​Home Accessibility ideas

Home Accessibility ideas

When thinking of home accessibility this can
be overwhelming, for most people they’ve never had to think about it. In
today’s environment where loved ones are living longer and longer keeping the
home accessible is very important. Below are a few ideas that can help you or a
loved one stay in the home of their choice.

Number One: Lifts
for the stairways, also known as Stair Lifts. Stair lifts are one of the most
popular Home Accessible items bought on the market. There are many options to
choose from. Stair Lifts are made straight or they can be curved for one’s
staircase. You can also get them for outdoor use as well. A straight Stairlift
is by far the most popular style as it fits most staircases but there are a few
staircases where a curved Stairlift is needed. Prices do vary when it comes to
a straight Stairlift or a curved stair lift. Straight Stair Lifts are on
average around $3000-$4000 where a curved stair lift is around $9500 to upwards
$15,000. The curved stair lift is expensive because it is custom made for those
steps, they take a couple of weeks to be built and then can be installed in
around 4 to 6 hours where a straight Stairlift is typically in stock and can be
installed in under two hours. They typically come in 16 ft tracks and
are cut according to your stairs. The chairs for the staircase are very
similar. There are options of powered seat that give someone the ability to
push a button and the chair will turn at the top instead of a manual hand lever.
One of the biggest misconceptions is that stair lifts mount on the side of the
wall when in fact they actually mount on the tread of the stairs. Depending on
the style, 5 to 10 brackets would be mounted on the tread. A stair lift plugs
into a regular 110 outlet, there is no major construction for these chairs in
your staircase.

Other things to know about
stair lifts: One of the most common
places they are installed is in the garage. People need to access the garage to
get to their vehicles and in some cases the washer and dryer. They are also used
as a dumbwaiter as people will put their groceries or cases of water on them.
They use the remote to call it to the top of the stairs and this makes that
individual feel a lot safer. 

Here’s a great video on the difference of straight stair lift and a curved stair lift.

Number Two: Wheelchair ramps come in a few different styles. The most popular style is the
modular aluminum ramp system which can be built to fit on the front porch,
inside a garage, or to come off the back deck. You can also build them with
Wood. Wood Ramps tend to be a little cheaper than aluminum but require a lot
more maintenance as you have to take care of the wood and treat it on a routine
basis where aluminum ramps are easy to maintain. Portable ramps are also very
popular, these ramps fold up and make them easy to put in a vehicle for transportation
purposes or to use them when company comes over. Some of the portable ramps
have a single fold in them while others have a trifold which allows an 8 foot
ramp to fold down to a 4 foot length. Portable ramps come in sizes of 2 feet to
8 feet. Threshold ramps are great for door openings in areas where sidewalks
are not level to make smooth transitions to and from where you need to go.
Some of the threshold ramps are adjustable so they can use them in multiple
places and others are a metal plates that range between 8-12 inches. These are
also really helpful when someone has a screen door and needs something to reach
the front porch.

Other things to know about
Accessible Ramps: The American
Disability Act says for every inch of rise you will need a foot of ramp. This
is for individuals that propel themselves in a wheelchair. If a customer is being
pushed or using a power mobility device you can sometimes get a shorter ramp. Aluminum
ramps can be powder coated if a different color is desired.

Number Three:
Vertical platform lift or small elevators as they are sometimes called can be
very useful to access a home where an individual is in a wheelchair or power
mobility device full-time. The most common area where the vertical platform
lift is used is in a garage, next to a porch or a back deck. They come in
multiple heights and allow people to bring their power mobility device onto a
platform, push a button and take them to the destination so they can easily
access their home. The lifts have a 750 to 850 pound weight capacity which
allows the individual, the power mobility device and one other person to fit on
these platforms. Multiple call buttons can be added if there are more than two
individuals that need to use the platform. The average footprint for a vertical
platform lift is 4’ x 6’ so they don’t take up a lot of room.

Other things to know about
Vertical Platform Lifts: If the lift
is used outside covers can be added to keep people out of the rain. The
installation can vary as some people completely take out their stair and then
put the vertical platform lift up against the door. They have door lock options
so the door will not open if its been called down. This is a nice safety device
that can be added.

Number Four:
Accessible showers also known as handicap showers. There are multiple styles
and variations when it comes to accessible showers. The main goal is for an
individual to easily be able to enter and exit with little to no difficulty.
Typically, a barrier free floor is installed with a water dam rubber system
that allows a wheelchair or a rolling shower chair to be rolled in and out with
ease. The shower chairs can vary so you can add features like grab bars,
showerhead handles and even seats if needed. Walk in tubs are also a very
popular item as this allows an individual to walk into a device and sit down,
turn on the water and soak in a bath without having to worry about getting up
from the bottom of a bath tub. Most accessible showers are very easy to install.
You can take out the existing shower system and then add the accessible shower.
Most jobs are done within a day or two depending on how much drywall work
needs to be done.

Other things to know about
accessible showers: In some cases you
can keep the existing tile and just change out the tub base. In most cases you
can add glass to the accessible shower and they end up looking like a nice large
walk in shower.

Being able to access ones home
is very important. Most people needing this have lived in their house for years
and it’s more than a house, it’s a home. They have memories and belongings that
mean everything to them. They are comfortable is these surroundings so
hopefully the items we spoke about can help someone stay where they want to safely. 

If you live in the Middle Tennessee area come by and see on our stores in either Hermitage or Franklin TN. We have showrooms with multiple products you can see and try out for yourself. We also have an ecommerce site where we can ship most of these products anywhere in the Continental United States. Most of these items have FREE Shipping. Visit us at  https://www.allstarmedicalllc.com/ or call us at 615-730-9438.