DIY= Do It Yourself. SAFETY is a big deal. Ever “childproof” your home for a toddler, whether it was your own child, or a friend’s kid, or maybe a grandchild? I found myself thinking about some of the same practical issues when dealing with caregiving issues like “wandering”.
If you’re really handy or a licensed contractor, you already know what to do (and your own limits I hope). For me, with limited skills, some things just need a pro. Yeah, I actually changed a toilet by myself once, decades ago, but having a skilled plumber install a nice (and heavy) ADA toilet in just the right way was worth the cost, especially because the old plumbing was a bit challenging. We’re lucky that we could afford it.
On the other hand, they do make plastic raised toilet seats that are cheaper. Who knew you can find those things at chain pharmacies and even some hardware stores these days, not to mention online. I’ve never had to return a toilet item, but I can imagine it might be worse online, especially if you order the brown one in the first place (uh, you know, wood tone!). I like to see thing in person if I can, which means old guy gets to shop.
Caregiving itself, by an amateur old guy like me, might be considered a DIY hack, since there are wonderful professionals who do personal care for a living. But with a goal to stay at home as long as possible, some things need to be adapted, and who better than a DIY guy with time on his hands?
When my wife could still do steps but seemed to be hesitant and lose confidence, I had this plywood ramp installed by a carpenter handyman, along with the handrail. He put in sturdy triangular supports underneath; spiders seem to like ’em, but I don’t want to look too closely for anything else. The DIY part was my painting it. At the hardware store, there is some finely ground gritty stuff made to mix in with paint (ground up walnut shells, if I remember) that helped provide some grip on the surface. Luckily I had some surplus deck latex paint to use. Like the mask job? It reveals that old people still get newspapers!