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I am currently looking for a way to transport my 91 year old mother in and out of the house without having two grown men carry her wheelchair down the back stairs! When I started checking on the prices for a ramp, I was horrified! She is on Medicare, so of course, they don't want to cover anything like that. I'm watching the ads, but thought maybe someone here would know of a program meant to help with home assistant aides. If so, I could really use your advise!


Thanks!

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Depending on the number of stairs and their layout you might find a folding metal ramp doable. Prairie View makes great ones and they are on Amazon. We have 4 in various sizes, including one very long one that was provided and installed through a county program for disabled people. I can’t recall exactly the parameters of the program; it may have been limited to paralyzed people like my dad but it might be worth checking with your county to see if it offers anything similar.
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In my area of East Tennessee the high school students in vocational courses build some ramps and make other repairs on senior's housing. They provide the labor and the supplies are provided by a combination of school funding, homeowners, and donations from the community. Similarly some volunteer fire departments and Habitats for Humanity do the same. A few contractors will also provide home repairs and ramps. I suggest contacting the Area Agency on Aging, your local home builders association, or your local senior center to find these resources. Sometimes the church ministers are also a good resource for finding help.
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Where we live there are companies that rent ramps. They come to take measurements, set up, then take down if/when it's no longer needed. This was a much better alternative for us when my husband was temporarily unable to use stairs, with no clear prognosis on when he would be able to do so. We were also in process of selling our house so didn't want any kind of more "permanent" structure. While there wasn't any program to help us pay for the ramp, I recall the price as being pretty reasonable and we were able to deduct the rental as a medical expense. I believe we may have used Amramp, which is a national franchise. https://www.amramp.com/residential/residential-modular-ramps/
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I don't specifically know offhand of any programs, but I've seen data from wheelchair ramp providers at the AAA expos.    They certainly aren't cheap!

I've also seen data, cards, and literature on companies that built them, to spec, and to community slope standards (very important).

You can search online, but it seems that ads predominate as do companies that pay to get priority listings.    You also might search under various age related categories, such as medical equipment, medical ramps, aging contractors (this might be the best source).

You also might try to locate ramps already created that just need to be assembled and installed.

Good luck; this is challenging.  The ramp, with rails, is so much safer, but there's no question they're expensive.
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In my area.. Lions club will build and take down for free.. great organization
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Habitat for Humanity appears to have a program:

http://www.programsforelderly.com/housing-ramp-program.php
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Check with Office of Aging and Disability Dept in your County.
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My in laws are in the same situation. Their sons thankfully are in the trades, with so’s brother a licensed general contractor, and they are doing the labor for free. The supplies alone could cost 4 grand, which the ils will be paying for.

Without family around, this would be yet another home improvement project they would have to pay double for with the labor as part of home ownership. Some places will finance.
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I purchased a used stair lift. It was expensive, but less expensive than a new one. But the price made me gulp.
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