I received the following inquiry from Janie Warren.

What do you think the best cushion would be to prevent pressure sores. My sister is recently confined to a wheelchair. What about an air cushion?

While this isn’t a subject that is intended for my column I will respond.

Janie, the usual course of action is to get a consult with a kinesiotherapist for a prescription on they type and specifications of the wheelchair and seating, including the cushion.

There are many types available.  I am aware of three brands of air cushions.

Roho  http://roho.com/

Star  http://starcushion.com/

Columbia Medical  http://www.columbiamedical.com/special-needs-disabilities-products-categories.asp?SubCategoryID=6 

ONE DOOR CLOSES AND ANOTHER OPENS!

When people are searching for or building their “last home”, very little thought goes into their future needs. Nevertheless, their needs will and do change as they age, sometimes quicker than we could even envision. I, as an example, was a healthy, active, and successful architectural designer/builder for 20 years. Traveling the world, living in the Caribbean for 12 years, windsurfing with Team U.S.A. V.I., climbing and doing everything a middle-aged man could do& However, while in the states to visit my parents, in a single moment due to a car accident, I now find myself a paraplegic in a wheelchair for the remainder of my life. My parents’ home was not accessible to my needs. Living in a split-level home, I was confined to one downstairs family room with no access to any facilities.

At that point, I found not only was my home inaccessible, but what kind of disservice had I done to my previous clients in the past!

From then on, I made it my goal to make sure that the doors were open for all of my clients. I became an advocate for the Universal Design Principles and often speak publicly on the subject. Now, years later, I serve on the Board of Directors at the Southwest Center for Independent Living (www.swcil.org), which deals with disabilities of all kinds as well as advocacy issues. I also serve on the board’s Advisory Committee of Our House Foundation (www.ourhousefoundation.com ), putting together a transitional housing community for disabled veterans coming home from the Middle East. I recently joined the Missouri SILC Housing Committee that hosts the Annual Universal Design Housing conference and had a chance to be a speaker at the conference in Springfield, MO.

Most people’s physical needs change more slowly, but they do change! Universal Design, Barrier Free Design, Aging in Place& these marketing phrases are becoming increasingly popular as six million people in the U.S. turn 65 years old each year! What are these mean? They assure homes that fit your needs for today and tomorrow. These homes will be designed and built to a buyer’s needs emphasizing safety, ease of use, adaptability and just as importantly, cost.

We are available to review plans and suggest modifications to truly make your plans usable for your client today as well as tomorrow.

So do your clients a service, they will appreciate as they grow older and possibly lose their mobility, sight, hearing or experience any other type of disability.

Maybe, maybe not. But five years ago, HUD (Department of Housing and Urban Development), had already sent up the red flags about the amount of houses coming on the market vs. housing starts.

One of the reasons, according to the housing experts, at HUD reported that each year six million people will turn 65 and that 7 out of 10 persons over 65 will have a debilitating accident that will leave them temporarily or permanently with a mobility issue.

So that people who thought they were building the last home they would grow old in was not accessible for them. Living in a two story or split-level house with kitchens and baths that were no longer usable for them. Steps and stairways that prohibited them from using with a walker or wheelchair.

Did you also know that 70% of all Americans have one type of disability or another? Ranging from the slight, such as vision, hearing or complications from obesity, to the most severe.

So what were their choices? Extensive and very costly remodeling, selling their home and building a barrier free home plan or moving into a retirement community with barrier free home plans. That is why Architectural Designers are designing plans that are usable today as well as anticipating tomorrows needs.

Whether you call them barrier free plans, universal design plans, lifestyle homes, wheelchair plans, aging in place home plans, accessible home plans. They all fall under the same specifications established by the Center for Universal Design (CUD) at North Carolina State University.

The Universal Design Studio draws custom home plans that are perfect for today and accommodate your needs as you grow older. As well, we specialize in barrier free designs for people that already have special needs.

How do we know Barrier Free Designs? All the people associated with the Universal Design Studio have one type of disability or another!

We will beat any price on complete sets of barrier free drawings by 20% !!

1800 s.f.. 2 bedroom, 2 bath with the master bedroom having a barrier free design. Including a curbless shower, enough space beside the water closet for a wheelchair user should the need arise, and 1 of the vanities would be adjustable height. Large wrap-around country style porch or no step slab on grade. No step entries at any exterior door, including garage to utility room.

• Every aspect is just waiting for you to customize!
• 2 Bedrooms and 2 Baths.

No step entries both front and back. Very large master suite separated from most of the rest of the other rooms. Raised planters back and/or front and a large kitchen with an optional breakfast bar.
The front of this plan boasts a large covered porch, a circle in driveway, large windows and double entry doors.

• 3 Rooms open to a large covered veranda for entertaining. 2 Barrier Free Baths plus one 1/2 bath. Optional Office or Media Room.
• Large veranda in the rear for relaxing or entertaing guests with optional raised planters.

Lots of options! We can take most any floor plan you can find and reconfigure it to suite your needs. We can take any hand drawn floor plan as well. Or start from scratch.

• Like usual, these plans are just waiting for you to customize!
• 3-4 Bedrooms, 3-4 Baths or 2-3 Car Garage. 2 Kitchen options. Bedroom 3 interchangeable with Office or Bedroom and a 1/2 Bath. Opt. 3rd Car Garage, Work Shop or 4th Bedroom with Bath. 2 Dining Room placement options. You choose!

This plan incorporates all the amenities of a much larger floor plan. Formal dining area with breakfast nook, a large master suite with a multipurpose nook, and a very spacious kitchen. You can also add an optional office if it suites your needs.

• Pick your exterior. Brick, plaster, stone, vinyl siding or any combination.
• 2-3 Bedrooms. 2 Barrier Free Baths with room for modifications.
• Rear patio accessed from 3 separate rooms.

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Ample sized rooms provide access to the garden area. No step entries at the front door, garage or mudroom. This house centers around a skylight or open air atrium, depending on your climate zone.

• The exterior and the plans are just waiting for you to customize!
• 3-4 Bedrooms providing access to the garden area, either by sliding glass door or insulated fixed glass.
• 2-3 baths provided.