Testimonial by Linda Remund.
Not quite 30 years old, Nick was excited for the arrival of his fourth child. He said goodbye to Linda and headed out for the day; unaware he would never walk through the door of his home again. Nick experienced a serious accident, which resulted in a traumatic brain injury and the long-term need for a wheelchair. Beyond the stress of adjusting to this life-changing news, Linda was now frantically searching for a wheelchair-accessible home for their family of five.
The familiar rooms of their current home were now seen through the lens of access. The hallways and doors were too narrow. The bathrooms were too small. The entry had too many stairs. The list went on. Linda talked about the impact of trying to create a new home during this major life crisis.
“Home is somewhere your life is stable. I was carrying our fourth child and forced to find a new home Nick could live in. By the grace of God, I prayed not to give up. We lived in a house for a year and took note of what would work for getting around easier. Then we built a home close to the school in a little town. Thankfully, we had a strong family and community network.
We built a Farmers Home Administration home. The builder knew the doors needed to be wider, but we had to rely on our own experience to build the home. The first house we lived in didn’t originally have towel bars as handrails. Nick pulled them right out of the wall.
Linda described how even small changes made a difference. “We got rid of the coffee table in the living room and had to keep the house picked up. The galley kitchen was a pass through and that worked well for him."
We only had one bathroom in the house we built, so we needed a tub and shower. Initially, we had a regular tub and shower with a chair and really good rails. You need a bigger bathroom.
Nick gained strength and was eventually able to stand at the sink. As Linda and Nick planned and updated their home, they created a list of “must-have” features to make daily activities easier.
"The accessibility in our home made it possible for our family to live and build memories together."
I would say the “must-haves” were:
- A ramp to access the house.
- Wider doors.
- Handrails on both sides of stairs.
- Safety rails in the bathroom.
- Bathroom sink with knee space underneath.
- Roll in shower with enough space to turn a wheelchair around.
He was never able to return to work, but he stayed home and took care of the kids. He had an alert button in case he fell.
The financial impact was an ongoing challenge, but the family found support in their community. Through each phase of life, friends and businesses stepped up to meet a need. Living in a small town made a difference for the family.
Linda recalled many times the family saw a need met. “We had good health care, so the bill was paid for the rehabilitation. Farmers Home Administration helped us with the money to build the house. Neighbors bought him a riding lawn mower, so he could provide a small income from mowing lawns and have critical mobility. He’d go uptown for coffee every day. Nick had a stroke, and after that, he used a power chair. The local banker helped me find a 1% interest loan offered by a government program to build an accessible bathroom, garage, and ramp.
Nick passed away in March 2017. He was disabled for 35 years, and he had a fulfilling life because I was able to find funding to make our home accessible. The accessibility in our home made it possible for our family to live and build memories together. My kids are much more aware and kind to people who are disabled. All of our kids went off to college. My kids always made sure the homes they lived in allowed for their dad to visit.
Voices for Home Modification
The Voice for Home Modification of the Dakotas project is working to increase awareness of how home design impacts quality of life. Just like Linda, we believe a “home is where your life is stable.”
