December 2000 Life@Home, Inc. Life At Home was formed when co-founders Mark Fry and Richie Simmons, who are also part owners of a construction company, realized there wasn't anyone who could find the products, consult on them knowledgeably and do the installation. Life At Home has a full-service Web site where Chadwell said they get international orders for hardware and calls for consultations in Middle Tennessee. They sell hardware to construction companies and architects, act as a distributor for products and offer design services as they are doing with the Kirkpatrick homes. "We started seeing a need for this service," said Ronnie Ferguson, Life at Home board member. "It looked like aside from a handyman here and there, no one was doing this. We have done the research on everyday problems for those with disabilities." Morgan, for example, said she would have had to have hired her changes out piece by piece, which would have been expensive and time-consuming. "To have one person coordinate all that for you was most helpful. They suggested things that have made my life better that I wouldn't have known about," she said. Life At Home knows about everything from a vibrating under-the-pillow smoke detectors to weighted utensils that are easier to hold for people with Parkinson's disease and other conditions where the hands shake. The Kirkpatrick project has been a major one for Life At Home because the homes had to be restructured. When building from the ground up, changes can be drawn into the designs. Here, changes had to be made in progress, which meant ripping out bathroom fixtures, moving walls and rewiring In the Kirkpatrick homes, Chadwell had the contractor order special levers to replace twist-handle spigots, move outlets and phone jacks to a higher level, widen doorways, remove level changes in door thresholds and completely redesign the bathroom. "Everything we have changed in these houses are things that you and I can benefit from as well," Chadwell said. "These aren't handicapped things. We designed the counter in the bathroom to allow for knee space underneath. You can use that in a wheelchair or in a regular vanity chair. And it makes sense for anyone to be able to get to the outlets easier." Building supervisor Chance Formby, who had to go back and redo his team's handiwork, said the changes shouldn't affect the home's resale value. "To me, these requests are no different than someone who wants special paint or something," he said. Martha said in the beginning of the project she knew she and her daughter wanted to move into Franklin to be near her granddaughter. She said she knew the homes they would buy would need some changes, but she didn't know any specifics. "They (Life At Home) were able to tell us what kind of space we would need for wheelchair maneuvering and so forth." "I hope when the time comes we don't need these places anymore that they will be highly sellable. Seems to me there is a great need for this kind of place because we certainly couldn't find any." For more information on Life At Home, check the Web site at www.lifehome.com. |