The Truth About Stair Lifts
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Have you ever wondered how people get the help they need when physical challenges disrupt their independence? You may be surprised! Sometimes folks will call on their peers, others will look to co-workers, glean wisdom from medical professionals, senior centers, social workers or articles. Let this blog be the one to simplify the process, explain the truth about stair lifts, and guide you to solutions with one phone call, not ten.
Beware of the Internet
Do not go online and purchase from a company who refuses to have real people speak with you about your specific needs. There are companies out there who will sell you a stair lift and never take the time to measure your staircase or even look at the type of stairs you have in your home!
Truth About Stair Lifts
When considering a stair lift please understand that measuring the user is just as important as measuring the width (and length) of the staircase itself! Why is that? Because if the user is long from their knee to hip and the staircase is not wide enough, it would be dangerous to install such a lift. The user rides sideways on a stair lift and if the staircase is not wide enough, the knees of the user would be too close to the wall. Some companies don’t care to even check for details like that. They will drop ship any stair lift to your door for the sake of making a buck! Not with Lifeway Mobility– we send seasoned professionals to assess the situation, with your safety as top priority.
Tax Write Offs
Many people ask if they can write off the purchase of a stair lift. For more information, see IRS Publication 502, page 6.
Any home modifications including staircase, ramps, doorway widening does qualify as a medical expense. The only time it may not qualify is if it increases the value of the home. As an example, if someone is installing an elevator due to a medical condition, and the elevator costs $20k. However based on the appraisal the elevator feature increases the home value by $10k. Then only the remaining $10k is deductible as a medical expense. In the case of the stair lift. it is unlikely that it would increase home’s value. So the entire amount should be deductible as a medical expense.
A tax attorney at a California law firm disagrees with the accountant, saying the answer is “no”. A stair lift is not considered a medical device and in some insurance circles it is considered a home improvement. The lawyer says to take heed that if someone tries to write it off. Because they will be sending up a red flag and may bring grief upon themselves from the IRS. We say consult with your own professionals and investigate further.
Home Depot is not the Answer!
Professionals are getting educated on how to better assist those with physical challenges. They now see that their previous advice of sending people to the local “do it yourself center” was not only a bad idea but a dangerous one! The big truth about stair lifts, is that people also put themselves in jeopardy when they choose to use a stair lift company that outsources the work! Why is this risky business? Because the company selling the product will not guarantee that the installation of the product is done correctly.
Lifeway Mobility / Gamburd, on the other hand, is a locally operated company. They stand by you and they stand behind their name. Using a company like Lifeway Mobility / Gamburd ensures that the products will be manufactured in the US. Not like other businesses out there who use lesser quality stair lifts from overseas companies. One of the main complaints from those who have gone down the cheaply made route, is that when a part breaks, they must now wait eight weeks to get the part shipped from overseas! Lifeway Mobility / Gamburd has straight stair lifts in stock and can get to their customers same day or next day. That brings peace of mind to families!
Now that you have the truth about stair lifts, maybe it’s time to make one call to one company where every client is treated like family.