can be easily installed between any floor and ceiling by simply turning a jackscrew. The pressure created by the jackscrew is strong enough to support most any person, without the drilling of any holes in the floor or ceiling. This makes it easy to relocate or move the pole. Also, it features a grip that provides comfort and an improved surface to grab onto. All its functionality is contained in a clean, modern design that blends into any room. The SuperPole is a remarkable fall-prevention aid.
Related resource: Download our Grab Bars and Handholds Catalog
6. TubBuddy System Helps Ease Into Bathing
TubBuddy system sits over a standard tub
The TubBuddy system is a great home mobility aid for anyone needing help moving in and out of a bath tub, and especially for anyone that has lost a sense of independence of being able to bathe in privacy and comfort. The TubBuddy helps avoid the high cost of a bathroom remodel.
