We work with specialized partners in this field. This type of installation requires highly specialized expertise to guarantee a professional installation that is adjusted to the staircase and provides maximum safety for the user. If a stair lift chair is required as part of a service offered by an official organization, including the RAAP (Residential Adaptation Assistance Program) of the Société d'Habitation du Québec, we manage and supervise the installation. We also work with the Société d'assurance automobile du Québec (SAAQ), the Commission des normes, de l'équité, de la santé et de la sécurité du travail (CNESST), Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC), Indemnisation des victimes d'actes criminels (IVAC), etc. If you are not supported or funded by an organization, we are able to refer you directly to one of our specialized partners who can answer your questions and possibly proceed with the installation.

First of all, you must contact your local CLSC and request an evaluation under the RAAP (Residential Adaptation Assistance Program). A professionally trained occupational therapist will be sent to your house by the CLSC in order to evaluate your specific needs. Subsequently, you or the owner of the house or apartment will need to have the work evaluated by the program officer who is responsible for your city or regional county municipality (MRC). It is at this stage that Réno+Médic is involved in the project to provide a fair and accurate assessment of the costs related to the adaptation of your living environment.

First of all, you have to look at the available space and the needs of the wheelchair user. For a self-propelled wheelchair the slope must be of 20 inches long for every inch of elevation. Therefore, to ascend a 3 feet (36 inches) elevation you have to consider a 60 feet long access ramp. If the person is assisted by someone pushing their chair or using a power chair, the length of the ramp may be 12 inches (1 foot) per inch of ascent. In this previous example, the length of the ramp can be reduced to 36 feet. If the available space does not allow the installation of a ramp, then we have the option of installing a lifting platform that only requires a surface of 5 feet by 7 feet (35 feet squared) plus a sidewalk connecting the platform surface to the parking or the sidewalk. The access ramp and the lifting platform can be subsidized by the RAAP (Residential Adaptation Assistance Program).

A shower without threshold allows you to enter and exit the shower without any obstacles. For a person who has difficulty lifting their legs or needs help getting into the shower, this type of the shower will facilitate movement and allow for safe transfers.

Wherever you plan to install a grab bar, it has to be very sturdy. Ideally, both ends should be screwed into solid wood. Never install a grab bar only in drywall as this is very unsafe. It is possible to safely install a grab bar on a tile wall. It is possible to drill the tile with a suitable wick to make a neat hole, to introduce a plastic peg whose end opens with the passage of the screw for a safe anchorage to the back of the wall. Make sure the plastic anchor and the screw are long enough to go beyond the wall and reach the empty space at the back.