Home Healthsmith LLC

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/

📞 401-293-0415

05/12/2026

When an architect or builder has a client asking about a home elevator, they call us.

That's not something we say lightly — it's the relationship we've spent 45 years building. Home Health Smith is a resource for the professionals who design and build homes, which means we've seen what works, what doesn't, and what fits the real constraints of New England construction.

For homeowners, that expertise translates directly: you get guidance from a team that's been doing this long enough to know that the first question — "how much space do I need?" — is usually answered by a 5' x 5' unfinished hoistway. And from there, the process is simpler than most families expect.

If a residential elevator has ever crossed your mind — for a parent, for your own future, or for a home you're building or renovating — this is where to start.

👉 homehealthsmith.com/solutions/residential-elevators/

📞 401-293-0415

05/07/2026

Most families thinking about accessibility modifications don't have a garage installation on their radar. But it's one of the smartest setups we see.

When a vertical platform lift is installed inside the garage, your loved one can enter and exit the home completely protected from the weather. No icy surfaces. No navigating a ramp or porch lift in the middle of a New England February. Just pull in, roll onto the platform, and you're inside.

It also solves a concern we hear often: "We don't want the house to look like a medical facility from the street." A garage-based VPL is essentially invisible from the curb — and that matters to families who are thinking about long-term home value.

Our latest blog covers all the ways vertical platform lifts work — indoors, outdoors, garages, decks, split-levels — and how to know if one is the right fit for your situation.

Read it here: https://homehealthsmith.com/vertical-platform-lifts-the-home-accessibility-solution-more-families-should-know-about/

Vertical Platform Lifts: The Home Accessibility Solution More Families Should Know AboutMarch 25, 2026/in Vertical Platform Lifts/by Linda BohmbachWhen families start thinking about accessibility modifications, their minds usually go to two places: stairlifts and wheelchair ramps. Both are excellent...

05/06/2026

One home. Five ways we can help you stay in it.

Whether the challenge is stairs, a raised entryway, getting between floors, or navigating your outdoor space — there's a solution built for exactly that situation. Swipe through to see what Home Health Smith can do for your family.

Every home is different. That's why we start with a free SafeHome Audit — so the recommendation fits your space, your loved one's needs, and your long-term plans.

👉 Ready to talk? Call 401-293-0415 or visit homehealthsmith.com to schedule yours.