There comes a time in all of our lives where we have to make tough decisions about the care of a relative. Often times this window of care is relatively short but difficult. There are a million decisions to consider when bringing a loved one into your home to be cared for. One of the choices that may need to be consider has to do with access the home. When a wheelchair is needed to ease movement not only throughout the house but granting access into and out of the house handicap ramps are considered.
When it comes to installing a wheelchair ramp this alone brings a myriad of decisions to consider; the first of many is whether you want to install a temporary or permanent ramp. More often than not a temporary handicap ramp will suffice. The need for a handicap ramp in most of our homes is just that, temporary. Most situations that require the use of a wheelchair are temporary, a child breaks a leg, or a parent comes to live out their final time. The ramp is only needed to provide ease of movement for a short period of time and therefore doesn’t require become a permanent fixture.
There are situations in which it is necessary to install a permanent handicap ramp to a home. This is the case when there is a long term diagnosis that will make moving in and out of the house more difficult as time progresses. When certain illnesses or accidents occur it can leave us limited in mobility. Permanent handicap ramps allow us to easily maneuver in and out of our home while keeping the aesthetics of the home intact. Permanent wheelchair ramps are created to blend in to the home’s exterior creating a seamless transition between the interior and exterior of the home.
It is up to individual homeowners, dependent on their unique situation whether to install a permanent or temporary ramp. Once this is decided upon there are several other considerations that need to be solidified before construction can be started. One decision that needs to be made is what material to build the ramp from. Ramps are most commonly aluminum or wooden. Another consideration is the length of the ramp. Think about the slope of your entrance when considering the length of a ramp. Although shorter ramps are easier to move from one spot to another, in the case of multiple entry and exit points, they also increase the steepness of the ramp. Longer ramps are easier to manipulate for users. The drawback occur if the ramp needs to be moved and the expense. Longer ramps are naturally more expensive than shorter ones. More material is needed to make them and the installation process takes more time.
No matter what you decide; temporary or permanent, long or short, aluminum or wood the same end result is desired. Easing the mobility of entry and exit to the home for loved ones who are having an increasingly difficult time maneuvering stairways. Handicap ramps are great not only for wheelchair users but for people needing canes and walkers to assist in walking as well as those that suffer from knee, back or hip issues.
The Home Doctor, based in Livingston County including Brighton and Howell Michigan, offers a variety of home renovations to clients ranging from bathroom remodeling to age in place home modifications. Contact http://glenmillerthehomedoctor.com/ today all of your home renovating needs.