101 Mobility Dayton Opens December 15, 2011

101 Mobility’s proudly welcomed its newest location serving Dayton, Ohio on December 15. The new franchise will serve Dayton, Cincinnati and all surrounding areas. It is owned by Ed Goschinski.  Ed is a long-time resident of the Dayton and Cincinnati markets and has years of applicable experience that should grow the franchise quickly in these markets.  The Dayton location will be the local resource for those who are disabled and those who wish to maintain their independence by improving their mobility. Whether the mobility issue is long or short term, the team at 101 will be available to offer their assistance.

101 Mobility Dayton offers a full range of mobility products including:

• Stair lifts/Chairlifts
• Auto lifts
• Ramps, both for purchase and for rent
• Vertical lifts
• Commercial and residential mobility products including lifts, patient lifts and commercial grade stair lifts.
• Bath, pool and spa lifts
• Bath safety products
• Power chairs
• Power scooters
• Automatic door opening systems

The local 101 Mobility team is also available to help Veterans through the Home Improvement & Structural Alterations grant program.

Ed  is very excited to be opening this new 101 Mobility location. “We are looking forward to being able to help people stay in their homes and maintain their independence,” he says.  “Our goal at 101 Mobility Dayton is to provide our customers with the highest quality mobility products available while also providing them with superior customer service.  We look forward to building relationships with our neighbors and helping them to maintain their independence.”

The Dayton office of 101 Mobility is located in the Carrollton area. The office will be open from 8:30 am to 5:30pm. For more information on how Ed and his team can help you with all of your mobility needs, please call 937-789-5911

101 Mobility Cincinnati Opens December 15, 2011

Proudly serving the Cincinnati, Dayton and surrounding areas, 101 Mobility’s newest location is owned by Ed Goschinski.  The Cincinnati  location’s grand opening was on December 15.  The Cincinnati  location will be the local resource for those who are disabled and those who wish to maintain their independence by improving their mobility. Whether the mobility issue is long or short term, the team at 101 will be available to offer their assistance.

101 Mobility Cincinnati offers a full range of mobility products including:

• Stair lifts/Chairlifts
• Auto lifts
• Ramps, both for purchase and for rent
• Vertical lifts
• Commercial and residential mobility products including lifts, patient lifts and commercial grade stair lifts.
• Bath, pool and spa lifts
• Bath safety products
• Power chairs
• Power scooters
• Automatic door opening systems

The local 101 Mobility team is also available to help Veterans through the Home Improvement & Structural Alterations grant program.

Ed  is very excited to be opening this new 101 Mobility location. “We are looking forward to being able to help people stay in their homes and maintain their independence,” he says.  “Our goal at 101 Mobility Cincinnati is to provide our customers with the highest quality mobility products available while also providing them with superior customer service.  We look forward to building relationships with our neighbors and helping them to maintain their independence.”

The Cincinnati office of 101 Mobility is located in the Carrollton area. The office will be open from 8:30 am to 5:30pm. For more information on how Ed and his team can help you with all of your mobility needs, please call 937-789-5911

Home Design Features that Help You to Age in Place

Whether you are moving into a new home or are making modifications to your current home, choosing the best features can seem overwhelming. When the goal is to choose design features that will help you to “age in place” with comfort, ease, and mobility, the task can seem even more challenging. For many Baby Boomers, the desire to create a home that will meet their needs far into the future is an essential one.

When designing a new home that will age with you, it is best to consider open living floor plans with main living areas all situated on one floor. With your kitchen, family room, bedrooms, bathrooms, laundry, and garage access all within easy access on the same floor, it eliminates the need for you to worry about climbing stairs. However, many people do not wish to build a new home and are looking for ways to modify their existing space. The simple addition of a stairlift can easily overcome the need to climb stairs in any home.

Increasing the natural light in your home can be a significant help to making your home more comfortable as you age. Adding skylights and larger windows helps increase natural light and does not require the homeowner to always turn on lights. If you are replacing windows, consider casement windows over double hung windows as they provide superior ventilation and are easier to open and close.

Other features within your home that make it easier to age in place include:

• The addition of wider doors, 36” wide doors are preferred.
• Opt for lever style handles on all doors.
• Roll out shelves in cabinets in the kitchen and bathrooms allow for easier access to items stored there.
• The addition of D-shaped or loop cabinet pulls.
• Tubs with doors for easy access.
• Grab bars at the toilet and in the shower or tub for stability.
• Lever style faucets in the kitchen and bathrooms.
• Toilet paper dispensers that can be changed with only one hand.
• Counter tops with rounded corners.
• Thresholds or floor level differences of no more than ½” for easy clearance by wheelchairs or power scooters.

In order to reduce maintenance on the exterior of your home, consider upgrading the exterior to low maintenance coverings such as brick, stone, stucco or vinyl siding. All of these allow you to minimize the expense and upkeep of your home.

There are many more ways to improve the functionality of your home making it easier to age in place. Many communities have contractors who specialize in building or retrofitting homes for aging in place. Find a reputable builder who will work with you to accommodate your needs and help you to bring the changes you envision to reality.

Rent Ramps, Chairlifts and Vertical Lifts from 101 Mobility

At 101 Mobility, we understand that sometimes you have a temporary need for mobility equipment. There may be a time when a wheelchair bound loved one or friend is coming to stay and you need a ramp to provide them easy access to your home. Or possibly you or a family member is having surgery and will require a chairlift for several weeks during rehabilitation. Whatever the reason you require temporary mobility equipment, 101 Mobility is here to meet all your needs.

We offer a wide range of affordable rental mobility equipment. Our rental programs include:

• Ramps. For your short term ramp needs, our modular ramps provide the solution you have been searching for. The rental package for ramps includes set up, removal and any cleanup needed during these two events.  We can install ramps in both residential and commercial settings. With our modular ramp rentals there is no permanent impact to the property. These ramps are ideal for your short term rental needs.
• Chairlifts. If you have someone in your home that needs assistance with temporary access to the second floor, a chairlift rental will meet your needs. Chairlifts can be installed in both residential and commercial settings. All chairlifts are installed by our trained, certified installers ensuring that your stairlift is safe for use. If your need ends up being long term, ask us how your rental can be turned into a purchase.
• Vertical Lifts. If you need to provide access to decks, porches or stairways, our vertical lift rental program is ideal for your short term need. Our vertical lift rental program offers the safe, easy and affordable access you need. Our vertical lifts provide access for wheelchairs, scooters and powerchairs. They can be installed in both residential and commercial locations and in both exterior and interior settings. All vertical lift rentals are installed by our trained, professional installers.

If you are interested in learning more about any of our rental programs, please contact your local 101 Mobility location.

101 Mobility Opens First Franchise in Texas

New Company Fills Niche for Home Health Care Mobility Devices in seven (7) Counties, Serving a Population of five (5) Million

Houston resident Deanna Geggatt, a registered nurse and home health care administrator with more than 20 years of experience in the medical field, has taken her compassion for helping the disabled to another level by introducing 101 Mobility to the Houston area. As the first location in the state, 101 Mobility is a franchise provider and installer of affordable brands of mobility and accessibility equipment for the elderly and disabled.

While working as a home health care administrator, Geggatt discovered a void in the home mobility device market.  She found that many patients in need of home mobility devices—such as grab bars, stair lifts, modular ramps, etc.—needed a simple way to choose the right equipment and have it installed quickly and easily.  After researching the options available in the greater Houston-area, she found that consumers in need could either go to small, independent “mom and pop-type” local businesses who at times lacked practical knowledge in mobility-related equipment (because it isn’t their core focus), or they could go to large online distributors who often fail to offer installation or face-to-face-support.

“When the elderly or disabled and their families invest in expensive mobility equipment, they prefer to have local experts install and service as well as provide face-to-face support for ongoing service and repair issues,” Geggatt said.

On August 31, Geggatt, along with her husband Glen, will introduce 101 Mobility to the Houston area, serving a population of more than five million people in seven counties, including Fort Bend, Galveston, Harris, Liberty, Matagorda, Montgomery and Waller.

101 Mobility is the franchising world’s first full-service sales, service and installation provider of a complete line of mobility and accessibility products and equipment, including stair lifts, auto lifts, ramps, porch lifts, power wheelchairs, scooters and more. By working with patients to identify which home health care devices best suit each individual’s needs, 101 Mobility provides an alternative to group homes and rehabilitation centers by allowing patients to live self-sufficiently in their homes.

The combination of Geggatt’s experience in the home health care industry and Glen’s professional experience working as a contractor serves as the perfect combination for a successful full-service home mobility device business. Glen is also certified as an “Aging-In-Place-Specialist” through the National Association of Homebuilders.

“I think there’s good synergy between Glen and I where I can identify the patients at risk and recommend the right products to them; Glen then brings the technical aspect to the table by handling all the installations,” Geggatt said.

With her background, Geggatt lends her expertise in all things related to home health care mobility to the disabled and senior population throughout the Houston area.

“Our goal is to become a solution that people didn’t have before,” Geggatt said. “There’s not much awareness of what home mobility devices are available to encourage independence and serve as a practical, real alternative to moving to an assisted living facility.”

She continued, “Since we’re part of a larger franchise, we are able to offer better pricing than the small local shops, plus extra support for our customers by tapping into our franchise support network. We hope to develop a strong local business relationship with the community.”

101 Mobility plans for further expansion throughout the state of Texas and is growing rapidly across the Country as well. For more information, visit www.101mobility.com

Can I Install my own Stairlift?

It sounds like a good idea to many people. Buying a stairlift online at a deep discount and then doing the installation themselves. But at 101 Mobility, we really wouldn’t recommend it. A stairlift is an expensive, high tech piece of equipment designed for precise installation by professionals who have been trained to understand all the intricacies of the equipment.

Think about the importance of the chairlift. This chairlift will carry someone you love, up and down the stairs, each and every day, often many times during the day. The whole reason you bought this chairlift is to ensure the safety of that person.  The most important thing is that the chairlift is installed properly so that the person riding the stairlift is safely transported up and down the stairs each time they sit down.

At 101 Mobility, our experienced installers understand the importance of getting it right. They have been through a rigorous training program and are certified to install your stairlift. Our installers have hundreds of hours of training and experience installing stairlifts.  With 101 Mobility completing the installation, you can feel confident each time your loved one sits down that they will reach the top or bottom of the stairs safely.

Is there really any substitute for the comfort that comes with the knowledge of knowing that your stairlift was installed properly and to the highest safety standards by the professionals at 101 Mobility?

Click here to view our complete line of stairlifts.

Preventing Falls and Staying Healthy

Among adults age 65 and older, falls are the leading cause of injury death and the most common cause of nonfatal injuries.  According to the Center for Disease Control, one in three adults age 65 and older falls each year. With so many older adults falling, fall prevent should top the list of safety and health concerns for those aging in place and their families.

What are some of the ways we can prevent falls in the home and promote mobility and independence? 

An easy way to prevent falls is to increase leg strength and balance through regular exercise. Many older adults enjoy Tai Chi because it promotes both of these concepts through a low impact exercise routine. However, simply enjoying a regular walk around your neighborhood is good exercise and a great way to stay fit. Staying active can go a long way toward preventing falls.

Be sure to ask your doctor or pharmacist to look at all the prescriptions you are taking to ensure there are no reactions between your medications.  Many medications can cause dizziness and when medications interact, dizziness can be enhanced.  If you are feeling dizzy, please take care and speak with your physician immediately.

Don’t forget the importance of regular vision checkups. Getting your eyes checked and keeping your eyeglasses up to date is an important step in keeping falls to a minimum.

Another important way to prevent falls is to install safety equipment in your home. Safety equipment from 101 Mobility helps to maintain your stability. With the help of 101 Mobility, you can install features such as chairlifts/stairlifts and bath safety products to prevent falls in the home.  Our complete line of stairlifts offers you a wide variety of options so you can choose just the right chairlift for your home. From straight line chairlifts to curved rail stairlifts, our experienced professionals can help you find the right stairlift for your home so you can be safe getting up and down the stairs each and every day.

We also offer a complete line of bath safety products. Falls in the bathroom are very common. Don’t let slipping in the bathroom become a concern for you. With the help of 101 Mobility, we can install bathtub doors, grab bars and a variety of other bath safety items for you.

101 Mobility Raleigh Opens June 22, 2011

Proudly serving the Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill areas, 101 Mobility’s newest location is owned by Lisa and Melissa Fosbury.  The Raleigh location’s grand opening is on June 22, 2011. The Raleigh location will be the local resource for those who are disabled and those who wish to maintain their independence by improving their mobility. Whether the mobility issue is long or short term, the team at 101 will be available to offer their assistance.

101 Mobility Raleigh offers a full range of mobility products including:

• Stairlifts/Chairlifts
• Auto lifts
• Ramps, both for purchase and for rent
• Vertical lifts
• Commercial and residential mobility products including lifts, patient lifts and commercial grade stairlifts.
• Bath, pool and spa lifts
• Bath safety products
• Power chairs
• Power scooters
• Automatic door opening systems

The local 101 Mobility team is also available to help Veterans through the Home Improvement & Structural Alterations grant program.

Lisa is very excited to be opening this new 101 Mobility location. “We are looking forward to being able to help people stay in their homes and maintain their independence,” she says.  “Our goal at 101 Mobility Raleigh is to provide our customers with the highest quality mobility products available while also providing them with superior customer service.  We look forward to building relationships with our neighbors and helping them to maintain their independence.”

The Raleigh office of 101 Mobility is located in the Triangle area. The office will be open from 8:30 am to 5:30pm. For more information on how Lisa and her team can help you with all of your mobility needs, please call (888) 258-0652.

Home Improvements and Structural Alterations (HISA) and 101 Mobility

101 Mobility is proud to help America’s Veterans. Under the Home Improvements and Structural Alterations (HISA), Veterans may receive “home improvements necessary for the continuation of treatment or for disability access to the home and essential lavatory and sanitary facilities.” We work with Veterans each and every day to help them improve mobility in their homes.

With 101 Mobility and the HISA, Veterans can:

• Replace all bathroom tubs with shower stalls complete with molded or pull-down seats
• Install non-skid strips or slip-resistant tiles in the shower
• Install grab bars in the shower stalls and toilet area
• Install hand-held showerhead
• Install raised toilet seats
• Install handrails on both sides of the stairs for better support
• Replace carpeting and tile flooring with non-slip/skid type flooring
• Install non-skid rubber strips on the edge of stairs to help prevent falls
• Convert kitchen cabinets into drawers to hold pots and pans for easier access
• Replace door knobs with lever handles
• Install lever-handle faucets in kitchen and bathrooms
• Consider increasing door opening sizes to as much as 36 to 42 inches
• Install a permanent or portable wheelchair ramp
• Install a stairlift or chairlift

Your local 101 Mobility location is ready to help you with need HISA improvements and alterations. All of our 101 Mobility locations are GSA Contract Holders, and have the experience and knowledge to help you achieve a completely functional and accessible home, customized for your needs.

For more information on how we can help you, please contact your local 101 Mobility location.

Aging in Place can be a Viable Option

When faced with the choice of moving to a senior care facility, moving in with a loved one, or choosing to age in place, most of us would chose to stay in the home we love, among the things we know, and the memories that sustain us. Aging in place allows us to retain our independence and prevents us from feeling we are a burden to others. But with so many of us living in two-story, single family homes and relying on cars to get around, staying in our homes as we age is a significant challenge.

One of the greatest challenges facing those who wish to stay at home is adapting to the change in mobility.  Adapting our homes to help us get around requires an investment, but that investment is far less expensive than a move to a senior care facility. There are many things we can do to make our homes safer, more accessible, and that will help us to keep our independence.

• Investigate assistive living technologies that monitor your home. A 24 hour monitoring device can be activated if you fall giving you the assurance you need that help is on the way. Many companies that offer these services have enhanced options that will monitor other areas of the home such as the stove. For example, if your stove is left on for an extended period of time it can be turned off remotely.
• Evaluate access in and out of your home. For some, the height of the stairs leading into and out of the home can become too steep. Simply installing a ramp can make your home more accessible.
• Worried about climbing the stairs inside your home? Installing a chairlift can make it easy to access the second floor or basement once more. This is especially important for those homes where the washer and dryer are in the basement. A chairlift can be a much easier fix than relocating water lines and exhaust vents.
• The bathroom can be a particularly dangerous area as we age. Installing toilets that are just a few inches taller, handrails, a tub door, or adjustable shower head can make it much safer for you to stay in your home.
• Those suffering from arthritis find that a simple change from doorknobs to lever handles makes a world of difference.

Simple changes like these can make a real difference in the ability to stay in our homes as we age.  With changes like these, the loving support of family and friends, and the determination to age in place, many more aging Americans will be able to stay in the homes they love.

If you would like more information on aging in place, please contact the National Aging in Place Council.