tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-39476767069536094892024-02-07T00:48:22.804-05:00Reliable Independent Living Services ®Reliable Independent Living Services® design and install barrier-free living spaces, transforming any home or business into a comfortable, barrier-free environment. Our approach is to combine the style and décor you desire, with the most practical and safe 'Universal Design' options available. We design for ease of living, comfort and safety for people of all abilities.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02376172688235186496noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3947676706953609489.post-16286894990280939842016-02-27T23:42:00.001-05:002016-02-27T23:52:42.035-05:00Barrier Free Washroom designed by Ronny Wiskin, CEAC<div style="text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/uoKBiCPLPOA" width="560"></iframe></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02376172688235186496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3947676706953609489.post-76903581875519497912012-02-18T22:04:00.003-05:002016-02-27T23:54:19.278-05:00Why Move, When You Can Stay in the Home You Love!<div style="text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/uLZ85OiAdgs" width="480"></iframe></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02376172688235186496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3947676706953609489.post-4048918156477441302012-01-30T01:49:00.003-05:002016-02-27T23:57:06.157-05:00ReliAble Phlexicare - Wet Room Solutions<div style="text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/CqJRKNKNc30" width="560"></iframe></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02376172688235186496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3947676706953609489.post-9760813279586329192012-01-16T10:07:00.000-05:002012-01-16T10:07:47.715-05:00Barrier Free Living…Is Living with Ability<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK25zO4SB_Jwwd162XLWEkaspL4QNZ1YHS1UcGKhmViW8EiE80B4x3sB_LLtoqXL7S-HMx9Eh3OY0M2Ic2qD5K5xPOjvjxWRfX0BZmv3Mg3Stk6LpA7b6bYd160L3SbGZ3pJF9GJVILeEE/s1600/Ronny+Wiskin+-+Top+40+headshot+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK25zO4SB_Jwwd162XLWEkaspL4QNZ1YHS1UcGKhmViW8EiE80B4x3sB_LLtoqXL7S-HMx9Eh3OY0M2Ic2qD5K5xPOjvjxWRfX0BZmv3Mg3Stk6LpA7b6bYd160L3SbGZ3pJF9GJVILeEE/s200/Ronny+Wiskin+-+Top+40+headshot+1.jpg" width="135" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">By, Ronny Wiskin</td></tr>
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<div style="background-color: white; margin-bottom: 0.4em; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: static !important; text-align: left;"><span class="font-size-3" style="line-height: 15px; position: static !important;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><br />
</b></span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; margin-bottom: 0.4em; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: static !important; text-align: left;"><span class="font-size-3" style="line-height: 15px; position: static !important;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Barrier Free is Living with Ability</b></span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin-bottom: 0.4em; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: static !important; text-align: left;"><span style="line-height: 15px;"><br />
</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin-bottom: 0.4em; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: static !important; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 1em; line-height: 1.2;">Why are so many advertisements featuring solutions that help overcome “disability” in front of us these days? This is because business is responding to meeting current demands and the future needs of a growing aging population. More consumers are looking to solve challenges related to aging and disability is a new issue for most baby boomers today. </span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0.4em; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: static !important; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0.4em; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: static !important; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0.4em; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: static !important; text-align: left;">Advertising is creating awareness about <b style="font-size: 1em; position: static !important;">barrier free living</b> to a demographic that for the most part, has not yet encountered <a href="http://www.slideshare.net/reliableliving/ageing-in-place-presentation-presentation" style="color: #2e5f87; font-size: 1em; position: static !important; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">“the need for accessibility”</a><b style="font-size: 1em; position: static !important;">.</b></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0.4em; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: static !important; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0.4em; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: static !important; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0.4em; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: static !important; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0.4em; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: static !important; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0.4em; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: static !important; text-align: left;">By the year 2030, it’s estimated that <b style="font-size: 1em; position: static !important;">“half of all people will be affected by a disability within their lifetime”</b>. Because of this statistic, advertisements like walk-in baths, stair-lifts and mobility scooters are being recognized as common safety and accessibility solutions in and around the home. Creating this type of awareness to a growing aging population addresses the reality of a need for improving our environment to remain independent and active in society. Additional benefits from the awareness geared to this growing demographic include increased education about health and wellness, finance and personal care options to help plan for the future. Choices made proactively can help achieve a healthier lifestyle and a more comfortable environment for people of all abilities to age in. By removing the risks, you can reduce your chances of having a long term disability related to slip and falls or a preventable illness.</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0.4em; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: static !important; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0.4em; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: static !important; text-align: left;">There are simple ways to remove barriers that won’t involve large scale renovations. The broadest concept of accessibility is having the ability to remain independent. Accessibility is commonly recognized as wheelchair ramps in front of buildings, grab bars in bathrooms and devices that swing doors open for wheel friendly access. Accessibility includes all those things and so much more. For those of us with fragile bones or problems with balance, a cane or a walker makes maneuvering through physical barriers safer. Indicator signals that notify someone’s at the door or that the telephone is ringing are examples of adapting the environment to overcome sensory barriers. Reducing clutter is another way to make life more manageable around the home. Perhaps re-organizing household belongings and creating usable storage solutions are all that’s needed to remove your barriers.</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0.4em; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: static !important; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0.4em; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: static !important; text-align: left;">What can be done if more elaborate changes are needed to make an environment accessible to people of all abilities? The first step towards achieving barrier free living should be to have an assessment by an occupational therapist or other professional with experience in adaption to perform functional activities of daily living. The environmental barriers & physical needs for all occupants should be determined and a report with recommendations be created, this should include all possible future needs as well. Designing the environment to meet all users’ needs is the next step prior to planning the renovation and this should be done by a qualified “universal design” or “barrier free design” specialist.</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0.4em; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: static !important; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0.4em; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: static !important; text-align: left;">Before tackling any type of barrier free renovation, it’s important to fully understand the scope of work in relation to access, safety, independence and comfort. Recommendations can be simple, such as installing grab bars, raising a toilet seat or converting a fixed shower head into a hand held shower wand. More elaborate improvements can be made by creating a new two or three story elevator, a barrier free washroom, accessible kitchen or modifying existing structures to accomplish a barrier free living space.</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0.4em; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: static !important; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0.4em; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: static !important; text-align: left;">Whether the modifications are large or small, they can truly make accessible living a more enjoyable experience. This has a very large positive impact on those who choose to remain in their community while aging.</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0.4em; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: static !important; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0.4em; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: static !important; text-align: left;">When venturing away from home a large number of barriers still remain. While accessibility improvements to some public environments are being made, there continues to be inconsistency. Some environments are barrier-free, some are partly accessible and some are not accessible at all. An example of this can be found in several routes on public transportation systems. Having to rely on a separate system within public transportation, forces many people to hire private services when they can’t access the available public routes to get to where they need to be. </div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0.4em; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: static !important; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0.4em; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: static !important; text-align: left;">There is a growing awareness about the need for accessibility within the larger community to help make life more manageable for those of us living with disabilities. For example, there are many more ramps, automatic doors, traffic lights that make sounds so that people with visual impairments can cross the streets with greater independence and safety. Many movie theatres are more accessible and we can negotiate for accessible seating when we go to the concert hall, ballet or opera.</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0.4em; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: static !important; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0.4em; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: static !important; text-align: left;">New strategies are beginning to surface, creating an inclusive and accessible path for people of all abilities. Contributing towards developing long term success for our future begins by creating sustainability for ourselves now. By enhancing the possibilities for achieving independent living, we can greatly reduce the long term costs and effects associated with assisting a large number of people not able to navigate through barriers created from our past. Making our own environments welcoming and accessible will certainly enrich the lives of everyone, enhancing the abilities of all.</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0.4em; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: static !important; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0.4em; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: static !important; text-align: left;">Ronny Wiskin, Accessibility Specialist (<a href="http://www.reliableliving.com/" style="color: #2e5f87; font-size: 1em; position: static !important; text-decoration: none;">www.reliableliving.com</a>)</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0.4em; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: static !important; text-align: left;">Founder of Reliable Independent Living Services®</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0.4em; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: static !important; text-align: left;">Ask for a complimentary report – info@reliableliving.com</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0.4em; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: static !important; text-align: left;">© 2011 the above can not be copied without written permission of the author.</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0.4em; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: static !important; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; position: static !important; text-align: left;">Ronny Wiskin is the Founder & President of ReliAble Independent Living Services®, a company established in 2003, which provides complete access solutions for residential and commercial environments. ReliAble’s core values are listening to the customer and enhancing quality of life with integrity and honesty. The company’s vision is ‘to continually strengthen the social fabric by keeping families together’. ReliAble’s mission is to help people live comfortably and independently in fully accessible homes and workplaces. The spark that led Ronny into the home modification niche came from his own grandmother. She was afraid of injuring herself while trying to climb into her bathtub. Ronny’s decision to focus his direction came after the bathroom modifications were made and he saw how quickly his grandmother regained her confidence, independence and happiness. ReliAble’s new focus would be to improve people’s lives in the same way his grandmother’s life changed for the better. After conducting market research, Ronny developed a niche around this market, which was being under serviced. The company has since retrofitted more than 500 homes & assessed more than 1200 properties in Ontario. Ronny has formed several strategic alliances with third party government funded and non-profit organizations. The company acts as an ongoing resource for Community Care Access Centers across Ontario and is approved as a vendor for Veterans Affairs Canada.</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02376172688235186496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3947676706953609489.post-76374569519173243052009-12-07T21:19:00.003-05:002012-02-19T00:18:16.834-05:00Accessibility…Is your house still your home?<center></center><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYxzd6Ke0zRg38bqUKY2ziySppeFtasdzD3fq8Ne_hh2h6S6hO7tmtUtUP8QT4zilfVO_wtjMawCK5-fw7eQzBZhPsAfPLCoyv4eD7H-Xcmp0UeUQE9y94WSomxsZmvKFA1qdldeSsmYVY/s1600/24721869.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYxzd6Ke0zRg38bqUKY2ziySppeFtasdzD3fq8Ne_hh2h6S6hO7tmtUtUP8QT4zilfVO_wtjMawCK5-fw7eQzBZhPsAfPLCoyv4eD7H-Xcmp0UeUQE9y94WSomxsZmvKFA1qdldeSsmYVY/s320/24721869.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
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By Ronny Wiskin<br />
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A global healthcare crisis is on the horizon as nearly fifty percent of the population ages and faces significant challenges. How will society cope with rising long-term care demands not to mention costs that are spiraling out of control at a time when governments are unable to pay, due to growing budget deficits?<br />
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Thankfully, we can breathe a sigh of relief, as there are alternative solutions to this pending crisis. Today, the most common approach for seniors to live out their golden years is referred to as “aging in place or home health care”. This idea is simple, convenient and is often the preferred choice to live a satisfying and fulfilling life.<br />
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The idea is built on a five part strategy known as A.G.I.N.G. 'in place’. It consists of proven key success factors for remaining at home instead of moving into a long-term care facility.<br />
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1) Access support. Family members, friends and community are essential.<br />
2) Guidance. People with experience can ease the burden of coping with change. <br />
3) Independence. Begins at childhood and is devastating when lost.<br />
4) Navigate. Resources are available when help is needed. <br />
5) Garner safety. Ensure that the environment will not produce a fall or injury.<br />
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In modern society, most parents find it difficult to accept help from their adult children. Resistance is not about being a stubborn parent. It is a fact of built-in human neurology that “a parent is the care giver” and this does not change as we age. For children, the best way to assist a parent is to show them how their decisions help you. It is important to have an open honest conversation with your parent about how you both feel about nursing homes. If visiting a parent in a nursing home upsets you or your children, consider offering to visit them more frequently in their own home. Remember this is the place of lifelong memories.<br />
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Loneliness is one of the predominant reasons why many seniors choose to move into long-term care facilities. They may suffer from loss of friendships or the ability to get out and socialize. Family, friends and outside resources need to be available if loneliness or depression becomes prevalent.<br />
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There are many great resources available online to help guide families through their transition. If a parent is reluctant to accept your concerns and suggestions, do remember that they are still your parent. More often than not, children come to realize that the most effective way to assist a parent in making an important lifestyle decision is to bring in a third party expert. An expert can assist with deciding which options are most suitable for a parent based on their lifestyle and goals.<br />
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All people want to be able to live a high quality of life independently. When a person suddenly becomes disabled, the fear and loss of independence can be traumatic. At this stage, it is very important that the person received support and assistance in coping with this dramatic change in lifestyle. Most people living with a lifelong disability are often in a position to inspire and motivate others by sharing their story and experiences about how to achieve and live an independent lifestyle.<br />
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Government funding continues to shift and adapt to changing needs. While government is reducing support for care in hospitals and nursing homes, they are increasing funding that is directed at making homes accessible. <br />
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Accessibility is a key requirement for safety. The more accessible the home environment is, the greater the possibility to remain at home for the long term. The responsibility of evaluating the home and its surroundings goes to the job of an Occupational Therapist who is qualified not only in assessing the individual’s functional capabilities, but also in making recommendations for adapting the environment to fit the needs of those residing in the home. Occupational Therapy support and Home Modification specialists can be found at the website www.ccac-ont.ca. Additional assistance may be needed to perform daily routines safely. The Community Care Access Centre (CCAC) is the governing organization individuals need to contact in order to access and benefit from the limited caregiver support, which is paid by the government. Support can also be accessed nationally through private organizations such as Home Instead Senior Care. Additional information can be found at the website www.homeinstead.com.<br />
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<div class="blogpress_location">Location:<a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?q=Toronto&z=10">Toronto</a></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02376172688235186496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3947676706953609489.post-71091622917417678432009-07-19T09:44:00.013-04:002015-08-29T20:54:01.788-04:00The Need for Accessibility @ Home, Work & Play<div>
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<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 100%;">Creating accessible environments for people is a provincial mandate in Ontario and a priority all over the world. Almost half of Canada’s total population is made up of those who are over the age of 45. We are aging in large numbers and seeking ways to remain independent. Since only 7% of Canadian seniors eventually move into a long term care facility, it leaves 93% </span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 100%;">Aging at home on their own, or with family and friends. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 100%;">We are facing a massive demographic shift and we will all feel the effects. We must improve accessibility now!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 100%;">Business is becoming more aware that people who have special access needs expect, – and have the right to expect, – the same services and opportunities as everyone else: independent travel, accessible facilities, trained staff, reliable information and inclusive marketing. More accessible public and private buildings mean more people enjoying business and social opportunities. Society as a whole benefits when everyone can avail him/herself of job opportunities and spending because this results in a greater tax base for the community. Accessible environments benefit everyone!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 100%;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The demand for accessibility offers real opportunities for renovators and builders to develop and incorporate accessible and </span>Universal Design<span style="font-family: arial;"> built for all.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 100%;">ReliAble Independent Living Services ®, aims to meet this demand. As a Home Modification business founded in 2004, we aim to help make Canadian homes and businesses accessible to all. We bring together the home health care industry and the home and workplace modification industry– to share experiences, learn from each other and collaborate in joint projects and partnerships.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 100%;"><span style="font-family: arial;">We support the development and propagation of good policies and practices as a means of raising awareness, increasing knowledge and cultivating expertise on accessibility standards in the “built environment”.</span></span></div>
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We have only just begun our work but we have our sights set clearly on the path ahead and on the ultimate goal - Accessibility for all.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 100%;">Ronny Wiskin is the founder of Reliable Independent Living Services </span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 16px;">®</span><span style="font-size: 100%;">.</span><br />
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