Features of Aluminum and Steel Wheelchair Ramps

Wheelchair ramps, commonly referred to as Handicap Ramps, are quite good when it comes to providing easy access places that are otherwise not quite easily accessible by someone on a mobility device. It could be due to steep stairs or escalators or elevators that are too small to fit in the wheelchair. Ramps are always a welcome sight for people who use wheelchairs or scooters or even walkers. Portable wheelchairs for stairs are widely used. In America alone, the estimated number of people dependent on wheelchairs for mobility was 2.2 million in 2016. About 6.5 million made use of canes, walkers, crutches or other support systems to move around. Thus, the importance of ramps cannot be overlooked.

These ramps are available in different sizes, materials such as wood, aluminum and steel. But which one is better for you depends on your requirement and budget. Every location is different from the other, which may give rise to design and measurement changes. But, it is essential for all of them to meet the ADA standards. Let’s look at few features of wheelchairs of steel and aluminum!

Aluminum Wheelchair Ramps

  • 100% maintenance free
  • Most durable and lighter weight
  • It offers amazing drainage of water or any other liquid
  • High level of traction for ensuring the best safety features
  • Color options are also available to complement style
  • It is an amazing pick for residential use

Steel Wheelchair Ramp

  • Attractive, heavy duty powder coated steel has a long warranty
  • Textured flooring protects from slip and falls and allows for immediate drainage
  • With its modular design, it can be modified as per any specification for your property
  • It has extra strength and durability
  • A perfect choice for, public or commercial use

If you are planning on investing in a wheelchair ramp you can pick the one you want as per your requirement. If a new one seems to be too heavy on your pocket, you can also buy used aluminum wheelchair ramps, which are easily available in the market.

5 Ways That Seniors Can Prevent Accidental Falls At Home

Falling at an advanced stage is not the same as falling in childhood or adulthood. If not taken care of, they can turn fatal with ensuing severe injuries. This makes it crucial that safety measures are in place to avoid or minimize accidents that can cause physical harm. Here are five ways you can minimize accidents at home:


Install Bars And Rails
These safety devices are crucial for climbing up or down. Getting them installed at bathroom, toilets or at the staircase gives that extra support to the elderly person to stand on and off the toilet, and stepping in and out of the bathtub without injuring yourself. Use steel rails or bars for longevity and firm grab.


Replace Lights With Motion Sensors Once
During winters when the days get shorter and the nights come faster, it is important to ensure visible and safe place for elderly person to walk. For this reason replace your old lights and consider installing motion-detecting lights for the exterior and interiors of your home. Getting up in the middle of the night and struggling in the dark increases the chance that a household item will get in your way. If you have vision or sight issues, this risk is increased significantly. With motion-sensing lights, you can easily see where those tricky spots are in the cold or dark mornings.


Install Residential Elevators
To ease out the problem of climbing stairs, prefer installing residential elevators. These can be customized to your needs and can easily fit in your existing home design. Look for best residential elevators for sale to save more and add more functionality to your house.


Declutter The House
Put on your gloves and do some cleaning in the house. You can achieve this by:
• Clearing the house of objects like extra lawn chairs.
• Clear the house of any clutter that you don’t need or that’s restricting smooth walking in the house.
• Move items from the stairs and landing.


Take the time for fall cleaning and removing any extraneous items that could cause trips.

Avoid Wearing Loose Clothes
Wearing oversized shirts, jackets, sweaters and loose pants may be comfortable, but they can also cause a fall. Loose clothing is prone to getting caught on everything from door handles and grips to branches and table edges. Prefer buying fitted clothes for them to avoid any chances of trips or fall.
If you’re looking for residential elevators, consider elevators by Independent Living solutions. Visit our showroom to take a glance of our collection.

Tips to Overcome the Unusual Fear of Stairs (Bathmophobia)

Similar to climacophobia, or the fear of climbing stairs or slopes, bathmophobia is a relatively complicated phobia that is often seen in both children and adults. People with bathmophobia tend to panic at even the mere sight of a staircase or when simply observing a steep slope. This fear can be overwhelming, leading many individuals to try to avoid using stairs or slopes altogether. However, with the right strategies and support, it is possible to overcome bathmophobia and regain control. In this article, we will provide you with practical tips and techniques to help you conquer your fear of stairs.

Understand Bathmophobia:

  1. To start, it’s important to gain a deeper understanding of bathmophobia and how it manifests in individuals. Bathmophobia is a specific phobia characterized by an excessive and irrational fear of stairs or slopes. This fear can cause intense anxiety or panic attacks when confronted with stairs or even the mere thought of them. People with bathmophobia may experience heightened fear and avoidance behaviors, such as choosing to avoid stairs or steep slopes altogether.

Gradual Exposure:

  1. One effective technique for overcoming bathmophobia is gradual exposure. Begin by slowly exposing yourself to stairs in a controlled and comfortable manner. Start with visual exposure, such as looking at pictures or videos of stairs, then progress to physically being near stairs without having to climb them. Gradually increase your exposure, taking small steps towards interacting with stairs, and celebrate each accomplishment along the way.

Relaxation Techniques:

  1. Practice relaxation techniques to manage the anxiety that arises from bathmophobia. Deep breathing exercises, meditation, and progressive muscle relaxation can help calm your mind and body in anxiety-provoking situations. Learning to regulate your breathing and relax your muscles can assist in reducing the overall fear response.

Seek Professional Help:

  1. Consider seeking professional help from a therapist or counselor experienced in treating phobias. Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is a common approach that can help you identify and challenge negative thought patterns related to stairs. A therapist can guide you through exposure therapy, gradually exposing you to stairs while providing support and guidance.

Support System:

  1. Building a strong support system is crucial in overcoming bathmophobia. Share your fear with trusted friends or family members who can provide encouragement and accompany you during exposure exercises. Their presence and understanding can offer reassurance and make the process feel less overwhelming.

Set Realistic Goals:

  1. Set realistic goals for yourself as you work towards overcoming your fear of stairs. Break down the process into manageable steps, gradually increasing the difficulty level. Celebrate your achievements, no matter how small, and don’t be discouraged by setbacks. Progress may take time, but with perseverance, you can overcome bathmophobia.

Overcoming bathmophobia may require patience and determination, but it is possible to regain control and live a life free from the constraints of this fear. By understanding bathmophobia, gradually exposing yourself to stairs, practicing relaxation techniques, seeking professional help, and building a support system, you can make significant progress in conquering your fear and embracing a newfound sense of independence. Remember, you are not alone, and with the right tools and support, you can overcome bathmophobia and thrive.

5 Points to Consider Before Purchasing a Power Lift Chair

If getting up and down from a sofa or chair is not as easy as it used to, buying a power lift chair may be the right move. Lift chairs are a great tool for individuals having trouble getting on and off the couch. By using an electric motor, the chairs can give the individual assistance to help prevent falls and other injuries. However, picking the perfect life chair in Denver, Colorado can be a big decision.   It includes an investment of a good amount of money, people look for a chair that is comfortable but also meets their needs.

  1. Reclining Features – Not all lift chairs can recline in the same positions. Some have 2, some have 3, and some have infinite positions. The models with infinite position have two motors to let the footrest move independent of the back portion. However, the lift chairs with ‘2 positions’ and ‘3 positions’ have as single motor which requires the backrest to recline to have the footrest slide out. ‘3 position’ chairs allow full recline whereas, ‘2 position’ reclines only to 45 degrees.
  2. Lift Chair Size – For proper accessibility and comfort, lift chairs are available in various sizes to match the user’s height and weight.
  • Petite/Small – Offers a limited reclining backrest with an elevating ottoman.
  • Medium – For users 5’4″  to 5’10” (375 lb. weight capacity)
  • Large – For users 5’11”  to 6’2″ (375 lb. weight capacity)
  • Tall – For users 6’12”  to 6’8″ (375 lb. weight capacity)
  • Wide/XL – For users needing a 2″ to 4″ wider seat, with a wide capacity of 500 lbs.
  • Heavy Duty/XXL – For users needing a 4″ wider seat, with a wide capacity of 600 lbs. to 700 lbs.

Purchasing a power lift chair after obtaining the height and approximate weight of the person for whom you are purchasing is always recommended.

  1. Lift Chair Covering – If the person you are purchasing for sweats a lot, then leather will not be a good idea. Is continence a problem? Cloth fabric out of the question. Therefore, choosing the covering material based on these conditions will help to keep lift chairs clean and in good condition for a long period of time.
  2. Lift and Frame – Almost lift chairs provide a lifting function; however, not in the same way. Some chairs don’t lift a person up high enough for them to stand with ease, which could especially be a problem for seniors with serious disabilities. To avoid such situation, find lift chairs in Denver, Colorado which have a smooth lifting feature and sturdy frame.
  3. Advanced Features – Some elders are not fans of technology; but, when it comes to lifting chairs, you need to look for something which has advanced features like heated and vibrating seats, cup holders, and more. These features can help to soothe age-related aches and pains, which in turn could help seniors reduce their risks of falls and get around easier than before.

All in all, there can be other aspects to consider. If you need help purchasing perfect lift chair in Denver, Colorado, simply reach out to us. At Independent Living Solutions, we offer affordable solutions to all mobility-related challenges.

Hydrotherapy Procedures That Help Relieve Joint Pain

The healing effects of water are accepted by the medical community for a considerable length of time. In ancient times, people used the relieving powers of natural hot springs. These days, we all long for a hot, scented bubble bath which relieves those niggling aches and pains. This is where hydrotherapy comes into the picture. It essentially implies the usage of water in a remedial manner and incorporates the use of both hot and cold water. When you submerge yourself in hot water, you get various medical advantages: your body temperature increases and you sweat. The skin’s pores open, blood vessels dilute, and blood is diverted to the skin, which gives the flushed, rosy-faced look. This perspiration procedure energizes the body’s toxic wastes to be wiped out through the open pores.

Physical Benefits Of Hydrotherapy

Hydrotherapy uses water massage by means of water jets directed onto your body. This kind of massage improves blood circulation and delivers more oxygen and nutrients to the soft tissues. The lymphatic system is also activated, boosting immune system. Meanwhile, massage on cellulite prone regions helps break down the fatty deposits.

Psychological Benefits Of Hydrotherapy

In a hydrotherapy treatment, another medical advantage is in the release of endorphins — the body’s common hormones which give us a feeling of well-being. Not just that, there are even psychological advantages to this incredible therapy, including stress relief and a spring clean of the mind which causes you to sleep well.

Hydrotherapy is regularly used by physiotherapists for patients with mobility issues and in rehabilitation. At the point when the patient sits in a hydrotherapy bath, the water buoyancy reduces pressure on the joints, which is of immeasurable benefit when the user begins his physiotherapy exercises. The hot water helps ease stiff joints and loosens up sore muscles. Exercising helps develop strength, which is important in injury recovery. Hydrotherapy is a proven treatment to decrease the pain associated with arthritis, through the removal of the toxins causing the joint inflammation and pain.

If you’re looking for safe walk-in tubs in Denver, check out our range of bath tubs, heated water jets, showers. Our walk-in bath tubs provide a safe and relaxing bathing experience and can be upgraded with jets for a circulatory massage.

Ways To Resolve Mobility Issues For Seniors

Mobility issues tend to become more prevalent with aging. Due to a lack of proper balance and eyesight-related issues, seniors often find themselves restricted to their room. They start losing their sense of independence and self-reliance. People living in multi-level homes have to deal with more challenges than others. From grabbing their snacks to bathing in their own tub, they become dependent on others for their everyday activities. For creating a happy and healthy environment for seniors, it is essential to ensure that they can rejoice in their freedom and move around according to their will.

Fortunately, due to advancements in technology, a plethora of options have come into the picture for building a better home for seniors. Grab bars, stair lifts, and ramps can make it a lot easier for the elderly to move around. Here are a few installations that can make your home safer for disabled patients and seniors:-

  • Seated straight stair lifts

Straight stair lifts run parallel to the handrails of the staircase. The installation process is fairly simple and consumes very little time. Seated stair lifts are very common in domestic settings. They allow the users to avoid the risks of slipping and falling from the stairs. Once they are installed, seniors can comfortably move around in any part of their home.

  • Seated curved stair lifts

They are an advanced version of seated straight stair lifts and can be customized as per the needs of the customers. Curved stair lifts can encompass multiple floors while covering the landing space between different floors. They come with a myriad of advanced features for the convenience and comfort of clients. Most people buy used curved lifts in Denver to ensuring the safety of seniors in a cost-effective manner.

Independent Living Solutions Inc is a well-established accessibility equipment dealer. They have several years of experience in installation and service of stair lifts, vertical lifts, ceiling lifts, and many more things. If you are trying to find new curved lifts in Denver, Independent Living Solutions Inc is just what you need.

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