Living with Disabilities - How to Become Safe and Independent in Your Own Home

For people with any type of physical disability, whether from injury, illness or old age, you have a new advocate in the North Shore communities of Winnetka, Wilmette, Glencoe, Kenilworth, Northfield, and surrounding areas.  Freedom Design, started by two local women who are both licensed physical therapists, can help you modify your home for safety and comfort.

Both Jennifer Lawless and Cassandra Buccellato have degrees in Physical Therapy and met four years ago while they were both serving on the Winnetka Community Nursery School's board.  When they realized they had a common interest, they partnered and formed Freedom Design in 2009 to help people redesign or reconfigure their homes for accessibility suited to their individual needs.   

Some of their clients are the elderly who want to remain in their homes - Jennifer and Cassandra will help them with ideas to navigate their homes safely utilizing grab bars, handrails, or night light placement.  Other clients are recovering from injuries or have debilitating illnesses and need a larger overall plan for living comfortably in their homes.  Freedom Design works with architects, contractors, and health care workers as a team to plan the best design for each client.  

They recently helped renovate a home for a person confined to a wheelchair and tailored the changes to that person - they also made changes that were over and above those designated by the Americans with Disabilities Act.  This is where their Physical Therapy Training backgrounds come in - they are able to understand and envision what a client needs.  They also have access to hundreds of specialized products from faucets to door handles.

No project is too small for them - they will simply advise on grab bars if that is all that is required. Generally, they will do an assessment of a client's home and draw up an individualized plan - prices are charged based on the scope of the project.  Sometimes, just simple adjustments are needed that will allow a person to continue to live safely and happily in their home.  Other times, an entire addition to a home may be necessary.  For the elderly in particular, Jennifer and Cassandra say that the modifications they do are considerably less expensive than assisted living.

Their clients include those who:

• wish to modify their homes to age in place
• require more assistance in their home environment
• have physical and sensory challenges
• have been diagnosed with a progressive disease
• have experienced a life altering injury of disability

If you or a family member needs help with home modification decisions, please call Freedom Design and talk to Jennifer or Cassandra.  In addition to being physical therapists, they both hold the CAPS certification (Certified Aging in Place Specialists.) They want to help keep you in your home and community, with safety in mind.  

Freedom Design
847-881-6114
www.freedomdesign.org