Quality of life

Since moving, the quality of my life, not to mention that of my family, has improved vastly. The nurse arrived at our new home, to administer my Gaucher medication, and it is such a pleasure sitting in the lounge, looking out, the sunshine streaming in through the windows filling the entire room with light and warmth. As I sit here writing this morning, attached to the i.v. having my home treatment, I realise the enormous improvement a well thought out disabled friendly house can have on the quality of life for someone like myself. Should I need to visit the bathroom during the hour and a half infusion,  which inevitably happens - it's Murphy's Law; this house has wide corridors and doorways, enabling me to wheel my i.v. stand and enter the bathroom without a problem. Living in a safe and comfortable environment really makes a huge difference. I knew life would be easier for me, but until actually moving in, I had no idea to what degree. The design and thought spent on this house, has affected me in a huge positive way. Some of the features may sound small to those who are healthy, but some of the little things, such as the design of the kitchen, is a huge transformation for me. For example, there is a kitchen island, giving me something solid to hold onto should my balance be off. The kitchen tap has a robust lever which is easy to grab hold of for anyone with Parkinson's. The man in the shop tried selling us a more stylish slim tap with a spindly lever, but once I explained the lack of dexterity in my fingers, he understood, and brought out last year's designs from the back of the storeroom, which were far more suitable to my needs. So I have last year's tap design - it doesn't bother me! Instead of cupboards, I have pull out drawers containing all the necessary things I would use on a daily basis, which are far easier than regular cupboards with fixed shelves. I am extremely happy with the way the house has turned out. It is undoubtedly well worth investigating, and finding out as much information as possible, from professionals in this field and also gleaning advice from disabled people who may have valuable personal experience.