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Hello! You all were so helpful when I was looking for support after helping my mom move into assisted living. Her mobility has decreased and she is no longer able to come to our house to visit because we have 2 steps - one to the front stoop and another into the front door. I’d like to put a wheelchair ramp in our garage so she can come in that way safely. Since this is not her primary residence, am I correct this is not a purchase Medicare will assist with?We are thinking of hiring a contractor to build something for us out of wood since the metal ramps are so expensive. The ramp would stay sheltered within our garage. Any tips for finding building plans or other solutions I’m not thinking of? Thanks!

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How high and long do you need the ramp to be? There are portable ones that work well. Amazon has a lot.

We used one for my husband to get in and out through the garage, which was just a single step up. Many have adjustable back legs so can be used for step-ups of varying heights, which is the type we used, like this one: https://www.amazon.com/EZ-ACCESS-24-Transitions-Transfer-Wheelchairs/dp/B00TZAYWIM/

Others rest on the top step, e.g. https://www.amazon.com/Ruedamann-Threshold-Wheelchair-Handicaps-Wheelchairs/dp/B086YMSPJM/ This one comes in varying sizes which can be used for various height ranges.
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Reply to newbiewife
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HappyGarden Oct 3, 2024
Thank you for sharing those links! I was planning to do an L shaped ramp because of the orientation of the garage and the door but we might be able to make something simpler work.
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You can find portable wheelchair ramps on amazon.com and at Home Depot
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AlvaDeer Oct 3, 2024
I am so glad to hear these exist. This can't be an unusual request. Thanks, Geaton.
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The length and degree of slope needed to make a ramp ADA compliant are not necessarily needed in a home ramp, because they are meant to assure a person can easily propel themselves up (and down) using a manual wheelchair, and that any turns are large enough to accommodate every kind of chair and scooter; if you would be pushing the chair all you need to consider is your own capability.
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Reply to cwillie
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Medicare does not do something like this. And if Mom may need Medicaid in the future, she cannot pay for it.

My GFs parents put a ramp in their garage for her when she visited. They lived in a rancher and the 2 car garage was on the right end looking at the front. The kitchen door was on the left when you entered the garage. The ramp ran up the side of the left wall. The height was even with the door entrance. A hand rail was placed on the right side of the ramp. Hope this gives u an idea.
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Reply to JoAnn29
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You might consider renting one
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Reply to Plymouth
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I would think you could find a contractor or a handyman who could build a ramp for you pretty easily. Look for someone who builds decks, for instance. My mom needed one when she broke her hip to get up the two-three steps from the garage of her townhome. There was another resident of the development who was moving to a nursing home who had had a ramp built so she was able to use that one. And when she, in turn, moved to her independent living apartment and sold her townhouse, the HOA president took the ramp back and put it in storage for the next person who needed it. I’d recommend a portable one rather than built in, so it can be removed when you sell the house if the buyer doesn’t want it.
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Reply to iameli
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HappyGarden: Perhaps you can get a portable wheelchair ramp.
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Reply to Llamalover47
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If I remember correctly, the slope needs to be 2 foot of length for 1 foot of height. I would opt for a less steep incline to help with pushing her "uphill."
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