Wheelchair Lifts
Custom wheelchair platform lift installations
Invite us to your home to consider options to get your loved one to the next level! Contact us
Vertical Platform Lifts – Porch Lifts
Vertical platform lifts, commonly called porch lifts or wheelchair platform lifts, are most often used as outdoor lifts for wheelchairs or scooter lifts for porches or decks, though they are also occasionally used indoors and in public buildings.
A basic porch lift consists of a single, open platform, and drive mechanism that controls the up-and-down movement of the lift. More complex porch lifts can lift up to 144″, however they’re typically installed in a garage, near a front or side door, and are best suited to get in or out of the house. Often an additional deck or porch is required to install your porch lift.
Our outdoor wheelchair lifts are engineered to withstand a wide range of weather conditions, from extremely hot, dry temperatures to blistering cold ones.
Advantage Home Health Solutions’ porch lifts are reliable and economical choices to achieve maximum accessibility in your life. When a wheelchair ramp isn’t a practical choice, a porch lift might just fill the void.
Detailed Installation Start to Finish
Entranceway Options – Pros and Cons of Each
There are many options to consider for entry and exit points from homes and businesses, garages, stairways, porches, decks and more.
Ramps
Wheelchairs or mobility scooters- Advantages
- •No mechanical parts (no failures)
- •No electrical parts (no failures)
- •QRamps have high coefficient of friction meaning good slip resistance is built in
- •There are several types of ramps available for different solutions (threshold, modular and portable for when you’re travelling)
- Disadvantages
- •Length is sometimes insurmountable at a 1:12 ratio over two risers (that would be 15″)
- •The distance and cost of ramps often make a VPL a better choice
- •Ramps rising over 3-4 steps may be difficult for self-propelled wheelchair users because of angle of incline
- •Ramps take up the greatest amount of space of all the solutions
Wheelchair Lifts
Vertical Platform Lift- Advantages
- •Can lift users up to 14 feet in height
- •Minimal space footprint in comparison to ramp solutions
- •Easy to use
- •Have a capacity up to 750lbs (meaning user, plus caregiver, load of groceries, etc. can all go in one trip)
- Disadvantages
- •The shortest lift available is 28″
- •VPL is the most expensive of all the solutions
- •It reaches higher heights therefore requires more safety devices
- •Usually requires some type of renovations such as a platform build to ensure it is flush with the entry area
Stairlifts in Garages
If able to do self-transfers- Advantages
- •Takes less room than a VPL if you’re able to manage your own transfers
- Disadvantages
- •Potential tripping hazard
- •Not as easy to use compared to VPL
- •May require zero intrusion style
- •May need to have stairs in garage rebuilt to accomodate stairlift
Outdoor Stairlift
When the other options won't work- Advantages
- •When other choices won’t work due to space limitations this solution will work
- Disadvantages
- •It’s outdoors, so it will require clearing off and covering when not in use
- •It can become unplugged
- •It’s about 2x the price of an indoor stairlift