My grandmother's ability to stand and walk has deteriorated quickly, and now she can't get out of the house. We have steps on both the front and back entrances to our home. We now need to build a ramp or two, so that she can at very least make it to her doctor's appointments. I hate to think of how hard it would be to get her out of the house if there was an emergency. The thing is we don't know how, we have very limited funds, and time is of the essence. Anyone know where to start or have any tips? Anything on the topic would help greatly.
1. There is a home near me where it's a straight ramp from the front door all the way to the sidewalk and after that it's a 5-lane busy street. There's nothing to slow down a runaway wheelchair. I'd recommend a zig or zag in the planning.
2. The permanent ramps I found were into the thousands to construct and would take time to build. Since we were not at all sure how long elder would even be able to stay at the home, we worried that the ramp wouldn't even be built in time for her to use it, so you might want to consider that aspect.
3. We did find another company and arranged a ramp rental. The guy came out, measured, and then went to his warehouse to get the sections he would need for our specific design and simply put them together for us. We liked it because it did not take long to get it and it was not permanently attached to the house in any way, so it was easily removed with no damage to the house. If you're not sure how long you will need the ramp, you could look at a rental. I do not think we needed a permit for this sort of thing, but you should probably check.
The portable ramps, if you can afford them, are quite good. Depending on how high it is from ground level to door entry will determine how long your ramp needs to be. To be safe, the incline cannot be too steep or walking person would easily lose control. Sometimes you will even need to have a ramp that zig zags where you make a turn to prevent the incline from being too steep.
If you have a community website, like NextDoor (check internet), there are lots of people who have the skills to do a wooden ramp for you and tend to be pretty reasonable helping a neighbor.
The other thing you can get are hinges that you can put on doors that she uses. The full swing hinge allows the door to open about another 1 to 2 inches so there is more clearance.
the other obvious things, remove carpeting if possible. Area rugs are also a problem. Both are hard to wheel over.
Check with your local Senior Center some have volunteers that will build ramps.
Often you can find used portable ramps on the FB garage sale in your town.
Depending on where you live if there is a rural area some farm stores have ramps but they are easy to find on line. Do a search for portable ramp. All you have to do is put in the height and it will calculate the length of ramp you need to comply with codes. (I ended up getting a shorter ramp since I was going to be pushing and I felt that I could handle the weight/height/distance)
If you have a permanent ramp built check with your local village or county you may need a permit and it will have to comply with ADA codes. (this can make a ramp VERY long.)
2. I've seen various ramps at the apparently now defunct AAA expos, and gathered literature from the contractors who installed ramps. Given the pandemic, I'm not sure how many of them survived though.
So I'd search using these various parameters (I just started search after injuring my back; these are some subjects and linked to potential resources):
Aging in place, ramps
Senior (or elderly) resources
Entrance and exit safety with ramps
Elder care, safe exit and entrance
Adaptive contractors
Special needs and disability contractors
ADA compliant contracting (or adaptation)
See more at:
https://www.google.com/search?source=hp&ei=O3YxYOGnNpjatQat2KvYCQ&iflsig=AINFCbYAAAAAYDGES_FDjWHwLgfqoN90ZO2PiGCb9zeK&q=adaptive+contractors&oq=adaptive+contractors&gs_lcp=Cgdnd3Mtd2l6EAMyBQghEKABOggIABCxAxCDAToFCC4QsQM6CwguELEDEMcBEKMCOggILhCxAxCDAToICC4QxwEQowI6DgguELEDEIMBEMcBEKMCOg4ILhCxAxDHARCjAhCTAjoFCAAQsQM6AggAOgsILhCxAxCDARCTAjoICC4QxwEQrwE6AgguOggILhCxAxCTAjoKCC4QsQMQChCTAjoHCAAQsQMQCjoLCC4QxwEQrwEQkwI6BggAEBYQHjoHCCEQChCgAVD2BVjJGWDvGmgAcAB4AIABcYgB0wuSAQQxNi4zmAEAoAEBqgEHZ3dzLXdpeg&sclient=gws-wiz&ved=0ahUKEwihse3Sq_nuAhUYbc0KHS3sCpsQ4dUDCAw&uact=5#spf=1613854272570
https://aginginplace.org/creative-exterior-modifications-for-effectively-aging-in-place/ (good source, with advice on lighting and more)
https://aginginplace.org/5-ways-to-make-your-entryway-safer/ (entryways)
https://www.seniorly.com/resources/articles/top-10-home-modifications-for-seniors-staying-home (more general, and less specific, but some good topics for a checklist)
https://eldercare.acl.gov/public/resources/factsheets/home_modifications.aspx ; (links to other sources)
You could also contact your local Senior Center, county government's elder division, and state's elder resources (if your state has them)
3. Have grab bars installed by a certified carpenter, into the studs, around the house, and at entrance to internal and external doors. Remove potential blockages of furniture, throw rugs, etc from the interior of the home.
4. I saw a woman using a ramp from the ground to cargo area of an SUV, and reversed. She had a daughter who needed wheelchair exit from the vehicle,
and the ramp provided what I thought was a good option. Someone would need to be available to guide the wheelchair though.
5. A home in my neighborhood has a lift in front; it was created years ago. There's a "booth", like a telephone booth, which I believe hosts the wheelchair lift. I've never seen it operated, but I think the wheelchair is either rolled from the porch, or from the sidewalk, onto the lift, which is then mechanically raised up or down to the porch or sidewalk level. This might be more expensive though.
6. Financing: If your Senior Center has a social worker, that could be a good source. AAA is another, as are the local community, county and state government elder divisions. Some communities used to get HUD funds at the beginning of each fiscal year for emergency adaptations for residents. I don't know though whether those kinds of funds are still available.
Habitat for Humanity, Christmas in April, and some Methodist Churches may be able to offer assistance, with their volunteers.
BTW, I'd also search through DuckDuckGo as opposed to Google, unless you want a lot of contractor ads. DDG doesn't follow users online, so your searches aren't monetrized as those used through Google.