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Portable commodes - No photos included 😁 but a few things to consider in selecting a commode:  comfort (padded seats make a difference), size (some models take up a lot more room than others, flexibility (stand alone and/or over the toilet), extra features (wheel chair users might need arms that swing up so there is nothing obstructing their transfer.)

Bruno Elite stair lift with curved track - When Steve's early back pain reached the point that all movement was painful, it became increasingly difficult for him to use the stairs.  At one point we thought we might have to move out of our two-story home, but the installation of a stair lift has made all of the difference in the world.  Through Yelp we found an authorized Bruno (manufactured in the U.S.) dealer in Napa who measured and ordered a custom-made stairlift that would wrap around the bottom of our steep staircase, so that the chair would not block the narrow walkway.   Pricey? At around 15K for an Elite custom curved track stairlift - most definitely!  But the value of not having to move out of our home and find another place to live?  Priceless.

Flex-a-Bed Hi-Lo Adjustable Bed with Mattress

Anyone who has experienced severe back pain, peripheral neuropathy, and/or limited mobility can attest to how difficult it is to get in and out of bed.  Medicare will pay for a hospital bed rental, but the models tend to be very basic - think uncomfortable mattress and hand-crank controls for raising and lowering the bed. Steve had one for two weeks during his recovery from brain surgery complications and it became his primary incentive for learning to climb the stairs. We knew that this would not work given his current neuropathy.  We decided we needed to purchase a bed that would meet our needs.  My goal was to find something less bulky than a traditional hospital bed - a bed that was adjustable and could be raised and lowered that didn't look like a hospital bed.  My trips to local bed and mattress stores led me to the discovery that regular adjustable beds do not include a vertical function - which is absolutely essential in the case of someone who needs the flexibility of a wheelchair and standing/sitting level accessibility. Online research finally led me to the Flex-a-Bed which we ordered from American Discount Home Medical Equipment.  We had a choice of a wide range of mattresses (we chose a basic medium firm innerspring) with wireless remote, massage, and under bed lights. (Queen-size with delivery and set up ~ 4K)

This adjustable bed turned out to be an answer to a prayer and gave Steve much needed comfort and independence.  He can adjust the height and angles of the mattress to try to alleviate pain, and the hi-low function means that he can get in and out of bed and a range of heights.  An added bonus is that raising the bed makes changing the sheets a breeze!

Silver spring Lightweight Foam Threshold Ramp for Wheelchairs (available in 7 different sizes. ~ $200

One of the first architectural barriers we encountered were our doorsteps.  It took some doing to get the wheelchair over the threshold, and the times I forgot to turn the wheelchair around backwards, I almost tipped Steve out of the chair!  Many of the ramps I found were too long, bulky, wide, and pricey.  Finally, I found a lightweight foam ramp on Amazon that we placed in the door exiting into the garage.  Unfortunately, the 4" height was a smidge too high, but luckily our brother-in-law John was able to sand/cut it down to the proper height. 

Stoneharbor swing-clear offset door hinge~$30

The second major architectural barriers were the width of the doorways.  Our rental wheelchair could not fit through the bathroom doorway. John kindly offered to widen the doorways (and even remodel the bathroom!) for us, but it would involve some construction work, and we weren't sure if Steve's future needs would be the same as the present.   

Another internet search led me to offset door hinges. Amazon reviews and the very helpful Stone Harbor website informed me that there are at least a couple of types. It is important to get the one that fits your current door hinges, e.g., (rounded corners vs squared-off and different placements of screw holes). Our good friend Michael installed them on a couple of doors, and what a difference they made!  The hinges move the door completely out of the opening, adding almost 2 inches to the usable space.  (When John first saw the hinges in operations he remarked wryly, "Well that was an easier solution than widening the doorway!")

Lift Chair - Golden and Pride (~$2K now?)

We are fortunate to have two lift assist recliner chairs in our home. Ours are older models, but they are basically recliner chairs that can not only recline into a zero gravity position they can also help you stand up by gently lifting you until you are fully upright.  My mom purchased the Pride chair from The Back Store in Berkeley decades ago when she moved into assisted living at Piedmont Gardens. It was the perfect chair for her small room, and she spent all of her waking hours in her room (when she wasn't zipping around PG looking for the latest live music concert or bingo game) resting on her recliner.  When she passed away in 2012, we had it rolled over to Auntie Kiku's independent living apartment where it became the focal point of her living room until she passed away in 2018.  When we finally emptied out Mom's house, we moved it home.

In the interim we had purchased a Golden chair from Johnson's medical supply for Steve. At the time he didn't have any specific medical needs, but it has been a godsend during both his brain lesion and multiple myeloma sagas. Newer models have many more bells and whistles, but our basic chairs have served our family (and Winston) well!

Final thoughts

Without a doubt, these tools have made our lives so much easier. If we had had to rely only on what insurance covered, our journey would have looked very different.  For starters, we could not have stayed in our two story home and, without a doubt, Steve’s mobility would have been much more limited.

We are fortunate that we were able to afford these items -  one of the benefits of being in our “golden years”.  It is true, this is not how we anticipated spending our retirement vacation savings. A stairlift does not have quite the cachet of our (canceled) trips to Italy and Japan!

“Quality of life” is a concept to which we have given much thought over the past few years, but life’s curveballs have provided us with a different perspective. We are grateful for our many blessings: excellent medical care, comprehensive insurance, life-changing adaptive equipment, and the support of family and friends like you who have enabled us to keep moving forward in this challenging journey! 💕 🙏