Several weeks ago, we were paid a visit by a tech from the company that supplies Namine’s adaptive equipment, like her wheelchair and therapy benches. The purpose of that particular visit was to give her several new cushions to try with her wheelchair. She had made her decision as to which one she preferred, but there was a problem with it: it was too soft for Namine to climb into her wheelchair.
The tech had come to collect all the trial cushions we’d been given, and in return he had a new one for Namine to try. This one combined the comfort of her favorite cushion and the firmness of the one that allowed her to climb up into her chair. If she liked it, he would leave it here with us while his company made one specifically measured to her chair.
Namine tried climbing up into her wheelchair with the new cushion in place, but there wasn’t enough Velcro in place to hold it still. (The measured, final cushion will have plenty.) Once I helped Namine into the chair, she gave it her approval. She liked that it had that “butt hugged by a cloud” feeling, while the front was firm enough to assist with climbing.
The tech also looked at our two bathtubs with the intent of building a lift for Namine. Right now, if I don’t pick Namine up and place her into the tub — which I am still able to do, but I won’t be able to do that forever — she has to climb in face-first. To give her a little more independence, we would like her to have the means to get into the tub comfortably.
One bathtub’s walls are shorter, allowing Namine to get in by herself. The other bathtub, which has jets and would serve as a jacuzzi tub, has higher walls preventing Namine from getting in without assistance.
It is that second tub that bears evidence of a lift — no longer installed, unfortunately — which a previous owner of the house used for himself. He was also a wheelchair user; from what we understand, he is the reason for much of the house’s accessibility features, like the ramps and wide doorways.
At any rate, we’re not yet completely certain which tub will get the lift. Maybe it will be able to be moved? These are questions to which we do not yet have answers. We’re just getting started in exploring the possibilities. It’s very exciting, and we are totally here for it!
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