In January, my 86-year-old mother fell and injured her right leg. To get back and forth to the doctor, x-rays, MRIs and other scans, we had to get her up and down 3 steps from our manufactured home in Florida.
For the first few trips, we had a real difficult time getting her out to the car. She had to - slowly and painfully - slip from the rented wheelchair, down onto a foot stool next to the door. From there she lowered herself down to the doorsill. Then down to the first step. I would then take the wheelchair around through the back door, locking the house on the way out, get her up from the step into the wheelchair and then out to the car. It would take 20-25 minutes for the transfer from the house to the car because of her pain.
It took the doctor 10 days to determine she had a hairline fracture and would have to be in a wheelchair for 6 weeks. Three weeks into the recovery, after putting all her weight on the left leg to get in and out of the wheelchair, she had a compression fracture in the left leg which added an additional 3 weeks to her recovery time.
Two weeks into this horrible episode, my son came down from Georgia and built us a temporary ramp. It consists of two troughs that attach to the door sill. Eventually, we'll be moving and put in a permanent ramp at our new location, but this arrangement got us through the few appointments we had while she was unable to walk.
Picture 1
I really like this ramp because I can push the wheelchair up and bring it down (backwards, of course) while I'm standing on flat ground. I don't have to get on a step which could be difficult or even risky. Since mom only weighs 100 lbs, it works well for me on the few occasions when I have to use it.
CAUTION: This was just a temporary, limited use method for getting our wheelchair in and out of the house. It is not meant for permanent use, power chairs, or walking. I wouldn't even suggest it for anyone over 150 lbs or so. If you need a permanent ramp, see the heading Ramp Building Manual below. You will need to know the regulations for your state, get permits, etc.
Because of the size of our screen room and the space from the end of the ramp to our carport just outside, I was limited to an 8' 2x8 board with a 2x4 on each side to prevent the wheelchair from going off track. My son first cut 45-degree angles, downward at each end to make it easier to get the wheelchair up onto the troughs. He drilled keyhole openings in existing screw holes in a bracket that he attached to the top of the trough. The screws are permanently in the doorsill. I just open the door, lift the bracket into place over the screws and go. The screws and the weight of the three heavy boards keep it tightly in place. See Picture 2.
Picture 2. Trough top with connections.
RAMP BUILDING MANUAL
There is a lot of information on wheelchair ramps on the Internet but this one I found particularly helpful. It is from a project in Minnesota. http://www.wheelchairramp.org/ Ramps were built by volunteers for people who needed help but what I found most interesting is that the idea was for non-permanent installations. The idea that the ramps could be removed and moved to a new location when the handicapped person moved, or stored for use by others in the future was intriguing.
The manual can be viewed online page by page or downloaded. It covers determining landscape grades, ramp slopes, landings, turning corners, length, material lists and construction instructions. There is also a section on finding out about requirements and permits where you live. There are photos and drawings to help you. It gives the best overview I've found.
This will be my starting point when we get settled in a new house. I like the idea of knowing enough about a project like this that we can make an informed decision when we hire someone to make a ramp for us. The knowledge could potentially save us a lot of money.
Take Care,
Kathy
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