Caritas housing counseling provides important information
Rheine/Kreis Steinfurt. cpr. Mr. M. has Parkinson’s disease. Until now, he could walk quite well with this disease, but for some time now he has noticed that he is becoming more unsteady and stumbles more often. The two steps in front of the house and the small bathroom with the high shower are now increasingly a problem. If he wants to stay in the apartment together with his wife, it will have to be redesigned in parts to make it suitable for care. It is not only people with Parkinson’s disease who are faced with this situation; many other illnesses also result in restrictions in the ability to walk and move.
Mr. and Mrs. M. turned to Elisabeth Nagelschmidt from the Caritas housing counseling service Rheine for advice and support. The housing counselor visited the couple at home and discussed possible solutions. “When redesigning the apartment in this way, it is particularly important to create enough space for movement and to make everything as barrier-free as possible,” explains Elisabeth Nagelschmidt. Even in small rooms, sufficient space can be created through clever partitioning. During consultations, an individual solution is discussed, because every home is different and every physical limitation may require specific adaptation measures. Sometimes an elaborate conversion is necessary and at times the use of an assistive device, such as a bathtub lift or a movable ramp for the entrance to the house, is sufficient. These aids can be provided on loan by health insurance companies. As part of a consultation, the Caritas housing advisor draws up conversion sketches for a bathroom suitable for nursing care, gives tips on financing conversion measures and helps in dealing with authorities and tradesmen. Necessary conversion measures are subsidized by the nursing care insurance fund by up to 4,000 euros if a nursing care degree is available. Around 80% of elderly people in need of care are looked after and cared for at home by relatives. Family caregivers thus make a major contribution to society. For this reason, it is very important that the home area is suitably equipped for care and barrier-free. The supply of the care-needy is substantially facilitated thus.
The housing consultation of the Caritas Rheine is responsible for the western part of the circle Steinfurt. The consultations are free of charge. The housing consultation of the Caritas Rheine is financially supported by the regional federations of the care cash, the city Rheine and the circle Steinfurt. There is further information with Elisabeth Nagelschmidt of the Caritas housing consultation for older humans under the telephone number 05971 862-348 or by E-Mail under .