When someone in the family begins using a wheelchair, the first reaction is often that the house will have to go. In most cases it does not. A two-story home can be made to work by solving a short series of problems in order, following the route the wheelchair takes.
Stage 1, from the car to the door
- A firm, level surface from the driveway
- A vertical platform lift where there are steps, or a ramp for a very low rise
- A doorway wide enough for the chair, with a low threshold
The garage entrance is often the easiest to adapt.
Stage 2, around the main floor
- Clear paths between rooms, with furniture rearranged
- Doorways widened where necessary, or fitted with offset hinges
- Hard flooring or low-pile carpet
- A bathroom the chair can enter and turn in
Stage 3, between floors
This is the stage people fear, and there are three ways through it.
- A home elevator. The complete answer. The user stays in the chair and travels independently. For two levels, the shaft-less LUMA keeps construction to a minimum. Check the cab size against the wheelchair.
- An inclined platform lift. Carries the chair up the existing staircase where an elevator cannot be fitted.
- Living on one level. Converting a dining room or den to a bedroom and adding a main-floor bathroom. No lift is needed, but half the house goes unused.
A stair lift is only suitable if the person can transfer to the seat and a second wheelchair is kept upstairs.
Stage 4, upstairs
- A bedroom with turning space beside the bed
- An accessible bathroom with a roll-in shower
- Reachable closets and switches
Think about emergencies
Plan how the person would leave the upper floor in a fire or a power failure, and talk it through with your local fire department if you are unsure.
Get advice early
An occupational therapist can assess needs, and we can advise on the equipment. See our home elevators, then call Nationwide Lifts of Pennsylvania on 570-217-8426 or request a free home assessment.