gOOD TimeS
There’s no place
like home
Growing old sometimes isn’t easy. Worse still is being forced from your house into assisted living or nursing home because of physical conditions preventing you from getting around. And with 10,000 people a day turning 65, that rapidly growPAul K AndAriAn ing aging demographic can turn to people like Bill and Linda Bohmbach, owners of Home Healthsmith based in Portsmouth, R.I., a company that outfits homes to make life easier on people who want to stay put. The company provides products and services that enable older or physically challenged people to stay in their homes longer, including installing and repairing stair lifts, bath lifts, grab bars and wheelchair ramps, and also repairing wheelchairs and scooters, and doing general property management services. The coverage area includes all of Rhode Island, Cape Cod, Southeastern Massachusetts and up to the Worcester area. “It’s a big force, there’s big changes coming down the pike on how people handle their older days,” Bill Bohmbach said. “There isn’t enough money or facilities to handle people who will need some kind of help, so staying in their home is a good option.” Bohmbach, whose wife, Linda, is the firm’s marketing director, has more than 30 years’ experience in the trade, running an elevator company
28
S OU TH C OAST P R IME T IMES
■
for many years before selling it to an international company less than three years ago. He had another company, American Stair Lift Company, which he kep and rebranded into Home Healthsmith.
J ULY / AUGUST 2013
Anyone wondering if they can outfit their home can call the company and schedule a free SafeHome Audit. The second step is a SafeHome Install. The SafeHome Advantage then protects the client’s safety and mobility year round, with a technician checking things out every four months. Also, if the company installs a stair lift or ramp, they donate a portion of the revenue to the Wounded Warriors Project, a nonprofit that assists injured military members. Their services include checking loose stair railings, smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, loose screens, door knobs, making recommendations on lighting and electrical appliances, even checking things like throw rugs that could present a tripping hazard. They use the team approach, working with a variety of agencies to audit homes and see what needs to be done to ensure client safety and comfort. “The work we do is very individualized, it’s customized,” Bill Bohmbach said. “For example, someone with multiple sclerosis, I can guarantee one client will be quite different from another