The life of a senior may be considered as staying home and taking rest. They have less mobility and may be unable to move here and there. But staying at a long home can also be a reason for mental illness. So the movement from home should be easy and safe. There may be stairs to link the yard at their home, but this can be a bit risky and cause slip and fall for elderly people. So a ramp, also named a wheelchair ramp, can be a good option either for easy movement or for taking them out from home instantly to the hospital.
Seniors can have a more independent life, and they can be safe when they have a wheelchair ramp. But it is costly to install a wheelchair ramp, and so many limited-income seniors may not afford to install that wheelchair ramp. So, many organizations feel the need for a wheelchair ramp to ensure they can safely live at home. The emergency responders may also use this wheelchair ramp as easy access in any emergency. So we are going to discuss a lot of issues wheelchair ramps program for homes for free.
Content Outline
Purposes Of Ramp Program
The seniors are the exceptional people who need special needs at home. They have less physical energy and need to access their mobility issues. A ramp is also a special need for them. It is a sloping way and plane pavement that is used to move and use the wheelchair to get them down and get them up to the house. The ramp links one level to another for smooth movement of the wheelchair. It is very difficult to get them down without a ramp structure as the stairs may be a bit risky. There is a chance of falling and slipping on the stair without any ramp. The ramp design and structure include adding some steps, fixing a handrail, stabilizing loose railings, replacing rotted landings, and setting and replacing plumbing.
Importance Of Ramp For Seniors
It is common to believe that seniors have less physical capability to move compared to young. But the movement should not always be limited because there is an emergency. Not that emergency, they want an independent moving feature at their home. This Ramp is one of the big needs for seniors that can make them able to move easily. So there are some benefits of ramp for seniors that are described below.
- When the seniors need more frequent medical care like doctor’s visits and other frequent treatment like dialysis, it is sure to come out of their home. A ramp such as a sloping or plane way of walking and a roadway leading from one level to another can be risk-free and smooth.
- Surely the seniors need free and independent movement, but the stair getting them down from their homes may be a problem. As they have less mobility and energy, they may face slips and falls that can make them suffer in the long run. So a ramp can be worth ensuring more mobility and more enjoyment through daily activities.
- Mental peace is a good treatment for seniors, but this may be limited when there is no smooth getting out of the home. Surely a ramp can help them come out from the home easily and meet with friends and other people. This can be a way to make them happy as well.
- There is so many social services program that they may need to attend. Surely a ramp can make them easy access to those social services. This can enable them to stay connected in the community.
- A ramp is needless to say that it is an urgent need for the senior people. The seniors may fall into severe sickness and the first responders may need to take them out of the home. If there is a ramp, then the senior can be taken easily, and they get admitted to the nearest hospital.
The Average Cost Of A Wheelchair Ramp
As it has been clear that a ramp or wheelchair ramp can make the life of seniors safer and more secure in terms of health and safety. But the seniors may feel the need of thinking to get it. But it is important to let you know that the cost of such a need comes with a little bit high amount. A professionally-built wheelchair ramp may cost between $1015 to $3181 but this can come on average by $2079. In addition to this, the cost comes based on linear foot, which is expected to pay between $100 and $250 per linear foot. The cost may be covered for the concrete ramp as well. The cost may vary according to the materials to be used for the structure and the price of the labor.
Places To Get Funding For Ramp Wheelchair
As discussed above, low-income seniors may not afford to go such a big amount for funding ramp wheelchairs. This is really going to be a large financial undertaking for some low-income families and seniors. So they may start to think about how this can be managed and covered for such urgent needs. So they may go searching for some program that can help them with assistance.
Medicare
Medicare is a health insurance program for low-income seniors who are 65 years or older. There are two important parts of Medicare and these are Part A which covers hospital insurance and Part B covers medical insurance. Wheelchair ramps may fall under the need for durable medical equipment that may be covered by Part B. A wheelchair ramp may not be reimbursable like a wheelchair but there is a need for a wheelchair for the seniors. When your physician is going to prescribe it as medically necessary, then you may seek assistance from Medicare. This may be possible to get financial assistance through Medicare plans as well. There may be also additional coverage as plans which private insurers offer. You may check out a private insurance agent specifically about Medicare’s advantage.
Medicaid
Medicaid is another federal and state program that helps with health care costs for low-income people. Medicaid may be an option to go for a funding wheelchair ramp. For this, you as a senior may seek regular Medicaid and home and community-based services waivers. When your health provider prescribes a wheelchair ramp as medically necessary, then a wheelchair ramp can be covered with Medicaid. But it may be difficult for such needs as medically necessary but Medicaid may be an option for an HCBS waiver. It is important to check out your state program if Medicaid waivers are paying for the cost of ramps.
Non-profit organization
A non-profit organization always comes forward for the betterment of the seniors. So many non-profit organizations in the community aim to eliminate the suffering of the people. They provide food, clothes, rent assistance, emergency shelter, and many more. As part of this, Habitat for safe seniors, Ability Experiences, and Rebuilding together are working to provide assistance to the different needs of the seniors. When you are thinking that a ramp can make a difference in your life, you reach such non-profit organizations and other organizations as well.
Assistance for Veterans
When you are a veteran, you may try to apply through TRICARE for Life to supplement Medicare Part B. this can help you pay the remaining 20% of co-payments not covered by Medicare. Another option can be the Veteran-Directed Home and Community-Based Services Program. It is designed to make sure the seniors can get assistance who are candidates for assisted living settings and need to get the same level of care in their own homes.
Habitat For Safe Seniors Free Ramp Program
Habitat for Safe Seniors highly is an organization that understands the safety of seniors. This organization is dedicated to repairing unsafe conditions in the homes of seniors who are elderly and physically challenged. The organization works on donations and support from the volunteers that are working to eliminate the dangerous situation in both home and surroundings. A home without a ramp can be a dangerous situation and it is considered one of the needs for eliminating hazards and risks for the seniors. There may be slip and fall at any moment when there is no ramp structure at their home.
Habitat for Safe Senior provides assistance to all persons who are especially 55 years of age and older. There are different programs of Habitat for Safe Seniors that include home repairs and structural modification, Yard help and yard maintenance, general clean up, and Weekend food delivery and food pantry.
So Habitat for safe Seniors has also a program it Provides free handicapped ramps and wheelchair ramps for seniors who feel the need for a ramp. Additionally, they don’t afford to go to such a need due to a little bit higher budget.
How this works: there are volunteers who help build free wheelchair ramps at their locations and home. To provide such assistance, there is a site visit first by the Habitat for Safe Seniors Free ramp program to make an assessment of the seniors’ home assessment. If the assessment explains that the home is posed to risk and injury for not having any ramp, then a free ramp wheelchair is installed there. Before that, there is a calculation of the estimated cost and labor and equipment for building the ramp. Surely after installing a ramp at their home, they can see their movement easier than before because it is much safer and more secure. More importantly, the seniors are not going to face any unwanted accidents and they are able to get out of their homes quickly and safely.
Other Programs Of Wheelchair Ramps For Homes Free
Habitat for Safe Seniors is an organization that highly feels the need for safety and security for senior people. For this, they go to install such big structural needs of the seniors’ house. Additionally, there are more programs from other organization that also go with home repair and modifications so that their life becomes risk-free and safe.
Rebuilding Together
Rebuilding Together is a leading national non-profit organization that works in safety and healthy housing with more than 40 years of experience. This organization also helps with home modification and safety improvements for veterans and other individuals. There are wheelchair chair ramp installation, handrails, outdoor lighting, and other safety home modification to make sure the people can have a safer life. So the seniors may go with rebuilding together and seek if there is any program available in terms of wheelchair ramp installation according to other locations.
Ability Experience
The Ability Experiences is the philanthropic initiative of the Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity that is working to help empower people living with disabilities. There are grants for installing wheelchair ramps for low-income families so that they can get wheelchair ramps to make their life easy and moveable. So you may check out the website of their organization and know if there is any program available in your location.
Read More: Free Roof Repair For Seniors And Low Income Families
Frequently Asked Questions
So there are some questions we have listed to answer to make sure you can know more about wheelchair ramps. This can give more information in terms of a wheelchair ramp.
How can you keep the elderly safe in their home?
There are so many steps to follow to keep the elderly safe. Part of this, it is important to make sure hallways, stairs and paths are well lit and free from objects. A wheelchair ramp can be an important option when their movement poses risk to fall and slip. More importantly, their yard should be neat and clean as well. They need to use rails and banisters while going up and down the stairs.
What services do local agencies provide for senior citizens?
There are different services from the local agencies for senior citizens. This may vary according to their need as well. These include adult day care, caregiver program, financial assistance, home health services, home repairs, and modification and wheelchair ramp as part, long-term care program, and many more.
What is the correct slope for a wheelchair ramp?
There is a measurement of slope in terms of a wheelchair. The maximum slope for a hand-propelled wheelchair can be 1” of rising to every 12” of length. The maximum slope for power chairs can be 1.5” rise to 12” in length. Then the minimum width comes normally by 36” indeed. But there may be more measurements according to the size and setup of the homes.
Final Verdict
The senior’s life is also important as a young person; they want to live well and better at this age and for the rest of their lives. Part of this, it is important to take care of them in so many ways. There is also an organization that comes forward to feel the need for any assistance as well. Surely a wheelchair ramp can be an important need but it is not possible to go alone for this task. So Habitat for Safe Seniors and other organizations stand beside them to ensure they can live well and better. So you may study and research the program of a wheelchair ramp according to your location. Then you should explain how a wheelchair ramp can make a big difference in your life and surely you can get assistance from them.