Thomas Appel, SALJOL GmbH
Thomas Appel is the managing director of SALJOL GmbH, a residential environment consultancy and manufacturer of premium aids for maintaining and improving the mobility of older and physically handicapped people.
Mr. Appel, as a housing environment consultancy, you support people in staying in their own homes for as long as possible. Most people gradually develop into a care situation, beginning with everyday care until the degree of care is determined. Do you advise more “in advance” or only when “the situation is serious”? Who are your customers?
Mr. Appel, as a housing environment consultancy, you support people in staying in their own homes for as long as possible. Most people gradually develop into a care situation, beginning with everyday care until the degree of care is determined. Do you advise more “in advance” or only when “the situation is serious”? Who are your customers?
Our customers are usually people who have realized that living in their own four walls is becoming increasingly difficult or unsafe. Since this is a rather gradual process, with many physical and mental limitations being offset by experience, a relevant event is often the trigger for seeking advice.
This is then requested either by relatives, children and grandchildren, but also spouses who can no longer cope with the situation on their own, or third parties such as friends or very rarely doctors and therapists.
How do we define the customer? Not so easy, since we primarily work for the person who has the need, but the conversation is often conducted with said friends or relatives.
How often are relatives present at your on-site consultation and to what extent are they involved in the decision-making process?
How often are relatives present at your on-site consultation and to what extent are they involved in the decision-making process?
Relatives and friends (peer groups) play a crucial role and are present in almost every conversation. And that's a good thing, because they are often willing to take much more comprehensive measures than the affected people themselves.
For us, however, the highlights in counseling are always the people who still reflect on themselves even in the most difficult situation and who still think along with the counseling and are happy about the opportunities that arise from the measures.
It is almost always possible to actually extend your independence and freedom with the affected customers who are actively asking for you personally by taking appropriate measures, for instance compensating for mobility restrictions and conveying security. We call this “teaching joy in life”. Unfortunately, too few people are self-confident enough to actively ask for this help.
If you are on site and assessing the living environment, what are the "classic" barriers and how easy or impossible is it to remove these "usual" obstacles?
That always depends on the individual's willingness for change. This, in turn, correlates with the awareness of the problem or the potentially negative experience that led to seeking residential environment advice.
Classics are very obvious tips and tricks:
The elimination of tripping hazards such as carpets, cables or clutter in the movement areas. Closely followed by better lighting and the verification that all points used intuitively by the customer, where he or she swings through the apartment, are tested for durability and safety.
As a rule, we then quickly recommend a very stable living room rollator that can be gripped all around, which accompanies every path in the apartment like a mobile handrail, can turn in the smallest of spaces and ideally can also be used while sitting (toddling).
In bathrooms, additional grab rails are almost always used in the bath or shower area, and raising the toilet with the help of a raised toilet seat is often a good first step.
If you see a customer “rocking himself up” from a chair or armchair, a comfortable stand-up chair is the best choice to avoid falling when getting up and sitting down.
Furthermore, of course, we also point out the possibilities that would result from more complex structural changes. Barrier-free showers, removal of thresholds and the installation of a stair lift are further measures that can also be subsidized.
The costs for the changes in the living environment can quickly amount to several thousand euros. Is there funding, and how easy or complex is it to apply for it?
Measures to improve the living environment are funded in individual cases with up to 4,000 euros by the long-term care insurance fund. An easy-to-understand summary of the requirements and subsidy options can be found here:
https://www.pflege.de/pflegekasse-pflegefinanzierung/pflegedienstleistungen/wohnraumAdaptation/
Conversions that lead to more accessibility are also funded by KFW. It should be noted here that the funding available each year is limited and an application should therefore be submitted early:
https://www.kfw.de/inlandsfoerderung/PrivatPersonen/Behrend-Immobilie/Barriereduction/
What role does digitization play today in residential environment advice and how do you see its importance in the future?
We use a comprehensive digital questionnaire developed by Saljol as well as digital photo documentation to support residential environment advice.
We hereby ensure that we do not forget or omit any essential aspects that are necessary for optimal advice. At the same time, the recording of the current situation is clearly documented for the customer and you can also document the change in the degree of freedom before and after the measure. Unfortunately, we also need this status survey in order to develop and justify the next measures if the customer's situation deteriorates.
In the near future we will also be offering a digital situation survey to help you help yourself on the Saljol website www.saljol.de. This should then already help our customers and relatives to correctly assess their situation. Data is neither processed nor stored.
Of course, as living environment consultants, we are available for an intensive inspection and advice on site, just like the colleagues we have trained in the medical supply stores.
You can find our comprehensive information on the stage In need of care here.