We’ve written before about how the county waiver program has helped us get equipment for Namine. Her bicycle, therapy benches, and even events like art camp and YMCA memberships have been covered. Never before, however, had we asked for help with something as grand as renovation.
Rebuilt ramp
One of the top selling points of the house, when we bought it, was the ramp inside the garage. It was far better than having steps, but it was steeper than was ideal. When we began talks about renovating our bathroom, we mentioned that we also wanted to address the ramp at some point. The contractor was willing to do it at the same time, and our CLTS rep was able to get it approved!
The first step (pun unintended) was to destroy the old concrete ramp. The construction crew brought in a jackhammer and went to work. It was loud, very loud.
The new ramp is modular and aluminum. It is still semi-permanent, as it’s bolted down to the floor of the garage but able to be taken with us when we move. It is also longer, and therefore less steep, and much easier for Namine to get up by herself without needing to use the handrail.
While the ramp construction was ongoing, the construction company provided a portable ramp which stayed at the entrance to the front door until the new ramp was complete. As it turned out, Namine never had the opportunity to use it, as she was in the hospital at the time.
Newly accessible bathroom
At the same time as the ramp was being worked on, the construction company also began work on our bathroom. As I mentioned, we were in the hospital for much of this time. Jessica and I came home one night — my parents stayed with Namine — and found our bathroom in the state of the picture below.
Each time we came home, we found the bathroom a little more changed. It eventually looked like a bathroom again, but of course nothing like what it was before.
When it was complete, the bathroom was brand new. The hinged door was replaced with a pocket door, which opened right into the wall. There was space underneath the sink and countertop so Namine could wheel right up to it and not hit her legs. The mirror was lower so she could actually see herself. Gone were the shower stall and bathtub, replaced by a zero clearance shower. Namine was also given a separate chair to transfer into and out of for taking showers.
Last, but definitely not least, the toilet had a bidet. It’s funny: the one thing that kicked all of this off, the renovation, the bathroom, the ramp — was the fact that we received an electric bidet from the waiver program but had no outlet by the toilet. Well, now we had that. That, and a whole lot more!
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