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Making Your Multi-Story Home More Accessible

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Seniors or individuals with mobility challenges may find living in a multi-story home difficult. Getting up and down stairs can be impossible for some, while potentially dangerous for others. And moving to a one story house or a senior living facility may not be an option for a variety of reasons. If it becomes necessary or preferable for an individual disabled by age, infirmity, or accident to stay in a multi-story abode, there are practical and affordable solutions.

The easiest and least expensive option, if practicable, would be to simply relocate all multi-floor activities to the ground floor. Of course, that would require that the ground floor be made convenient for eating, sleeping, bathing, and all the other normal activities of daily life. Minor modifications may need to be made, such as widening doorways, making a downstairs bathroom more usable, etc. But in terms of difficulty and expense, it is certainly the most cost-effective and convenient way for a disabled person to remain in his or her multi-story home.

However if living exclusively on the ground floor is not possible, then it may become necessary to investigate how the home can be adapted in order to provide safe access between floor levels. The three most common alternatives are residential elevators, stairlifts, and inclined platform lifts. Each option has advantages and disadvantages, but if employed correctly either one can help keep a mobility-challenged person in his or her own home.

A residential elevator is a lift that is enclosed in a shaft and travels vertically between floors. Elevators can range from an unfinished platform to a fully- enclosed cabin with safety gates and a finished interior. Residential elevators are either cable operated or hydraulically powered. They are typically used when the vertical change between two or more floor levels is significant and there is not enough room in the house to install a usable stairlift or ramp. There must, however, be enough room in the house to accommodate the needed shaft space.

A stairlift consists of a seat that travels up and down a stairway on a track or rails mounted either on the surface of the stairs or on an adjacent wall. stairlifts can be installed on most stairways and come in a wide array of sizes and styles. They are fairly easy to retrofit into existing homes and are considerably less expensive than elevators – especially if the staircase is a single straight run. They require a clear floor space at the top and bottom of the staircase so that the user can get on or off, and they will reduce the usable width of the stairs – a particular concern if the staircase is narrow to begin with.

Inclined platform lifts consist of a platform that moves up and down over an existing stairway. They are usually employed by people who use wheelchairs, but some models incorporate a fold-down seat for people who do not use a wheelchair but have difficulty using stairs. The platform is typically supported by rails that are mounted to a wall on one side of the staircase. Platforms on stairlifts come in various sizes, but they are always much wider and larger than seated stairlifts and thus need more room at the top and bottom of the staircase, as well as enough headroom throughout the entire traveled distance. They are easier to install and less expensive if the staircase is a single, straight run. There are platform stairlifts available that will turn corners on curved staircases, but they require wider staircases to accommodate the platform as it turns and are far more expensive.

We understand that staying in the home you love is important to your overall well-being. If you need expert advice on the most appropriate and affordable option for your multi-story home, the professionals at Pacific Mobility are always available for a free consultation. Call or visit us, today.

Going Up and Coming Down

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A recent news article tells a touching story about an elderly mother and her only daughter. The older woman lives in a second floor apartment and the daughter, some miles away. Anna, the mom, is a frail Alzheimer’s patient who cannot navigate the stairs to come down to the ground floor. The daughter, Michelle, suffers from multiple sclerosis and is wheelchair-bound. She can’t climb up the stairs to visit her mother. They can still chat on the phone, but they can’t hold hands or talk face to face.

How different life could be for these two women if there was a permanent and safe way for one to go up – or the other to come down. How sad that illness and incapacitation has become such a barrier to their need to spend time together. The story is a poignant reminder that, for some, even a short flight of stairs can be a distance greater than miles.

In the case of these two loving relatives there was a happy, if all too brief, ending to the story, when a local charitable organization paid for one ambulette visit, so that Michelle, who had to be carried upstairs in her wheelchair by two strong men, could spend a few hours with her mom. The bad news, of course, was that it was a one-time only event.

Options for Going Up and Coming Down

The good news is that, for many others who face a similar challenge of going up and coming down in their own homes, there are options that can bridge the distance between floors. They include: stairlifts, platform lifts and elevators. Depending on your needs, your physical condition, your home layout, and your budget, one of these devices may be the answer to your in-home mobility problems.

stairlifts – A stairlift is essentially a seat that is attached to a rail or track which is attached to the stairs, themselves, or the wall beside them. It is a good option for a person who can walk, but cannot manage ascending or descending stairs, for any reason. It’s the least expensive option, with the cost of buying and installing one, around $3,000 to $4,000 (more, of course, if the staircase is longer than usual or curved.) It requires that least amount of home modification, but it is not always suitable for people with advanced mobility needs.

Wheelchair Platform Lifts – There are two basic types of wheelchair lifts: inclined and vertical. An inclined wheelchair lift is similar to a chair lift, except that instead of a chair attached to the stair glide, there is a platform that can accommodate a wheelchair. Because it is bigger than a chair lift, it requires more space – a staircase that is, at least, 36 inches wide. It’s also slightly more expensive than a regular chair lift due to its enhanced load capacity.

A vertical wheelchair platform lift is like a small elevator, in that it goes straight up and down. It can be designed to take its user from one floor to another or just a few feet – wherever an inclined wheelchair lift is unsuitable. Unlike an elevator, it doesn’t have a shaft, so it doesn’t require a major home renovation. Platform lifts cost from $3,500 to $5,500 plus installation.

Elevators – An in-home elevator is the most versatile alternative for someone who needs to travel between floors in a wheelchair, and may also want the ability to carry other objects such as medical equipment, or be accompanied by another rider. Because it’s enclosed, it’s also the most aesthetically pleasing among all the options.

However, an elevator is also the most expensive choice and can run between $15,000 and $20,000, when you factor in the cost of the unit, itself, and the necessary structural renovations to your home. It is only an option in a building that has adequate space for a shaft and the requisite machinery to run it.

Consider the Alternatives

Before deciding on the best option, you need to consider all of the alternatives, and then choose the option that fits your needs, your home, and your budget. At Pacific Mobility Center, we can help you make the most appropriate choice for you and your loved ones. It’s part of our promise to “Keep You Moving.”

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