When people reach 60, their aging body started to become heavier and weaker. Necessary adjustments need to be done in order to maintain their independence especially when they become frail or disabled. It is important for them to do things they enjoy doing to avoid depression-related problems such as disconnection from the society, sense of isolation and feeling of uselessness in life. When they cannot go around or do something out of the usual, it would affect their well-being.
When you are living with them, ensuring their safety is a must. Installing a wheel chair ramp can be your first step in creating a safe home for your aged loved ones. Ramp serves many purposes but its main objective is to sustain seniors’ ability to live at home, especially when you have to leave occasionally. This does not only benefited them but also you, the caregiver, and anyone who provide assistance.
Wheelchair enables them to be independent in case of emergencies and do leisure activities such as gardening, caring for a pet, moving around the house, and etc that will keep them busy. But this will only be possible when you have a ramp, whether permanently, semi-permanently, or portable, at home.
What Is A Wheelchair Ramp?
A wheelchair ramp is an inclined plane installed, can be permanent, semi-permanent or portable, in addition to the stairs and typically intended for people with disability to easily access the building they want to go to. It also enables the people to easily push, move, and navigate their carts, strollers, luggage bags, or any other wheeled objects.Usually, it is made using steel, aluminum, concrete, rubber or wood as the main material.
In some places, there’s a building code which requires newly constructed buildings to have wheelchair ramps following the standard design in order to facilitate universal access. For instance, in the United States of America (USA), through the implementation of the 2010 Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) for Accessible Design,ramps should have a running slope not steeper than 1:12, clear width between handrails minimum of 36 inches (915 mm), and the rise should not be more than 30 inches (760 mm).
In Hong Kong, on the other hand, the required running slope may not also exceed to 1:12 except those which are under the Barrier Free Access (BFA) terms. The same maximum slope is applied to South Africa but this can be adjusted to 1:10 if the difference in level is less than 400 mm.
Benefits Of Having A Wheelchair Ramp At Home
When you installed a wheelchair ramp at your own house, it provides several advantages not only to your aged loved ones but to you as well in order to enjoy life completely and normally.
Maintains Independence
It is common for the elderly that they want to live independently even at their twilight years. If, often times, you find your disabled parents or grandparents doing the chores despite countless times of reminding them not to bother themselves doing those stuff, then, perhaps, it would be the right time to install a ramp in your house.
One of the good things about having this at home is that it maintains your loved ones’ independence without having any accidents. When they are thirsty or hungry, they can go directly to your dining room to get water and some food. When they want to watch in the television, they can turn it on and get the remote control to input their preferred channel. When they want to water the plant, they can carry a small sprinkle. When they want to feel the warm of the sun, they can go outside. All of these are possible, even without you pushing their wheelchairs, as long as you have installed ramp at home for them.
Increases Mobility
When physical disability suddenly occur to seniors, their world seems to crush apart. That is why, it is very common for them to experience depression and isolation. But when there’s an installed ramp at home, you are letting them to go around the house hassle-free and safely. As long as they are active, they can still enjoy their freedom completely while you are decreasing the percentage risk of getting them injured.
Makes Easily Transport Those Heavy Stuff
Wheelchair ramp does not only give convenience to your parents or grandparents but also to you and all the members of the family. You can easily and comfortably transport heavy stuff using a cart inside and outside of the house without giving you any backache. Apart from that, it can save your time and energy—which both you can use for other chores.
What To Consider When Installing A Wheelchair Ramp?
Wheelchair ramps vary from sizes and styles in which you may it difficult to choose from. Each of them has different purposes. Before you install a ramp, make sure to consider the following details.
Location where your ramp will be installed
First thing to consider is the location where your ramp will be installed. It should be placed somewhere safe wherein other members of the family won’t be tripped off while it can be easily accessed by your loved ones. Remember that your ramp’s main purpose is to maintain their independence and increase their mobility.
Choice of Materials
It is important that you consider what material you will use or buy when installing ramp. When your ramp will be permanently installed outside your house, choose durable materials like concrete and steel. Rubber and wood are good for indoor use butrubber ramp is better for shower and comfort room.
Design Specifications
Upon knowing the location and materials of your ramp, considering design specifications is also necessary to avoid unwanted accidents. Think of the accurate measurements and determine the slope, height, and width of your ramp. Usually, ramp has the following specifications: slope not steeper than 1:12, width not less than of 36 inches, and height not more than 30 inches.
Final Thought
Having wheelchair ramp at home makes your day-to-day life easier and more convenient. Your loved ones can independently move around the house and do simple things that can bring entertainment to them without getting hurt. It can bring significant impact to the life of the elderly when they are able to live normally even at their golden age. Finally, when you do not have this yet at home, it is good to consider those things written above for safety purposes. Check out SeniorCare for their range of wheelchair ramps.
It’s great that you talked about wheelchair ramps and how they help your loved one’s mobility access. Recently, my sister and I decided we’d like to help improve our parent’s house. Our dad started to use a wheelchair not so long ago, so we believe a ramp would be a nice addition! Thanks for the information on how a ramp improves our loved one’s life quality.
My grandma started using wheelchair for him to be able to move and go wherever he wants. Ramps helps individual who lost their mobility to help do the things that they wanted to do to avoid depression.