As some of you may know, recently I have been confined to a wheelchair. It’s such a strange and frustrating feeling going from someone who was ‘able-bodied’ and could rely on their legs to get them places without a second thought, to now having to spend my days in a wheelchair. When the car accident I had six months ago happened I remember medics being relieved that I managed to escape from it alive without any permanent damage to my brain. I guess the trade-off is that I’ll never be able to walk again. It is taking some definite getting used to as sometimes I struggle to do certain things and my brain tells me to just ‘stand up’. Of course, I can’t just ‘stand up’ so then I’m left feeling frustrated. Basic tasks such as getting in and out of bed or using the bathroom have suddenly become a lot more complex. I’m currently on the lookout for a bathroom renovations specialist around Melbourne who is familiar with adapting a current bathroom to suit the needs of someone who is disabled. If anyone has any names, that would be amazing.
I’m still not 100% sure what changes need to be made so I’d really appreciate it if a designer or renovation specialist could come in and look at how I currently use my bathroom. It’s one thing for me to tell them what changes I think need to be made, but I feel as if their experience and expertise will do a much better job of watching my behaviour and identifying things that I am struggling with. I know I’ll need basic things such as rails to help pull myself up, but when it comes to disabled bathroom layout I’m afraid I’m totally clueless. I will also start making some changes to other areas in my house as well, but given that the bathroom can easily become hazardous I think it is important that I prioritise this room first. Every other room I’ve sort of been able to rejig to better suit my capabilities.