Amramp Attending National PACE Association Conference in Los Angeles

Be sure to visit Amramp in Los Angeles at the 2012 National PACE Association Conference

Be sure to Visit Amramp in Los Angeles at the 2012 National PACE Association Conference

The National Program of All-inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) Association will be holding its yearly conference from October 14-17 at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza in Los Angeles, and Amramp will be hosting an exhibitor booth to educate attendees on Amramp’s comprehensive line of home accessibility and Aging in Place products and services. This will be the first year that Amramp has participated in the annual PACE conference, which changes locations from year to year.

For those unfamiliar with the organization, PACE is for seniors age 55 and older who would otherwise need to live in nursing homes, but instead offers them services and support to continue living at home or with loved ones. Although PACE participants need to have a certifiably proven need for nursing home care, only about 7% nationally reside in nursing homes, and if they do, PACE pays for it and continues to coordinate the recipient’s care.

PACE is a model of healthcare “centered around the belief that it is better for the well-being of seniors with chronic care needs and their families to be served in the community whenever possible.”

Amramp and PACE are a perfect match: Amramp provides and installs ramps and home accessibility products such as lifts and installation of home safety products by experts to make nearly any home accessible to people of all mobility levels. Amramp believes the PACE goal of community-based care improves quality of life for elders and those with chronic conditions who need support.

“Amramp is thrilled to be taking part in our first PACE conference,” says Barbara Gayton, Amramp’s director of marketing. “We are eager to show new products and home accessibility solutions to PACE participants and administrators that are already making Aging in Place possible for thousands of Americans and Canadians.”

PACE holds its annual conference to inform participants of new program offerings, but also to talk about changes in law and policy that affect the program, such as the recently passed Affordable Care Act. The conference location changes year-to-year, but each location is in a district that offers PACE programs, which allows guests to actually visit different sites and see the programs “in action.”

The 2012 Pace conference highlights include  symposia, luncheons, education sessions, and roundtable discussions. And of course Los Angeles offers a diverse array of fun places to visit: Attendees will have the chance to see historic landmarks like the Hollywood Walk of Fame, Santa Monica Pier, the Hollywood Sign, and Beverly Hills – but one of the most anticipated outings of the weekend is an evening at Universal Studios Hollywood.

If you will be attending the PACE Conference Los Angeles 2012, make sure to visit the exhibitor expo, stop by the Amramp booth and say hello to Director of Marketing Barbara Gayton!

 Call Amramp today to schedule a free on-site estimate

Please contact Amramp’s National Call Center 888-715-7598

Amramp Offers Solutions to Help Mobility Challenged Voters Exercise Their Rights in the 2012 Presidential Election

Please read more here: http://www.marketwatch.com/story/ramping-up-for-the-election-with-amramp-2012-10-02

Amramp and Hurricane Isaac

As Hurricane Isaac roared through Louisiana last week, Amramp was called by FEMA to help provide access to a community bank that was destroyed by Isaac.

Mod Space provided a temporary bank building, and together we helped the stricken community to gain access to bank funds to begin the rebuilding process.

Bill Freshwater of Amramp Baton Rouge was the hero in this storm. FEMA located Bill through Bob Fowler of Amramp Louisville because of Bob's prior FEMA efforts in the tornadoes of Southern Indiana and Kentucky that occurred earlier this year.

Amramp's local inventory and "can-do" attitude is why FEMA coordinates emergency efforts with Amramp.

Event planners choose Amramp for disability conference

Amramp franchise partner Michael Meyer serving Washington, DC, recently played a key part in a major international conference hosted by the Organization of American States. The topic of the conference was disability rights – an issue that is close to Amramp’s heart.

When event planners at the Organization of American States planned a recent international conference in Washington, DC, they realized they had an urgent need for a wheelchair ramp for the Vice President of Ecuador, Lenin Moreno.

Moreno was scheduled to participate in a panel discussion about disability rights within the OAS members' various countries, entitled “Disability Rights and Public Responsibilities: The Role of Public Policy in Fostering an Inclusive Society, The Ecuadorian Experience.” 

To secure the necessary ramp for Moreno, the event planners located Amramp’s Washington DC local web page and called immediately to schedule a ramp setup for the conference. Amramp’s Michael Meyer, based in Haymarket, Va., responded quickly and set up the ideal ramp in no time. Even for routine installations, Amramp prides itself on a typical 24- to 48-hour turnaround. The OAS event planners were very pleased with the results.

Disability rights issues are an important topic currently being discussed not just in the Americas but in countries all around the world, with Russia being a recent example as they seek to ratify a UN convention defending the interests and rights of the disabled. Amramp is proud to offer mobility solutions that help make even the most difficult spaces accessible to all.

The Organization of American States is the oldest regional organization in the world; it held its First International Conference of American States in Washington, D.C., in 1889-1890. The organization's charter states that its purpose is to create among the member states “an order of peace and justice, to promote their solidarity, to strengthen their collaboration, and to defend their sovereignty, their territorial integrity, and their independence. ... The organization uses a four-pronged approach to effectively implement its essential purposes, based on its main pillars: democracy, human rights, security, and development.”

 Events accessible to all are easier to plan with Amramp
Call Amramp today to schedule a free on-site estimate
Please contact Amramp’s National Call Center 888-715-7598

Elders able to wait out home value slump safely

Older Americans can make their homes safer while aging in place and waiting for the real estate rebound with wheelchair ramps, portable showers, and more.

The collapse of the housing market has been especially devastating for elders who had planned to move to a setting where their needs would be met as they got older. That plan probably depended on selling their current home. But home sales are stagnant, and property values have dropped drastically.

For most elders, their homes are their most valuable assets. Older people cannot wait for the home sales market to rebound; it’s too far off, as the latest reports show:  Nationwide, February home sales hit their lowest level since 2002.  www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-03-21/u-s-february-existing-home-sales-fall-to-4-88-million-rate.html

Fortunately, more products and services are available to modify an older home in ways that will make it safe and comfortable for elders as their needs change.

One example is a ramp that makes it easy for seniors to access their homes in the event of a medical procedure or long-term issue that affects their mobility. Amramp rents and sells steel ramps that can be installed at any type of home on short notice.

If your plan to move has been thrown off course, you first need to survey your home to determine what’s needed to make it safer.

• Grab bars are a must and easy to install.
• A walk-in tub can be installed in an existing bathroom.
• A portable shower can be rented from Amramp.
• Scatter rugs should be removed, to avoid falls.
• Lighting should be improved.
• Books, magazines, and other items that can be tripped over should be put out of the way.

As the population ages, the number of services designed to help elders has grown. The cost can be affordable, and the amount of service offered can be flexible.

Housekeeping services abound; check local media or the web for local companies and national franchises.

• Housekeeping services abound; check local media or the web for local companies and national franchises.
• Homemaker services can help with medication and hygiene.
• Meals on Wheels for those unable to prepare a hot meal.
• Supermarket delivery services, some are free of charge.

Access outside and within the home is the most important factor for those who are “aging in place.” Amramp’s wheelchair ramps – and wide range of aging in place products – are ideal for people in wheelchairs and those who use walkers or canes. They can be rented for a day, a week, or longer or purchased.

Amramp also offers a wide range of aging-in-place products for sale, including:

• Portable showers
• Stair lifts
• Automatic door openers
• Vertical platform lifts
• Pool lifts
• Threshold ramps
• Grab bars
• Overhead patient lifts

Amramp’s patented steel-mesh platform does not collect moisture, allowing rain and snow to fall through. And because the ramps are modular, they are suited for all types of homes, including historic ones. They are far less expensive and obtrusive than permanent ramps, which can detract from a home’s appeal, for when the real estate market does come back.

Tips from the pros on planning an ADA-compliant graduation ceremony

Amramp provides wheelchair ramp rental tips and details to consider for making your graduation ceremony safe, easy, and ADA-compliant

Putting together a fully ADA-compliant graduation ceremony is no easy task! Brett McKee of Amramp Southern California shared all of the necessary components you will need to consider to ensure that the big day is wheelchair-accessible:

Before you book a site for an event, consider your guests’ and speakers’ needs:

• Are attendees older and using canes, walkers, or wheelchairs?
• How far will they need to travel at the venue?
• Are there multiple flights of stairs?
• Can people with mobility needs be driven close to the entrance?

Respect and consideration should be shown for the feelings of those with mobility needs. Having a special entrance for certain speakers does not create a sense of equality; make the primary entrance accessible for all.

ADA ramp requirements:

• One foot of sloped ramping for one inch of height (rise).
• At the top and bottom of the ramp, you need a 5 x 5 foot level landing so people can easily and safely turn onto or off of the ramp.
  • For example: an 18-inch stage will require 18 feet of ramp plus 5 feet for the level landing, totaling 23 feet of clear space. Ramps are generally 36-48 inches wide as an inside measurement, with the outside handrails adding an additional 3.5 inches to the total width.
• If the height of the stage is more than 30 inches (requiring 30+ feet of ramp), the requirement is that every 30 feet, there needs to be a 5-foot long ramp as a level resting area.

Taking “flow” into account: Having graduates enter from one end of the stage and exit another is often the most efficient way to address the flow of people as they receive their diplomas.

Ramp aesthetics: Even though wheelchair rumps are practical and functional, you can use planters with flowers, bushes, or ficus trees alongside them to soften their appearance.

Action steps:

• Start early! This will give you more time to anticipate issues, problem-solve, and ensure that the proper equipment is in place for the big day.
• Involve your local Amramp franchisee from the beginning. One of our evaluators will come to the site, measure, and will help you in the planning process.
• If a facility is being used or a stage is being rented as a temporary piece of equipment, you should obtain height, length, and width measurements to share with Amramp. Providing digital photos of door entrances, stairs, and the surrounding terrain will also assist in budget planning.

Amramp makes ADA-compliance easy for graduation and more!
Call Amramp today to schedule a free on-site estimate
Please contact Amramp’s National Call Center 888-715-7598

Soldier’s wheelchair ramp enables holiday homecoming

Lance Corporal Joshua Misiewicz, 23, was treated at Walter Reed Hospital in Bethesda since stepping on an IED in Afghanistan this past July. This much-viewed photographed features Lance Cpl. Misiewicz while in Sangin, Afghanistan, April 13, 2011, with the 3rd platoon, Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, 5th Marines, Regimental Combat Team 8.

Amramp of Northern Illinois is proud to be a backdrop to the warm holiday homecoming that greeted Lance. Hundreds of supporters greeted him as he traveled from O’Hare International Airport to his home in La Grange, Ill., just outside Chicago.

Bill Woods, Amramp Northern IL, worked with the nonprofit Operation Homefront to ensure Lance could easily access his home during the holidays after losing both his legs. Bill Woods and his team installed the steel wheelchair ramp with a day’s notice.

The 60-foot ramp easily overcomes the steep flight of steps leading to the home’s front porch. The ramp even performed double-duty as Lance Cpl. Misiewicz spoke to the crowd in this video. His “What a welcome home!” was quickly interrupted by cheers of “Welcome Home!”

Lance will spend two weeks at home with his family. Then he'll return to Bethesda for more physical therapy. Read more about Lance Cpl. Misiewicz.

Amramp of Northern IL installs wheelchair ramps all across Northern Illinois and Southern Wisconsin, as well a several counties in Northwestern Indiana, and the major cities of Chicago, Milwaukee, and Madison, Wisconsin, as well as Gary, Indiana.

Amramp Los Angeles provides ramps for visitors to participate in national holiday tradition

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas…

Preparations are underway for the Capitol Christmas Tree tour across America, and one Amramp franchise is ramping up for a big role in this year’s upcoming tour. Every year since 1970, a different U.S. state has been chosen to provide the Capitol Christmas Tree that will be placed on the Western lawn of the Capitol Building in Washington, D.C., to be decorated in shining lights for all to see during the holidays.

This year, the special tree has a long way to travel: The chosen state is on the opposite coast, California. As is customary, the 2011 Capitol Christmas Tree will stop to visit different cities as it makes its long trek across the country. By providing ADA-compliant ramps, Amramp is proud to ensure that everyone of all abilities can participate in this national tradition.

The Los Angeles Amramp franchise has been contracted to provide two ramps and platforms, which will be set up at every stop on the trip in front of the huge tree. At each Capital Tree event across the country, attendees will use the Amramp ramps to access and exit the platform alongside the tree. The tradition calls for each person place a note or an ornament on the tree.

The tree will be cut on Nov. 5, and the tour is scheduled to start on Nov. 8. The Capitol Tree Celebration began in 1964, with a Douglas Fir that was actually planted in the grounds at the Capitol Building. The tree suffered root system damage during a storm in 1967, and it died. For the next couple of years, trees were brought in from Maryland; then, the decision was made to bring in a new tree from a different state each year, which would be viewed as a "gift" from that state. The United States Forestry Division carefully chooses candidates from a national forest within the state, and the Architect of the Capitol then picks the "winner" from the group.

The selected state traditionally holds handmade ornament and song contests, and a child is chosen from that state to light the tree along with the Speaker of the House. 2011’s slogan is "California Shines!"

Amramp makes events easy
Call Amramp today to schedule a free on-site estimate
Please contact Amramp’s National Call Center 888-715-7598

Memorial Day ceremonies accessible to everyone, especially Veterans

Organizers of Memorial Day services – this year on Monday, May 30 – need to review their plans to be certain all venues are wheelchair accessible. This is especially important as the number of older Veterans swells.

Older Veterans who served in World War II, Korea, or Vietnam are sure to attend Memorial Day ceremonies, as well as younger Veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars. Parades are not as common today as they once were, often replaced by wreath-layings at Veterans memorials.

Locations for these ceremonies may not be wheelchair accessible, as the Milford, Mass., Commission on Disability decided to overcome steps leading up to the annual Memorial Day ceremony platform. The decades-long traditional parade and speeches remain a town highlight, featuring honored guests from the Veterans of Foreign Wars, AMVETS, and Disabled American Veteransgroups.

Milford’s 2010 Memorial Day Parade Grand Marshal Raymond Zaccarino, a Vietnam Veteran, easily accessed the podium via Amramp’s modular wheelchair ramp, which the town rented for the day, Milford Veterans Agent John A. Pilla said. And the town will again provide an Amramp ramp for 2011 Memorial Day services on Monday, May 30.

This Memorial Day is especially poignant for America’s Veterans, as the last of the World War I doughboys, Frank Buckles of West Virginia, died in February. Buckles was buried at Arlington National Cemetery in March.

The Department of Veterans Affairs estimates that nearly 1,000 World War II Veterans die each day. For those who served across the globe in what was called The Great War, Memorial Day services remain an important American tradition. It would be a disservice to Veterans if ceremonies honoring them and their fallen comrades were not accessible to those who use wheelchairs or walking aids.

ADA compliance made easy
Call Amramp today to schedule a free on-site estimate
Please contact Amramp’s National Call Center 888-715-7598

For fund-raising and awareness, people of all abilities get moving

Just as certain as daffodils, the dawn of spring begins the charity walk and run season.

In cities across America men and women lace up to do everything from a leisurely 5K walk to a 26.2-mile odyssey to raise money for the hungry or for research into diseases that strike millions.

The increasingly popular events are not only for the able-bodied, however. People using wheelchairs participate and also want to be there to cheer their supporters. People who use wheelchairs are sure to attend walks for multiple sclerosis or Alzheimer’s disease.

Local Amramp owners – 44 locations across the United States – also participate in fund-raiser walks and races. Amramp of Omaha owners Todd and Bridgette Torring recently ran the Boston marathon and are lacing up to benefit Team World Vision.

In Northern New England, Amramp of Maine and New Hampshire owner Mark Rafferty participated in the ALS Walk, organized by the Northern New England Chapter of ALS. Known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis affects five of every 100,000 Americans, according to the National Institutes of Health.

There’s no known cause of this devastating disease that usually affects people after age 50.

The ALS Walk is held along Baxter Boulevard and Back Cove in Portland, Maine, and Mark felt getting involved was one small way to support research and those personally affected by ALS:

“Attending an event like this is really moving. ALS is a really horrible disease. People get diagnosed and then are expected to deteriorate and die at a relatively young age. Almost everyone there has been touched by the disease in some way: through a family member, friend, or colleague. Everyone has a story to share, and there are lots of memories of loved ones. Those living with the disease also participate – if they can – to help support the mission to find a cure. It was important for me to simply be there to support the community.”

Find out where there’s a walk to support ALS research near you.

In Boston, Amramp provided a short-term wheelchair ramp rental for the MS Walk. The ramp provided access to the stage at the Harvard University Athletic Complex. Often charity events have some kind of stage for presentations, musicians, and awards.

According to the National MS Society, approximately 400,000 Americans are diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. About 200 Americans are diagnosed with MS each week.

MS Walks are held throughout the year across the country: Find one near you.

Even when the walk or run takes place in large cities where walkways are easy to use, accessibility can still be an issue. On city walks, curb cuts can also be a problem, especially for those who use motorized wheelchairs.

Amramp’s modular steel ramps can be installed with just 48 hours’ notice and can be rented for a single day, a weekend, or longer.

Find a cause to rally for today.

For more about Amramp’s services and free on-site estimates, please contact Amramp’s National Call Center at 888-715-7598 or visit http://www.amramp.com.

Rent a ramp for your event
Call Amramp today to schedule a free on-site estimate
Please contact Amramp’s National Call Center 888-715-7598