For many children with developmental disabilities, particularly those with cerebral palsy birth injuries, an important component of the life care plan is home modifications and transportation accessibility.
Home Modifications
Mobility problems inherent in children with all types of cerebral palsy make it difficult for them to get around within their homes, both as children and as they grow up to adulthood. Frequently children with cerebral palsy rely on crutches or wheelchairs to get around. Navigating a house can be difficult unless it is specially designed or modified for such use.
Types of home modifications and special home devices may include:
- Wheelchair ramp
- Widened hallways and doorways (for wheelchair accessibility)
- Accessible bathrooms (roll-in shower, roll-in sink, raised toilet)
- Attached garage
- Wheelchair lift to move wheelchair between levels
- Hospital bed
- Bath/shower chairs
- Extra room for live-in aide
- Electrical system to accommodate special equipment
The ideal house will be one level so that the child can navigate (either on her own or with the help of an aide) to all areas of the house. In some cases, houses may need to be specially equipped with devices to help the child and the wheelchair to get to upper levels of the house. A life care plan will take into consideration the home that the child lives in, as well as the cost in that region to properly modify the house to include modifications needed by a child with cerebral palsy.
Transportation
Children with cerebral palsy have particular transportation needs. Parents of course want their children to be able to move around as freely as possible, both within the house and out into the world. Children may benefit from special devices throughout their lives to accomplish this goal, including:
- Manual wheelchairs
- Electric wheelchairs
- Gait walkers
- Modified wheelchair vans
A proper life care plan will take into account the regular costs of maintenance for the van and any other specialized equipment. It will also consider the need for periodic replacement throughout a child’s life.
Contact Us
The whole purpose of a cerebral palsy birth injury lawsuit is to make life better for a child with disabilities. Home modifications and devices for enhanced transportation are designed to accomplish exactly that. For more information on how a birth injury lawsuit can improve your child’s quality of life, contact our medical malpractice lawyers at (440) 252-4399 or send us an online message about your situation.