Elevator in house? Thinking of an age-in-place eventuality/mobility problems as we age

[Anonymous]

We are still relatively young - early 50s - but having seen our parents age, along with a recent mobility problem I had (and am recovering from), and looking at what apartments with HOAs/smaller one-level homes cost near our current home, I think staying in our house might ultimately make more sense than 'downsizing.'

All of this has me wondering about the possibility of installing a home elevator. Any recent experiences with this?

[Anonymous]

We bought a home that had an elevator. Very nice to have.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We bought a home that had an elevator. Very nice to have.

Do you know what company installed it?

[Anonymous]

Thoughts ~ if the power goes out or some other problem if could shut down. Two couples I know with home elevators never enter the elevator unless they have their cell phones on them. To call for help. I don't know if their concern is reasonable but these 2 different couples are, otherwise, reasonable people.

[Anonymous]

You might think about getting a stair climber if and when you need one. They are much cheaper than an elevator and much more reliable.

[Anonymous]

I am a huge home elevator fan. My mom has had one in her house for 55 years and it is incredibly reliable with a tweak about once a decade. If you have space in your house to fit one, it's much better than a stairlift because you don't have the separate problem of transporting equipment (walker, wheelchair) to the other floor. And once you have one available for moving heavy objects or elderly dogs, you won't look back.

I can't tell you how many elderly friends and now increasingly friends my age (50s-60s) faced with sudden disability have had to make a move in a hurry. The elevator solves that problem.

Mom's is serviced by Preferred Elevator, Baltimore-based but works in DC all the time. Very nice people and they will evaluate the options for your house.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am a huge home elevator fan. My mom has had one in her house for 55 years and it is incredibly reliable with a tweak about once a decade. If you have space in your house to fit one, it's much better than a stairlift because you don't have the separate problem of transporting equipment (walker, wheelchair) to the other floor. And once you have one available for moving heavy objects or elderly dogs, you won't look back.

I can't tell you how many elderly friends and now increasingly friends my age (50s-60s) faced with sudden disability have had to make a move in a hurry. The elevator solves that problem.

Mom's is serviced by Preferred Elevator, Baltimore-based but works in DC all the time. Very nice people and they will evaluate the options for your house.

The ability to move stuff up and down would be awesome even now - my DH still moves furniture around as needed and it can't be good for his back...We have plenty of room for an elevator, but just don't know where it would go. Sounds like a company like that could tell us.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am a huge home elevator fan. My mom has had one in her house for 55 years and it is incredibly reliable with a tweak about once a decade. If you have space in your house to fit one, it's much better than a stairlift because you don't have the separate problem of transporting equipment (walker, wheelchair) to the other floor. And once you have one available for moving heavy objects or elderly dogs, you won't look back.

I can't tell you how many elderly friends and now increasingly friends my age (50s-60s) faced with sudden disability have had to make a move in a hurry. The elevator solves that problem.

Mom's is serviced by Preferred Elevator, Baltimore-based but works in DC all the time. Very nice people and they will evaluate the options for your house.

The ability to move stuff up and down would be awesome even now - my DH still moves furniture around as needed and it can't be good for his back...We have plenty of room for an elevator, but just don't know where it would go. Sounds like a company like that could tell us.

Definitely. An elevator can fit in quite a small footprint; it's just a matter of finding space that works for all the levels it needs to reach. That level of 3D widget envisioning is more than my brain can handle, but the elevator people can figure it out. Here's their website: https://www.preferred-elevator.com/products/residential-elevators/

[Anonymous]

I would totally do this if you have the space. And renovate an upstairs bathroom over time to include an ADA height toilet with bidet, and a zero threshhold shower that could be wheelchair accessible - all done attractively. It would make aging in place so much easier.

[Anonymous]

Yeah right, elevator costs big bucks people!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yeah right, elevator costs big bucks people!

true, but may be cheaper or better than moving.

[Anonymous]

Look into a pneumatic vacuum elevator. PT told me about how great they are. Fast install and the largest one can fit a wheelchair and attendant. Cost $70k.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would totally do this if you have the space. And renovate an upstairs bathroom over time to include an ADA height toilet with bidet, and a zero threshhold shower that could be wheelchair accessible - all done attractively. It would make aging in place so much easier.

This plus grab bars and a sink that can accommodate a wheelchair underneath.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would totally do this if you have the space. And renovate an upstairs bathroom over time to include an ADA height toilet with bidet, and a zero threshhold shower that could be wheelchair accessible - all done attractively. It would make aging in place so much easier.

It's called Universal Design. Lots of great ideas.

[Anonymous]

An elevator (or the space for one) is really something to think about if you’re building or gut renovating a house.

If you’re retrofitting and existing house a stairlift will probably be better. They work well!

People talk a lot about the stairs but in my experience they are pretty easy to deal with. There are a lot of other things like doorways and bathrooms that are harder to fix.