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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!

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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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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HappyGarden Nov 5, 2024
Yes, we can’t make it gentle enough for someone to wheel themselves but it’s within recommended range for someone to be pushed. And the platform where we turn her will be 6 feet.
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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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HappyGarden Nov 5, 2024
This is similar to our layout though we have a one car garage. We don’t park in it because it’s really tight (even our Honda civic barely fits).
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You might consider renting one
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HappyGarden Nov 5, 2024
I have rented one before in emergency circumstances after she had a fall. We could not get her out of the house and she did not want an ambulance because we wanted to admit her to a rehab facility of our choosing from home (not an easy process to admit to rehab from home instead of a hospital but it was important to me to avoid certain facilities). Anyway, it was expensive and also broken. Because it was an emergency we improvised and made it work but even though I documented the problem the rental company claimed we broke it and tried to make us pay $$$ for it. With a lot of phone calls I got out of that. But I’m not eager to deal with a rental company again!
We really need something semi permanent so she can visit casually. Originally I wanted something portable but couldn’t find something that fit our space well. And after more thought I realized I really want something semi permanent so that we don’t have to prepare for her visits. I’m stretched so thin and she is so frail it needs to be as easy and low risk as possible!
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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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HappyGarden Nov 5, 2024
This is what we ended up doing! The same contractor who fixed our deck. Much more affordable than the metal ones which are in the $3k range. It will be semi permanent - solid enough it won’t move but not drilled into the concrete. So it can be removed if necessary.
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HappyGarden: Perhaps you can get a portable wheelchair ramp.
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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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Hi all.
Just an update. The portable wheelchair ramps would not work with our layout. We have a curved front walk and our garage door is perpendicular to the house entry so a straight ramp is out. Our favorite contractor is building us wooden ramp in our garage. The best grade we can do (and still be able to close the garage door) is 1:10 which is in range to push someone in a chair (too steep for someone to wheel themselves). Mom uses a walker but cannot do inclines so we will push her in her chair.
I’m thrilled he will be able to finish it before Thanksgiving and we can have her over more often! She has not visited since June when she had a near fall stepping down our front step. I also ordered her a recliner so she can be more comfortable and relaxed during visits.
I’m hopeful this will improve her quality of life by having more contact with family AND help me balance my time better. As it is now, I visit her regularly but it’s a separate sphere from my family (I have 2 young kids). She is stressed when they visit her space so I don’t bring them often. It can be hard to devote two hours to a Sunday visit when my kids also need me. I feel torn in two. Now I will be able to bring her here more often and chat while making dinner, doing crafts, etc. and it will help bring those spheres together.
Thanks all for the input!
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Geaton777 Nov 5, 2024
Thanks for the update and glad you have a solution!

Since my family also went through struggles getting my not-very-mobile MIL into our house for holidays using a wheelchair, the next hurdle was her using the tiny bathroom, the only one on our main floor. Not only did it not allow her wheelchair, but the walker didn't fit in there, either. Even though my MIL wore incontinence briefs, she was not incontinent for BMs, so she was very distressed to not be able to use the bathroom for this and that's when she stopped wanting to come to our house at all. Just saying, in case this might be something to consider.
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