Using a stair lift

tiger’smom

My spouse is in stage 6 Alzheimer’s and is having difficulty going up and down the steps. I already have a gait belt for her, but my decision is do we buy a stair lift to get her to our 2nd floor bedroom and bathroom, or, move her downstairs to the main floor? We only have a powder room on the first floor.

Has anyone bought a stair lift and would you recommend it?

I know they are expensive, but I’ve seen used ones for sale on FB Marketplace. Just trying to figure out if it’s worth the expense.

Beachfan

I can’t comment on the expense or the practicality of a chairlift based on experience. My first thought was of my DH’s progression. Everything we needed was on one floor and accessible- - wide doorways and walk in shower, etc. and yet maneuvering him for any activity eventually became an issue. ( My daughter bought a home in which there was a chairlift and I could NEVER have gotten him in it, even on a good day.). Although I thought I would keep him at home forever, that was not to be. He resided in a MCF for 17 months prior to passing and by the time he was placed, climbing stairs or using a chair lift was out of the question (for him, anyway). Others will offer advice based on experience. Whatever you choose, I commend you for thinking ahead in order to keep you DW at home. That was my plan; it did not materialize.

loveskitties

One thing you need to try to determine is if she will comply with the "rules" of being on the lift...keeping hands and feet in safe places, staying seat belted into the unit.

I know it is an expense, but you might be better off trying to upgrade your powder room or add a disability accessable bathroom on the first floor, unless at some point you expect to keep her only on the second floor.

tiger’smom

Thanks everyone, My spouses PT said he would not suggest for us to get a stair lift because of the reasons you suggested. He said we should just make our first floor our living space and I’ll just give my spouse sponge baths since we only have a powder room on the first floor.

We will have to have an outdoor ramp put in since there is at least 8 steps to get up to our house.

harshedbuzz

Is adding a shower out of the question? Once incontinence starts, having a shower for clean-up would be critical. Otherwise, perhaps you can add a heated bidet now in hopes that she'll become comfortable with it so that can be an option for cleanup.

I would look into a wheelchair lift in lieu of a ramp. ADA guidelines are 1' of ramp for each 1" of rise-- 8 x 8" steps would be over 60' long.

HB

gampiano

Hello.

I'm on the same page as tiger's mom. I was going to have a shower installed in the downstairs powder room, and now have changed my mind. We do sponge baths, rinse free disposable cloths, shampoo caps and dry shampoo. I did have an outlet installed near the toilet in case i decide to install a bidet/washlet. This can be really helpful, if your spouse will cooperate. I'm sure that mine won't, but id like it for my own personal use. My mom used a power chair which she loved, and eventually she slept in the chair as well. You might want to consider that, as it it a great aid from "sit to stand".

Sending you encouraging thoughts, we all need them.

Maureen

Ed1937

Someone just a few days ago said there was some kind of what I'd call a "portable shower" that could go next to the bed. I know nothing about them, but it might be more doable than running new drain lines. Maybe worth a Google search?

Whatever you come up with, I think some kind of shower is a must have at some time in the disease. Do you have a basement? If so, there might be a different option for drainage.

Jeff86

This issue is front and center for me. Yesterday, for the first time, DW was so weak on her feet that it wasn’t safe to bring her downstairs. This old high ceilinged house has 15 steps and two landings between the first and second floors. No bedrooms and only a small powder room on the first floor

I looked into a stairlift and decided against. I am pretty certain that my DW will be frightened by it and refuse to ride it. I’m likely to turn the dining room into a bedroom and my DW will live on the first floor. It’s not feasible to add a walk in shower. Sponge baths and wipes are the future we’re looking at. On balance, I think for us it’s the least bad solution. I will investigate further the portable shower that has been suggested here.

loveskitties

I am not affiliated with the following...just googled portable handicap shower.

https://liteshower.com/standard.html

Ed1937

Thank you for the link. It looks like it will do the job, but I would wonder about longevity. I don't think the price is bad as long as it holds up.

tiger’smom

We have two Tushy Bidets that attaches to our toilets. It’s not a heated bidet, but does the trick. We have one in our master bathroom on our second floor and another in our powder room on the first floor. We’re also thinking of turning our dining room into our bedroom. Will look into the portable handicap shower, thanks for the link.

tiger’smom

HB,

The ramp would be for the exterior so I could get my spouse in and out of the house.

harshedbuzz

https://alzconnected.org/discussion/comment/178004#Comment_178004

I understood that.

I just wanted you to understand the scope of what you are considering. Sixty feet of ramp will not only require a significant piece of property, but also extensive materials and labor costs and approval of any HARP, municipality and/or HOA involved. My lot is an acre, but I would probably regrade to bypass my 2 steps into the house as my HOA would fight me on decking material or steel. The house next door was built for a woman with MS; she had a raised walk installed to eliminate her single step.

I have a friend whose mom had dementia; she and her husband did new construction in order of accommodate mom's care in their home. They had a 2 1/2 acre lot and regraded the lot in the back which enabled them to take mom out of the car from the garage, and onto a ramp in the backyard (which also accessed a pergola and mom's garden) which ran to a deck and into their French doors.

HB

tiger’smom

Thanks HB. This ramp would be going from our back door into our yard so we don’t have to comply with any HOA’s since we live in a single family home. We have a contractor coming tomorrow to put in a railing for our exterior (front of our house) and from the first to the 2nd floor in our home. Will see what he says about putting in a ramp. My spouses PT told me they have ramps that are pre-assembled. So, will look into that as well. I appreciate your suggestions.

fayth

My spouse was at home until the last year of his life. We have an old home, with the bedrooms and bathroom upstairs as well as steps to enter the house. Around the time I was wondering about moving or making modifications to our home, he quickly became unable to walk at all and was bedbound. I made a room for him downstairs by installing curtain dividers, on spring loaded curtain rods. The bathroom was not an issue since he was incontinent by then and I was changing him. Bathing was sponge baths. Hospice was involved for those years and gave me much help and advice on how to care for him. I'm glad I didn't make expensive modifications to our home because they would not have helped much or for very long.

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toolbeltexpert

This is just my input on a ramp. My church decided to volunteer me to build a ramp for someone in the community who had a need. And following the Ada guidelines, I ended up making a ramp 48 feet long with a large landing in the middle. 1 inch per foot is an easy slope. Barring rain or snow of course.

tiger’smom

Thank you toolbeltexpert, Did you use wood to build the ramp?

tiger’smom

Thank you Victoria 2020. Our back yard is fenced in (wooden fence, 6 feet tall) and we also have camera’s.

We received one quote so far and it was quite expensive. We’re waiting to get other bids.