Accessible Design Solutions
Objective and Professional
Consultation for your "Forever Home"
Objective and Professional
Consultation for your "Forever Home"
Accessible Design Solutions offers professional and cost effective expert guidance for clients' and their families facing challenges following a traumatic injury and/or other progressive medical conditions including the normal aging process that affect the ability to safely access and function at home.
Mary Carol Peterson is a Certified Aging in Place Specialist and also an Occupational Therapist with over 30 years of extensive clinical experience that included evaluation and prescription of durable medical equipment in the home setting to maximize independence and safety in all aspects of activities of daily living especially in the kitchen and bathroom. Mary Carol’s functional assessment of the client and her understanding of the scope of medical conditions plus their impact on both of the client's current and future function in the home will ensure a great outcome. She can offer solutions to address everything from facilitating the clients’ entry to the home, to cooking and to ease personal care in the bedrooms and bathrooms.
Mary Carol received her Occupational Therapy degree from the University of Minnesota and her CAPS certification from the National Association of Homebuilders.
I will work with your chosen professional remodeler or builder to ensure safety, affordable accessibility solutions and the best outcome based on your current and future needs. Today you can preplan and modify your home to accommodate a changing lifestyle by incorporating universal design concepts, products and services.
The photos on this page were taken at a new construction project by Strobel Design Build in St. Pete and featured no threshold entrances outfitted with drop sweeps to keep the critters out, an accessible kitchenette and a beautiful bathroom featuring a roll-in glass shower enclosure with a linear drain and hand held shower. The photo gallery has many more too!
For more ideas, see my FAQs and Accessibility Safety Checklist.
Please contact me for an in-home consultation and assessment.
You may be one of the lucky ones who does not have urgent needs right now but wants to plan ahead. Or you might be someone who has a progressive conditions like Parkinson's or MS that could benefit from a CAPS consultant to increase safety and independence. If you or someone in your family experiences a traumatic event like a fall, a car accident or a stroke that also may require changes.
Aging in place means remaining in one’s home safely, independently and comfortably, regardless of age, income or ability level. It means the pleasure of living in a familiar environment throughout one’s maturing years and the abil- ity to enjoy the familiar daily rituals and the special events that enrich all our lives. It means the reassurance of being able to call a house a “home”for a lifetime.
If you are like the majority of Americans over the age of 45, you want to continue living in a familiar environment throughout your maturing years. According to the AARP, older home owners overwhelmingly prefer to age-in-place, which means living in your home safely, independently and comfortably, regardless of age or ability level.
Click here to view NY Times Article on Aging in Place. It's GREAT!!
To age-in-place safely, you will probably need to modify your house as you get older to increase access and maneuverability.These modifications range from the installing bath and shower grab bars and adjusting countertop heights to the creating multifunctional first floor master suites and adding private elevators.
A Certified Aging-in-Place Specialist (CAPS) has been trained in:
Mary Carol is one of the few CAPS professionals in the St. Petersburg Area and she is the ONLY one who is also an experienced Occupational Therapist.
CAPS professionals have the answers to your questions.They have been taught the strategies and techniques for designing and building aesthetically enriching, barrier-free living environments. The CAPS program goes beyond design to address the codes and standards, common remodeling expenditures
and projects, product ideas and resources needed to provide comprehensive and practical aging-in-place solutions. CAPS graduates pledge to uphold a code of ethics and are required to maintain their designations by attending continuing education programs and participating in community service projects.
I have been on both sides when it comes to the rehabilitation process. As an Occupational Therapist I helped people who suffered life changing traumatic injuries gain as much independence as possible for over 30 years. But in 2011, just like that- I became a patient myself after being struck by a van while riding my bicycle at Ft. DeSoto. In a split second my life changed and I suffered a broken back, a fractured pelvis, a separated shoulder and leg injuries. Suddenly we had to modify our home so that I could be discharged. I know first hand how frustrating it can be to not be independent but with the help of my therapists I recovered.
My mission is to work with you, your family, your health care professional (if involved) and your remodeler to offer cost effective solutions so that you can live at home safely and as independently as possible.
To get started contact me for a free one hour consultation and check out my checklist on the next page.
Considerations for Appliances:
My mission is to help you preplan and modify your home to accommodate a changing lifestyle ensuring that you and your family are safe and as independent as possible in your "forever" home. Please call or email me to set up a consultation in the Tampa Bay Area.
Monday - Friday: 9am - 5pm
Saturday and Sunday: By appointment
Licensed and Insured
Entrance with no thresholds are easy for everyone especially for those who use a wheelchair for mobility.