I don’t have any money for repairs. Am I doomed to travel dark stairwells?

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Depending upon the condition of your wiring and the type of lighting you want, adding an extra light or a second switch on a stairwell will usually be well under a few hundred dollars using the services of a qualified electrician. A basic, oak 1 ½” diameter handrail with heavy duty fasteners done properly will also be under a few hundred dollars in our area. You can spend more, but if you are looking for sturdy, functional, safety, it doesn’t cost much. It certainly costs less than a fall, fracture, or trip to the emergency room.

We do have citizens in our community who recognize that they have dangerous stairwells, but really can’t come up with the extra money to get the work done and don’t have the ability to do it themselves.

We are pleased to be able to collaborate with these groups even though we are a private design and construction company. We help them find cost effective solutions for the people in the community that they exist to serve. This makes their money spread further and they know what they are spending money on is effective. We often refer people to groups who can help with funding. The bottom line is that people who truly can’t afford simple home modifications or equipment can get what they need to life more safely and independently.

Funding for home modifications is not the same as funding for medical equipment like a cane or walker. While extremely necessary for quality living, home modifications are not defined as medically necessary by medical funding sources like Medicare or most medical insurances. Funding for modifications is scarce and is usually designated for people with low incomes. Depending upon your income, medical condition, and geographic location, there may be something.

We provide design, equipment, and construction services. We don’t provide funding ourselves. You are welcome to download our short funding quide. In Nebraska you may also want to investigate www.atp.ne.gov In Iowa look at www.iowacompass.org

I hear about so many people who quit before they start when it comes to modifications. Just this past week, we had a woman call and cancel an appointment for us to install grabbars because she “couldn’t afford it”. The strange thing was she didn’t have a price from us yet, so she didn’t know what amount it was that she was afraid she couldn’t afford. I urge you to put your safety and your independence first. What you need may not cost as much as you think. Find out what the equipment or modification you need will cost. Find out if there is a funding source that will help you. Whatever you do, if you need it. Find a way to get it.

Do we really need research to know we need to light a stairwell?

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This is simply a no brainer, isn’t it? Of course we need light in our stairwells to allow us to take advantage of the vision we have. Without good light, we might as well blindfold ourselves when we travel the stairs. Who would do that?

Unfortunately very smart and rational people who have coped with dark stairwells that were built before building codes required a light with switches at top and bottom may not realize how much easier and safer it would be to negotiate stairs if they can see what they are doing. If you know someone like that, show them this video and see if they can recognize themselves!

Good lighting in a stairwell doesn’t cause shadows over the stairwell. This is usually accomplished with lighting at top and bottom or light that is positioned to cast a light a person’s body doesn’t block when they are traveling the stairs.

Light bulbs don’t last forever, so fixtures that are easy to reach are important for stairwell safety too. That way people will replace burnt out bulbs and they will be able to do it without climbing on ladders to reach the light.

In the example today, we knew this homeowner needed to use the handrails we installed, so we expected her hands to be occupied. For additional safety we used a motion sensing light so that she wouldn’t ever have to remember to turn on the light or struggle to reach a switch while balancing with her hands on the handrails. We were careful to select a light that didn’t project into the stairwell in a way that would risk her bumping into it.

Current codes require lighting be controlled at top and bottom unless the light is operated automatically. A qualified electrician can help you determine how to add the switches at the top and bottom of your stairwell and add additional lighting.

Stairwells can be very dangerous, but most of us can’t get around in our homes without using them. In addition to non slip surfaces and good handrails, use lighting to increase your safety.