骨折復原長者的家居修葺
Home repairs for the elderly recovering from fractures

80多歲的婆婆不小心跌傷了，做了髖關節手術，康復出院回家後需要在家好好休養，我們受婆婆家人的委託，在她出院前作家居上的修葺，以便婆婆適應往後的家居生活。

可是在規劃的過程當中因應婆婆的康復情況而調節。畢竟當時還未確定她出院後會否長期在家需要坐輪椅及日常起居的情況如何。
我們建議婆婆的家人先諮詢她的醫生及治療師，以便在整個修葺改造的規劃上有更好的安排以免造成浪費。

後來得到治療師在復健上的建議以配合婆婆的康復前題下，我們以幾個大原則進行：

1. 量度一下本身居住環境是否符合無障礙設計的寬敞通道，確保地面平坦無障礙，我們加添了收納的元素把不再需要用的東西丟掉，盡量保持家居地面平坦無障礙，通道寬敞，方便輪椅和助行器的使用。

2. 入口和門檻盡量設置低或冇門檻的入口，並確保門口闊度足夠便於長者進出。

3. 安裝堅固扶手和支撐物在走廊、浴室，以及房間，而一些扶手甚至有夜光，以及質感上有防滑手的功能，要視乎長者的需要而選購。

4. 選擇圓角家具和防撞設計，減少碰撞風險。

5. 良好的照明確保光線充足，但經驗發現有些光度對於長者來說會過光，反而會釀成他們習慣不開燈，所以好好與他們溝通，聆聽用家真正的需要以及因應他們的醫療狀況而定，不能以偏概全。

6. 創造舒服環境，使用柔和而溫暖的色調及易於清潔的裝飾材料提升復康空間的心理舒適度，增強心理上的安慰，環境配合長者的康復也會更理想。

7. 適當的採用隔音材料減少外部噪音，提供安靜的環境，最簡單的方法就是更換睡房的窗簾。

8. 如地方許可，可提供足夠的活動空間方便長者日常起居的走動。


總結:
一個精心設計的康復空間能夠促進婆婆的康復過程、以及增強心理上的安慰。

這裏有一個經驗分享，其實不用太早為正在治療中的長者及病患作家居上的改裝，因為畢竟要因應當事人的實際康復情況在諮詢治療師的前提下更會加事半功倍。也減少了不必要的浪費。


A lady over 80 years old, accidentally fell and injured herself and had hip surgery. She needs to rest at home after she recovers. We were entrusted by her family to repair her home before she was discharged from the hospital so that she can adapt to her future home life.

However, during the planning process, adjustments were made based on her. After all, it was not yet determined at that time whether she would need to use a wheelchair at home for a long time after being discharged from the hospital and what her daily life would be like.
We suggest that her family consult with her doctor and therapist first so that we can make better arrangements for the entire renovation plan to avoid waste.

Later, we received the therapist’s advice on rehabilitation.
We followed several general principles:

1. Measure whether the living environment meets the spacious passages of barrier-free design, and ensure that the floor is flat and barrier-free. We have added organizing elements to throw away things that are no longer needed, and try to keep the home floor flat and barrier-free, and the passages are spacious and convenient for wheelchair and walker use.

2. Try to set up an entrance with a low or no threshold at the entrance and threshold, and ensure that the doorway is wide enough for the elderly to enter and exit.

3. Install sturdy handrails and supports in corridors, bathrooms, and rooms. Some handrails are even luminous and have anti-slip texture. They should be purchased based on the needs of the elderly.

4. Choose furniture with rounded corners and anti-collision designs to reduce the risk of hurt.

5. Good lighting ensures sufficient light, but experience has found that some light levels may be too bright for the elderly, which may lead to their habit of not turning on the lights. Therefore, communicate with them well, listen to the users’ real needs, and respond to their medical needs. It depends on the situation and cannot be generalized.

6. Create a comfortable environment, use soft and warm colors and easy-to-clean decorative materials to enhance the psychological comfort of the rehabilitation space and enhance psychological comfort. The environment will be more ideal for the rehabilitation of the elderly.

7. Use sound insulation materials appropriately to reduce external noise and provide a quiet environment. The simplest way is to change the curtains in the bedroom.

8. If space is available, sufficient activity space can be provided to facilitate the elderly’s daily activities.


Summary:

A well-designed recovery space can facilitate the elderly recovery process and enhance psychological comfort.

Here is an experience sharing. In fact, there is no need to modify the home of the elderly and patients who are undergoing treatment too early, because after all, it is more efficient to get twice the result with half the effort after consulting the therapist based on the actual recovery situation of the client. It also reduces unnecessary waste.