Petra Rulf - The users story

To Petra Rulf, Pressalit Care is a means of managing life in spite of her illness.

Petra was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1988. A pharmacy student, she had been healthy and fit up to then. But when this disease of the nervous system began to seriously affect her vitality, it changed her whole way of life. The disease rapidly limited her capacity for walking, so she used a cane, and to an increasing degree also a wheelchair.

The progression of multiple sclerosis is unpredictable. Petra's greatest challenge was to learn how to cope with the new situation. Everything in her life was affected - and most of all, her home had to be adapted to a new lifestyle.

Today Petra uses a wheelchair all the time. Her home is a house in Westerhorn, Germany, which she shares with a friend. Their home furnishings allow Petra to get around easily and safely - but also meet the needs of her housemate and welcome guests.

The bathroom concept is obviously a solution delivered by Pressalit Care. The installations here can always be moved along tracks mounted on the wall to match changing needs.

For example, in the early stages of the disease, Petra was able to seat herself on the toilet from an upright position. Today, she has to move out of the wheelchair from beside the toilet. But the toilet height can be adjusted in no time, so there was no need to replace the sanitary installations they already had.

Petra remarks, "I discovered that it wasn't me who had to adjust to the room - it was the other way around. My living space has to include installations with enough flexibility to remain practical, even if what I can do changes considerably over the course of time. Making it possible for me to help myself in most daily situations has meant everything to my personal integrity."