Home Healthsmith LLC

06/16/2026

The first question most families ask about stairlifts is the one that's hardest to get a straight answer on: what is this actually going to cost?

The honest answer for Rhode Island and Massachusetts: a straight stairlift installation typically runs between $3,000 and $5,500. Curved staircases — which are very common in older New England homes — run $7,000 to $12,000 or more because each rail is custom-fabricated for that specific staircase.

Our blog breaks down what drives the price, what the installation includes, and what questions to ask before you sign anything — so you can make a confident, informed decision.

🔗 https://homehealthsmith.com/stairlift-cost-in-rhode-island-and-massachusetts-a-realistic-guide/

Stairlift Cost in Rhode Island and Massachusetts: A Realistic GuideApril 8, 2026/in Stairlifts/by Micky DemingIf you’ve started looking into stairlifts for your home — or for a parent’s home — the first question is almost always the same: what is this going to cost? It’s a fair question, a...

06/11/2026

You haven't said anything yet. But you've noticed.

The way they hold the railing a little tighter now. The way they avoid the stairs after dark. The bathroom you look at differently every time you visit.

For a lot of adult children, this is where the process starts — quietly, weeks or months before anyone talks about it out loud.

Our guide for adult children was written for exactly this moment: when you know something needs to change but aren't sure where to start, what to look for, or how to bring it up. It covers the home modifications that make the biggest safety difference, how to have the conversation, and what a professional home assessment actually involves.

🔗 https://homehealthsmith.com/how-to-help-your-aging-parent-stay-home-safely-a-practical-guide-for-adult-children/

How to Help Your Aging Parent Stay Home Safely: A Practical Guide for Adult ChildrenApril 28, 2026/in Senior Safety/by Micky DemingYou’ve probably been running quiet calculations for a while now. Noticing little things. The way your mom holds the wall on the stairs. The bruise on your dad’s hand...

06/09/2026

Stairlift or vertical platform lift — how do you actually know which one your family needs?

There's one question that cuts through most of the confusion: Does the person need to stay in their wheelchair or scooter during the move, or can they briefly stand and transfer to a seat?

If they can transfer: a stairlift is almost always the right fit. If they can't: a vertical platform lift — which raises the person and their mobility device together — is typically the answer.

Our blog walks through the full comparison: cost, installation, space requirements, and the situations where each solution wins. Including a few cases where neither is right and a residential elevator is worth considering.

🔗 https://homehealthsmith.com/stairlift-vs-vertical-platform-lift-which-is-right-for-your-home/

Stairlift vs. Vertical Platform Lift: Which Is Right for Your Home?April 24, 2026/in Stairlifts, Vertical Platform Lifts/by Micky DemingWhen a staircase becomes a barrier, there’s more than one way to remove it. Two of the most practical solutions are stairlifts and vertical platform lifts (VPLs) ...

06/04/2026

Nobody wants to spend an hour on the phone before they can get a rough idea of what something costs.

Residential elevators in New England typically run between $35,000 and $80,000 installed — and the range is that wide for real reasons: elevator type, number of floors served, and how much structural work your home actually needs.

Our newest blog breaks down the real cost factors so you can go into the conversation with a realistic picture. We've been installing home elevators in RI, MA, and CT for over 45 years — and we'd rather you come in informed than surprised.

🔗 https://homehealthsmith.com/how-much-does-a-residential-elevator-cost-a-new-england-homeowners-guide/

How Much Does a Residential Elevator Cost? A New England Homeowner’s GuideMay 14, 2026/in Residential Elevators/by Micky DemingA residential elevator in New England typically costs between $35,000 and $80,000 installed, depending on the elevator type, the number of floors served, and the structura...

06/02/2026

Most home safety guides for seniors focus on fall prevention. But when your parent has dementia, that's only half the picture.

Dementia changes the way the brain processes depth, contrast, and spatial cues — which means an otherwise "safe" home can become genuinely disorienting. A dark rug can appear as a hole in the floor. A familiar staircase of 40 years becomes dangerous not just because of physical weakness, but because of how the brain is perceiving it.

Our newest blog walks room by room through what to look for — and what to do about it. It was developed with insight from Linda Bohmbach, our Certified Dementia Practitioner, who works with families across Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and Connecticut on exactly this kind of assessment.

If you're caring for a parent with Alzheimer's or another form of dementia, this is the guide to start with.

🔗 https://homehealthsmith.com/how-to-make-your-home-safe-for-a-parent-with-dementia-a-room-by-room-guide/

How to Make Your Home Safe for a Parent with Dementia: A Room-by-Room GuideMay 26, 2026/in Senior Safety/by Micky DemingMaking a home safe for a parent with dementia requires two layers of planning: addressing physical fall risks and mobility barriers, and addressing the cognitive confusion that mak...

05/28/2026

If you're trying to decide between a stairlift and a vertical platform lift, here's the single most useful question to ask:

Does the person need to stay seated in their wheelchair throughout the trip — or can they stand briefly to transfer into a chair?

That one question answers most of the others. If they can stand and transfer, a stairlift is almost always the right call for an interior staircase — and it's the more affordable option, with installations starting around $3,000 for straight stairs. If they can't transfer out of a wheelchair, a vertical platform lift raises them and the chair together, which is usually the right answer for front steps, decks, or split-level entries.

The geometry tells the rest of the story: a stairlift follows the angle of your stairs, while a VPL travels straight up and down independent of any staircase. Different problems. Different solutions.

Our newest blog walks through cost, installation, space requirements, and who each one works best for — so you can show up to a conversation with our team already half-decided.

Read the full comparison: https://homehealthsmith.com/stairlift-vs-vertical-platform-lift-which-is-right-for-your-home/

05/26/2026

Most families catch the obvious signals. The grip on the railing. The slower pace on stairs. The bruise on the back of the hand that came with a quick subject change.

But there's one warning sign that's easier to miss — and it matters more than people realize: bathroom avoidance.

Older adults who become afraid of the bathroom — of slipping in the shower, of struggling to stand up from the toilet — will sometimes quietly start using it less. A change in hygiene routine. Fewer showers. Skipping baths altogether. It rarely comes up in conversation, because it's embarrassing. But it's one of the clearest signs that home safety is reaching a tipping point.

Our newest guide for adult children walks through the warning signs worth taking seriously, the highest-impact modifications to make first, and — maybe most important — how to actually start the conversation with a parent who doesn't want to hear it.

Read it here: https://homehealthsmith.com/how-to-help-your-aging-parent-stay-home-safely-a-practical-guide-for-adult-children/

05/21/2026

"We assumed an elevator was out of reach." We hear this from families more than almost any other line — and it's usually based on two assumptions that aren't quite right.

The first: that an elevator needs a huge footprint. The reality? Most residential elevators fit in a 5'×5' hoistway. That's smaller than a lot of closets.

The second: that the sticker price tells the whole story. A well-maintained home elevator has a functional lifespan of 30+ years. Spread a $50,000 installation across three decades of daily independence — and a meaningful boost to resale value in a region full of buyers looking for aging-in-place homes — and the math looks very different.

Our newest guide breaks down the real cost ranges by elevator type ($35K to $80K installed, depending), what affects the price, retrofit vs. new construction, and financing options for New England homeowners.

Read it before you decide it's out of reach: https://homehealthsmith.com/how-much-does-a-residential-elevator-cost-a-new-england-homeowners-guide/

05/19/2026

A lot of families call us thinking they already know what they need. A grab bar here. A stairlift there. And sometimes they're right.

But here's what we've learned in 40+ years of doing this: the modifications that make the biggest difference aren't always the ones a worried family member spotted from the doorway. They're the ones a trained eye catches — a stair riser that's an inch higher than the others, a grab bar anchored into drywall with no structural support, a bathroom door that can't be opened from the outside in an emergency.

That's why a SafeHome Audit doesn't start with a product. It starts with a person — and a room-by-room walkthrough by a Certified Aging-in-Place Specialist who's not there to sell you anything. You get a written report, prioritized recommendations, and zero obligation.

Learn what's actually involved: https://homehealthsmith.com/what-is-a-safehome-audit-your-first-step-to-a-safer-home/

05/14/2026

"In my heart I know that I did all I could for my mom, for as long as I could. Home Healthsmith helped me to do it safely, and we did not experience a crisis." — Tanya A., Outreach Director, Oak Street Health, Warwick, RI

This is what it's really about.

Tanya wasn't just a family member navigating a difficult season — she's a healthcare professional who knows this world from the inside. And when it came to her own mom, one phone call to Home Health Smith started a process that kept her parents at home and out of a facility.

If you're in that role right now — coordinating care, trying to stay ahead of what's coming, wondering how long the current situation is sustainable — this is for you. You don't have to wait for a crisis to make a call.

We're here to help you plan before things get urgent.

👉 Read more stories like Tanya's: homehealthsmith.com/testimonials/

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