Vehicle Lifts Promote Productivity

Of all the things you don’t want to hear a Doctor say, “You are paralyzed from the waist down. I’m terribly sorry.” is one of the worst. Those were the words spoken to my Mother by her surgeon after a surgery gone terribly wrong.

However, there was no going back to the old, ambulatory days for her. So, my Dad and I embarked on the journey of finding out how to help Mom keep her mobility and keep her as a productive member of society.

Vehicle lifts are a wonderful tool. When installed in a van, we were able to get Mom out of the house on a daily basis. She continued doing her shopping, going to the hair dresser, going to the doctor and visiting friends.

We quickly discovered which restaurants and other public places had wheelchair access. We were able to work with the owners of the businesses to get them to understand the importance of access for people in wheelchairs.

One of Mom’s greatest joys was being able to go to Canada to visit her sisters, nieces and nephews. She was actively involved in the planning making sure the motels were accessible, which parks had wheelchair access and how to take care of her other needs while traveling. The trip would not have been possible without the vehicle lift.

Companies like Western Stairlifts install and support accessibility equipment for people who have mobility problems. If a vehicle lift is needed, they install the lift.

If in-home mobility is restricted, they can install vertical lifts which are similar to an elevator. Western Stairlifts also installs several types of stairlifts. These stairlifts are essentially a chair running on a track parallel with the stairs. These stairlifts give the mobility challenged person access to a basement or second story.

Vehicle lifts contribute significantly to the productivity of a person confined to a wheelchair or scooter. Self-confidence and self-esteem are greatly enhanced by being able to be mobile. I still marvel at the memory of my Mother the first time we got her on the vehicle lift and took her to an appointment without any problems. She  positively glowed!

Western Starilifts would like to give special  thanks to guest author,  Tom Ethen for this composition.

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