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Home Elevators: Your Residential Elevator Solution!
Posted by: | CommentsHome Elevators are great – if you have space for them! If you are considering installing an elevator in your home, you’ll want to weigh factors like cost, space requirements, effect on the value of your home, and electricity usage against the convenience a home elevator will provide.
To install a home elevator, you’ll need a vertical space for the shaft to pass through each level of your home. This may work out well if you have an open stairway, a closet that you could convert to an elevator entry, or a floor plan that lends itself well to cutting through the floor in each level of the home that the elevator will pass through.
Space Requirements: To have an elevator with 3′ x 4′ of clear space inside, you’ll need a shaft that is cut approximately 54″ x 58″ and you’ll need to allow 3′ in front for the door to swing open. Under the shaft you’ll need a 12″ pit with 9″ of reinforced concrete and a 3′ 10″ x 4′ 7″ machine room adjacent to the cab to house the motor, electric supply and phone cord which will be used to operate the elevator./
As you can see, installing a home elevator can be quite an undertaking, but for the right type of home the space and money the installation of such an apparatus requires can still be a good investment. For those working with a more modest budget or who just need a straight forward elevator solution for themselves or their wheelchair, installing a simple track-guided stair lift or platform lift may be a more practical solution than a home elevator.
Home Elevator Providers
Stair Lifts – By AmeriGlide, Summit, and Acorn. The perfect way to travel the levels of your house when climbing the steps is too cumbersome. Each is designed for homeowner installation with prices starting at $1999.
Residential Home Elevators – Vertical Platform Lifts are the perfect, affordable home elevator solution! Perfect for a side door wheelchair lift or anywhere inside or outside your home or office.
Have You Tried The SilverGlide Stair Lift?Outdoor Vacations for the Handicapped
Posted by: | CommentsPlanning outdoor vacations for the handicapped poses a few problems. Obstacles encountered outdoors by people of limited mobility vary greatly.
Users of manual wheelchairs can encounter serious problems, especially on rural paths. Although wheelchairs are permitted in the same places as pedestrians, there is no guarantee the terrain will be suitable for them. In many outdoor environments you must be prepared to encounter obstructions such as fallen trees, uneven, muddy or overgrown surfaces, cross slopes, steep hills, steps and narrow paths. Many wheelchair users have problems on anything steeper than a 1:40 slope, while stronger and more ambitious wheelchair users could cope with 1:20 or steeper. Surfaces should ideally be flat, smooth and reasonably hard, with a minimum of cross slopes and loose stones, especially on corners or where the path is raised.
If you’re considering an outdoor vacation with a handicapped companion, a special all-terrain wheelchair may be a good investment. Powered wheelchairs designed for street use also have problems on many off-road paths. Three-wheeled battery-powered all-terrain mobility scooters designed for use on more rugged routes widen the options, but these can be expensive and will still encounter problems with turnstiles or gates, steps, and narrow or blocked paths.
People with limited mobility are also likely to require other facilities such as regular rest stops which for wheelchairs should be level; accessible toilets; suitable parking spaces at the start of a walk which may need to be wide enough for wheelchair use; or accessible public transportation.
The lack of off-road routes that are easily accessible is made worse by the lack of detailed information about the physical features of paths. When information about wheelchair accessibility of paths is available, people with limited mobility can decide for themselves if a particular route is within their ability, either by themselves or with a companion, but without the information it is difficult to set off on a camping vacation with confidence.
Thankfully some local authorities and other organizations that provide for walking and outdoor recreation are at last starting to take wheelchair vacationers’ accessibility seriously. Some local organizations concerned with walking and the outdoors now provide routes and trails that have been specially adapted to make them more accessible, and are providing more detailed information about accessibility at other routes and sites. Some country parks and other countryside sites have mobility scooters for loan, and may be able to arrange special assistance for visitors with disabilities.
Have You Tried The SilverGlide Stair Lift?What is a TENS Unit?
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TENS (Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation) is a method of electrical stimulation used to relieve post-operative, acute and chronic pain. The TENS unit consists of a small machine with controls, connected by lead wires to electrode pads. When turned on, the unit delivers a tingly, buzzing sensation to the area under the electrodes. It is thought that this sensation works with your body’s natural systems to alleviate pain and the way the unit is used may depend on the type of pain the patient experiences.
The electricity sent out from the TENS unit causes your body to release natural pain killers called endorphins. The presence of endorphins in the blood stream prevents the pain signals from reaching the brain. Most units operate in two modes, a burst or pulse mode for chronic or low-level pain and a constant mode for acute short lived pain. The device is easily available in the market. Price ranges from $100 to $150 depending on whether you go in for analog or digital version. Apart from the basic unit there are various accessories such as gloves, electrode rubber, charger and conductive gel that you may need to invest in.
A device like a TENS unit should be used only under the continued supervision of a physician. Remember TENS does not cure the ailment; it is just a symptom-based treatment which suppresses the pain sensation. Many people take the treatment because no drugs are involved. But nevertheless, it does have a few side effects. The most common complaint is an allergic type skin reaction (experienced by about 2% of patients) and this is almost always due to the material of the electrodes, the conductive gel or the tape employed to hold the electrodes in place.
There have been many contradictory reports on the effectiveness of TENS. Some authenticate its working; others have found no relation on usage and lessening of pain sensation.
It is also important to note that TENS devices can affect the operation of demand type cardiac pacemakers. It is not recommended for patients with known heart disease to begin electrical therapy without physical evaluation of their risk factors. Further, it is important to knowledgeably apply the power of the device. Do not stimulate over the eyes or carotid sinus nerves. Also, electrodes should NOT be placed in a manner which allows current to flow trans-cerebrally (through the head).
Have You Tried The SilverGlide Stair Lift?Motivation For Women In Wheelchairs
Posted by: | CommentsMany years ago, life was more difficult for women in wheelchairs because of social astigmatism. But these days, a woman in a wheelchair can still feel bad about having to use a scooter to get around in her life. If this sounds like you, read the following three motivation tips below, and start enjoying your life in a chair more!
First of all, it’s important for anybody in a wheel chair not to fall victim to society’s role model of the “perfect woman.” These beliefs are fueled by publishing companies and the industry bent on selling more clothes and personal beauty products to women, and simply don’t apply to a woman in a wheelchair, or anyone else for that matter. If you are a woman who uses a wheelchair, take charge of this emotion right now and see it for it is: a ploy to sell products!
Next, any woman who is in a wheelchair should be able to see that society’s feelings about scooters and other medical necessities have changed over the years. It used to be a social taboo, but now more and more disabled women in wheelchairs are making an impact on our society. If you are a woman who exhibits confidence and a true belief in who you are, other people will be less likely to see your wheelchair, and look at you instead. I know a married couple who both have cerebral palsy and live in wheelchairs. The wife is very active as a disability lobbyist at her state capital, an artist who paints with her hand which she has only marginal control over, and she serves on the church council, too. A lot of progress has been made in the way society views people in wheelchairs, but there’s still plenty of work to be done in helping people change their attitudes. As a woman in a wheelchair you have a unique opportunity to help be a very visible force for that change. Think of yourself as a role model in your own right.
Men and women in wheelchairs have a better lifestyle possible for them today than at any other point in history. The availability of electric wheelchairs and scooters, the accessibility of buildings with ramps and elevators, and the improving societal attitudes toward disabled people mean that your life as a person will be more enjoyable in a wheeled chair. Take advantage of the modern conveniences available to wheelchair users! If you didn’t use a scooter, you would likely be more tired, or take the risk of tripping or falling. Because of this, many women simply don’t do many activities that they might otherwise enjoy. So, choose be a woman who rides in a chair and gets out to enjoy life, rather than letting other people’s views or opinions keep you from it!
Have You Tried The SilverGlide Stair Lift?Should You Consider the Invacare Zoom 400 or another mobility scooter?
Posted by: | CommentsThe Invacare Zoom 400 is one of the latest models of electric scooters to come in the market for disabled people. Power operated vehicles (POV’s) of this type are sometimes recommended by doctors for people with a disability who can move about at home but need help when moving outside. Recently many power vehicles have come in the market, varying in size, cost, features and technology used. The Zoom 400 is a heavy duty electric scooter which combines the power wheelchair technology of center-wheel drive with scooter aesthetics for indoor performance and outdoor maneuverability. It moves effortlessly over grass, gravel, carpet, or tiles. The Zoom 400 has a carrying capacity of up to 400 pounds and has a speed range of 5.5 mph. It can negotiate an incline of up to 8 degrees.
Once charged, the battery in the Invacare scooter will propel the scooter for about 18 to 23 miles depending on weight of the occupant and where it is being used. It comes with an onboard charger for easy maintenance. An interesting feature of the Invacare scooter is its 32 inches turning radius which allows the rider to maneuver in tight quarters. It comes with comfortable deluxe vinyl seats with beautifully carved contours and can swivel 360 degrees. The seat comes in various sizes to ensure proper comfort to the person seated. The Zoom 400 is available in deep blue or candy red. Precision controls ensure smooth operation and quick performance adjustments. The Zoom 400 scooter can be easily disassembled into four pieces for easy transport and storage with the weight of heaviest piece being only 53 pounds.
The starting price of the Invacare electric scooter is $2,895. Wheelchair accessories and optional equipment could cost a bit more. It comes with a warranty of 36 months on the frame, of 18 months on the electronics and 18 months for the transaxle. This powerful, versatile chair is a great one to put on your list of potential power wheelchairs to purchase.
Have You Tried The SilverGlide Stair Lift?