Caps Connection - 08/09/2005 (Plain Text Version)Bill Owens, CAPS, CGR View Graphical Version | Subscribe
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Editor... In this issue: Sweat the DetailsI’m reminded all too often to keep things simple. Our business lives are full of details, specifications, numbers and more information via the Internet than we could ever imagine being able to read, let alone process. Yet most mentors and business advisors would counsel us to pay attention to the key items or tasks in any assignment rather than micromanage the minutiae. That may well be sound business advice but take that suggestion to heart carefully when you are dealing with the new CAPS opportunities we are enjoying. It seems to me that success with a CAPS installation is dealing with the specifics and the details. I relayed to you in my last column that you are sooner or later bound to run into an emotional roller coaster with an aging in place client and his or her “influencers.” As I noted, it can be trying to not only orchestrate the project particulars but also be called upon to counsel, assist or negotiate sensitive issues relative to the occupant requiring the improvement. In that situation it’s hard not to become emotionally attached to the individual and their family, however as a professional you must remember they are looking to you for advice and direction as well as a steady, determined approach to satisfactorily complete the job. Getting better at CAPS installation means constantly evaluating how you are doing as a designer of CAPS projects. How well you do to adequately serve the needs of your next client is firmly based on knowledge of what works for certain individuals and what makes no sense to include in the job scope for others. In order to better serve your clientele wouldn’t it make sense to conduct thorough research on how well you are doing in your CAPS design and implementation? I just recently did this with a friend of the family who has been living in one of our more extensive projects for seven months now. Let me tell you briefly what I learned and what a great experience it was for me to have our work critiqued by this fellow who found himself a quadriplegic at age 69 as the result of a fall last summer. Upon my inquiry he presented me with a list of what was good, what was OK and a bigger list of what he would have liked to see in his new home. Some specifics included items that make perfect sense — only if you have round-the-clock care by numerous caregivers. By this I mean there were things none of us thought about as we rushed to complete this extensive addition so he could come home from the rehab center as soon as possible. Let me illustrate with a few examples. He expressed to me his daily frustration with the positioning of the light switches and what they controlled. It seems that every caregiver is constantly asking him what switch does what and he told me he gets exhausted by telling everyone what switch controls what fixture. He noted that the closet light problem could have been avoided by simply installing a jamb switch instead of what he called a fancy rocker switch outside the door. Makes perfect sense! Another example was that he was getting tired of always thinking about my company when he traveled over a threshold on the floor that just barely meets the maximum height suggested between differing floor surfaces. In his mind the bump and rocking it causes is a constant reminder that he isn’t able to simply step into the other room without realizing he’s actually tied to his chair. You probably get my point in these two examples. We can most likely do a much better job with our CAPS projects if we devise ways to ride in another man’s chair for a while instead of walking around in our shoes thinking we have all the secrets figured out. Ask and you’ll find out quickly that everyone has a different perspective on what works and how well it works for him or her in particular. Once you obtain this special knowledge, use it to your advantage to do even a better job next time marrying your client’s needs with their new living space. Good Luck,
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