OT: need help / advice on residential elevator options for aging parents

[Kangs Landing]

Jackson metro area, 2 story house (bedrooms currently upstairs).

Wondering if a residential elevator retrofit could be a realistic option for my parents. There is some footprint in the existing layout that I was thinking might work. Looking to get smarter on options to see if it’s a path worth exploring.

Appreciate any wisdom and real world feedback from the pack

 

[Lettuce]

You have definitely come to the right place. Our team will be awake shortly to assist you.

Just have a seat in our waiting room, I put a pot of strange brew coffee on go…help yourself to the Dales injected Mole Cricket puff pastries.

A few questions to better help our team zero in on your situation:

1. How obese are the potential riders? Are we talking Kawasaki Bayou 220 or Big Bear 750?

2. Do the riders plan on participating in travel together?…..or can we let the male rider enjoy 7 seconds of peace and quiet during the daily transition

3. Do potential riders intend on traveling up/down more than north south?

4. Our Talking Heads Music Package is on sale at the moment; I love Lamp, Burning Down the House and Stop making Sense, included.

A little about our team:

Goat: Senior 17Up Specialist

Specializes in reaching the peaks of our production. He stays as high as humanly possible 25 hours a day, 8 days a week. With 17 years of experience, our customers will never be disappointed with his high tech approach and black and white troubleshooting mindset. In fact, He already has his mind made up before ever stepping foot into a customers query. Will lead you in one direction, his.

Ol Blue: Downward Spiral Specialist

Leads the industry with the irrigation of doubt and disparity with loose traction that rivals only Debbie. Unwavering negative energy that will leave you breathless, tasteless and lifeless during every decent. You can rest easy on the way down knowing Ol Blue is right there with you. He has been wished to hell over 30,000 times by our satisfied customers throughout his illustrious career. Also specializes in eating schitt, per reviews.

Lucifer MorningStar: Basement Specialist

Speaking of fire and brimstone, meet our bottom dweller, Lucifer. Arriving below the surface level of life can sometimes be overwhelming….but rest easy, you can’t get lower than Hell. If his quirky sense of humor doesn’t put fire in your belly, he will win you over with his relentless approach of warming your bones. Wind rain sleet or snow, he keeps your spirits toasty and the holy ghost at bay. On call 365 days a year. If he doesn’t answer his primary phone, not to fear….dial his office in downtown Jackson MS, the closet to hell you can possibly get…as he works remote bimonthly.

 

[Hugh's Burner Phone]

I could throw in a full time lift attendant, too.

 

[patdog]

I could throw in a full time lift attendant, too.

These are aging parents. She may need a little help from

 

[Shmuley]

Move to ranch style.

 

[jethreauxdawg]

Move to ranch style.

Yeah, you missed the part about aging parents. They usually take the idea of moving well.

 

[Hugh's Burner Phone]

These are aging parents. She may need a little help from
View attachment 513088

What she's wearing is viagra.

 

[maroonmadman]

Are you dead set on an elevator or would a stair lift chair work? They are cheaper and easier to install.
Stair Lift Pricing in 2024 | How Much Does a Stair Lift Cost? | Lifeway Mobility

 

[Bulldog Bruce]

The current This Old House is doing a house that is being adjusted for a child that has a debilitating condition. There is information on home elevators and other access modifications.

 

[Xenomorph]

I'd go with this one...

 

[MSUDOG24]

Jackson metro area, 2 story house (bedrooms currently upstairs).

Wondering if a residential elevator retrofit could be a realistic option for my parents. There is some footprint in the existing layout that I was thinking might work. Looking to get smarter on options to see if it’s a path worth exploring.

Appreciate any wisdom and real world feedback from the pack

Went through this recently (or I should say my sister did) with our mother. My sister lives in a house designed to allow for an elevator and was all in on getting one to get mother to move in with her. Cost wasn't an issue but it certainly wasn't cheap and of course installation was still going to make a mess even with the house design. She decided to look into chairlifts and what do you know, an entire industry with many options and features you never knew existed (guess one wouldn't if not in the chairlift market).
As noted earlier, one of those .... she wasn't moving! (even at 96) so my sister put one in my mother's house as well as her own anticipating a "forced move" in the near future.
Mother's house had a straight staircase so a "who knew" moment that you can rent them for a simple staircase. Obviously depends how long you think it will be needed but the "force" was coming soon so she rented. Pretty unobtrusive and had the thing installed in a couple of hours. No fuss, no muss.
My sister had to buy the one for her house given a kink in the back stair case with tall ceilings so it had to be custom. Sweating a bit getting it made and installed before the forced move.
Forced move (kidnapping as our mother called it) came several months later and subsequently passed away a few months after the move. After the move the rental was removed in an hour and would have never known one was there. After mother passed the second was removed and save a few plugs in the stair treads, you would never know one had been there either.
More than you probably were looking for but all to say I highly recommend at least checking into chairlifts. They even let my sister "test drive" some in the store. Final benefit, kinda fun to ride yourself when you go visit.

 

[Kangs Landing]

You have definitely come to the right place. Our team will be awake shortly to assist you.

Just have a seat in our waiting room, I put a pot of strange brew coffee on go…help yourself to the Dales injected Mole Cricket puff pastries.

A few questions to better help our team zero in on your situation:

1. How obese are the potential riders? Are we talking Kawasaki Bayou 220 or Big Bear 750?

2. Do the riders plan on participating in travel together?…..or can we let the male rider enjoy 7 seconds of peace and quiet during the daily transition

3. Do potential riders intend on traveling up/down more than north south?

4. Our Talking Heads Music Package is on sale at the moment; I love Lamp, Burning Down the House and Stop making Sense, included.

A little about our team:

Goat: Senior 17Up Specialist

Specializes in reaching the peaks of our production. He stays as high as humanly possible 25 hours a day, 8 days a week. With 17 years of experience, our customers will never be disappointed with his high tech approach and black and white troubleshooting mindset. In fact, He already has his mind made up before ever stepping foot into a customers query. Will lead you in one direction, his.

Ol Blue: Downward Spiral Specialist

Leads the industry with the irrigation of doubt and disparity with loose traction that rivals only Debbie. Unwavering negative energy that will leave you breathless, tasteless and lifeless during every decent. You can rest easy on the way down knowing Ol Blue is right there with you. He has been wished to hell over 30,000 times by our satisfied customers throughout his illustrious career. Also specializes in eating schitt, per reviews.

Lucifer MorningStar: Basement Specialist

Speaking of fire and brimstone, meet our bottom dweller, Lucifer. Arriving below the surface level of life can sometimes be overwhelming….but rest easy, you can’t get lower than Hell. If his quirky sense of humor doesn’t put fire in your belly, he will win you over with his relentless approach of warming your bones. Wind rain sleet or snow, he keeps your spirits toasty and the holy ghost at bay. On call 365 days a year. If he doesn’t answer his primary phone, not to fear….dial his office in downtown Jackson MS, the closet to hell you can possibly get…as he works remote bimonthly.

 

[Kangs Landing]

Appreciate all the feedback, especially re: stair lifts and This Old House. Thank you

 

[TaleofTwoDogs]

Whatever you do, don't hire this guy to remodel your house for the elevator

 

[cowbell88]

I'd go with this one...

First thing I thought of as well

 

[Herbert Nenninger]

We have one. Was put in we think around the 70s. Same reason, for aging parents. Took out a cabinet in the laundry room and a linen closet upstairs. I think it holds like 250 lbs or so. Even has a telephone jack. Only quirk, if someone is not in it, providing weight, sometimes u have to jab the bottom of it with a broom to get it to come down. I don’t recall who put it in. We had his name and had to call him once, but that was 10+ years ago and he was in his 80s. We don’t use it much at all but it was useful after my wife had kids, bringing up laundry and such. And used to take the occasional joy ride with the kids.
So it’s old but still very serviceable. Wish I had more info on the original installation.

 

[SwampDawg]

Jackson metro area, 2 story house (bedrooms currently upstairs).

Wondering if a residential elevator retrofit could be a realistic option for my parents. There is some footprint in the existing layout that I was thinking might work. Looking to get smarter on options to see if it’s a path worth exploring.

Appreciate any wisdom and real world feedback from the pack

Whatever you do, don't take the financial shortcut like a lady here did. Thought she couldn't afford a rig certified safe for people, so she bought one ok for "stuff" only. It was attached to the outside of her raised house. One night she was on it and it turned loose on her. She rode it all the way down and died.