question-assisting with steps

nell · Regular Joined: 19 Aug 2007 Posts: 25 Location: Ohio

Hi all-
I was wondering if anyone would have a suggestion about how to assist my mom up steps. Im 5'6', mom is 5 10 and is heavier than I can lift. She would like to remain in her home for as long as she can, however, she has lost the strength in her legs and arms and can no longer climb the 7 steps up to her apt/condo. I am looking into renting a chair lift, but funds and time are limited. She starts her radiation on Tuesday and I would like to be able to bring her back to her home after each session. It was just yesterday that she lost her leg strengh completely or I would have looked into this problem sooner. Thanks,
Nell

In · Posted: Sat Sep 01, 2007 6:42 am Post subject: Re: question-assisting with steps

Hi, Nell
I' sorry about your mum. I haven't posted as i don't know much about that catagory of cancer. But just wanted you to know i'm thinking of you and your mum.

A friend of mine had a very simular problem and could not lift her dad. She also couldn't find the extra cash for a chair lift. But a close friend of her (handyman) made this pully kind of thing. Her Dad whould sit in this swing, and she would unclip a roap and it whould pull him up the stairs. she whould then wind in this wench thing and it would bring him to the landing.....It was pretty cool. (kind of like a flying fox thing) Anyway, all it took was the ropes, weights and a wnech.....oh, and the roof support bolts.

*shrug* anyway, maybe less hassel to move her down stairs or closer to bottom floor.

Hope it helped a little.

Inica
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brainman · Posted: Sat Sep 01, 2007 6:57 am Post subject: Re: question-assisting with steps

Nell, I am truly sorry about your mother's condition. I do have two suggestions:

1. Ask one of her doctors to write a medical order for a home health care agency to come assess your mother's needs. Like hospices, I have found home health cares to be very helpful.

2. Do think about renting a hospital bed and placing it somewhere downstairs. This will make it a lot easier on your mother and on you because she can have access to her bed and anything else that is downstairs even when you are away. The only catch is: Is there anything up stairs that she will need access to (like a bathroom)?

Best wishes.
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nell · Regular Joined: 19 Aug 2007 Posts: 25 Location: Ohio

Thanks Inca and Jim. We are waiting for medicare to start. Once it does, transportation assistance will be provided. We should only have a week or two to wait. In the mean time, my sister had a great idea. She called the local police dept. today and asked them if there was any help available in my mom’s area. They said that the local fire dept. offers “lift assistance” all the time. All you have to do is call them. Maybe this info will help someone else that is in the same situation. My mom’s apt. is on the second floor, so unless we tell one of the bottom floor neighbors to “move over” Wink

, mom’s only other choice was to move out of her home. We signed up for Hospice care Two days ago. They are waiting for our medicare info and then they will be a great help. I asked if we could have a wheel chair and one was delivered two hours later. Wow.
Nell

In · Posted: Sun Sep 02, 2007 4:55 am Post subject: Re: question-assisting with steps

Great to hear the good news. hehe Embarassed

We don't have anything like that here, other than hospice or hospital. that's why the rope advice.... Embarassed

And soooo much easier than become a rock climb expert. Razz

Thinking of you both. Inica.
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michelesmith · Experienced user Joined: 28 Oct 2005 Posts: 72

Nell,
I just want to say I am so glad that you are getting hospice involved early. That is probably one of our biggest regrets, that we waited before we got them involved. No one really told us about what all they could do for us. Once we got them involved it made life so much better for us all. They came in took the blood draws and did nurse checks so we didn't even have to get dad out for things like that. It wasn't part of their 'services' but they came out and built a ramp for us from mom's door down into the garage (I think it was 4 steps). That was a great life saver. There is no way we could get dad in and out without it. Hospice is one of the best 'secrets' in health care. We thought they were only there for 'end', but they were a wonderful resource that gave us so much support. I wish you the best.

Michele
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nell · Regular Joined: 19 Aug 2007 Posts: 25 Location: Ohio

Michele,
If it wasn’t for this site, I probably wouldn’t have called hospice. The info here is really helpful. My sister is going to call the apartment/condo association to have a handicap parking space put in for mom. This will be helpful too. How awesome that you had a ramp put in for your dad. I really want to be able to care for mom and not have to ever put her in a nursing home and with the help of hospice, it looks like I won’t have to.
Thanks for your well wishes.
Nell

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