One entryway step is creating huge headaches. The last time we returned home from the hospital I had to hire professional medical transport just to get her past this one 5" step. So, I just bought a Drive suitcase ramp. It fits, but I won't fully trust it until I've practiced, and obviously I'm not going to practice with my mother.
Realistically, am I likely to be able to push her in a transfer chair up a 4 foot ramp across a 5 inch threshold? (I weigh about 100 and she weighs maybe 125; I could call in my 85-pound sister for spot help but not pushing.)
My web research said that ADA requires 5 feet (1 foot per inch of threshold) but 3 feet is sufficient. So I went with four feet (only partly to save money; I'd like the ramp to double as access to her patio, where the threshold is just 1 inch.)
But for the garage (where we have the 5" threshold) I'm wondering if the incline will be too steep for a lightweight drugstore transfer chair.
Does anyone have any experience with suitcase ramps and transfer chairs that might allow them to address my concerns about the incline?
Try wheeling yourself up the ramp.
Load the chair with a bag of salt for your water softener, or a few bags of kitty litter.
that should give you an idea if you can "trust the ramp"
(you talk about trusting the ramp, you should have seen me prop the ramp on one end of my friends pick up truck, the other end of the ramp on my deck and she and I pushed a dolly with 2 piece dresser into her truck. That was a sight to see!)
The ramp that I had built in my garage was much steeper than what you are describing. Had I gone by ADA guidelines the ramp would have taken up the entire garage wrapping around 2 1/2 walls. My Husband was 6'4" and 275 when I was getting him out and about. (granted and sad to say I have not seen 100 pounds myself since I was in grade school!🤣)
Thanks for the encouraging reply. I'll set a reminder to report back on what OT/PT say and how my early practice sessions go. Thanks again!
By the way you can also put a rug or mat near any threshold by a door if it is difficult to get over. I have doors in this house where the threshold is a bit difficult to get the wheel of a chair over, so I got rug pieces and put them by the door. (It changed a 2 inch threshold to a 1 inch one, much easier to get a chair over)
By the way BACK a chair over a door threshold don't push the chair over it. Much easier to go over a "bump" backwards. And I found it safer to back the chair down the ramp. If I was pushing him down the ramp and lost control he would have smashed into the railing, backing down I had more control)
I tried the ramp on the 1" threshold. I rolled mom backwards on the way down. For the return trip I tried forward but had some trouble getting the wheels onto the ramp (felt like I was deadlifting). The transfer-chair caster wheels are presumably part of the issue. So the return trip was also backwards but safe given the length of the ramp and slow incline.
It was good to be able to get her out in the sun for a little while
Will report back on the 5" threshold.