For Romina and Les, all the stress of deciding whether to downsize or stay in their beloved two-storey home was resolved with one simple text from a friend.
“Every time I put my foot in the lift, I am so thankful,” says Romina, who installed a RESiLIFT six months ago.
Romina and Les have joined thousands of people around Australia who are celebrating the convenience and joy of staying in the home they love, like Beth and Lyndsay (pictured above) who were one of the first customers to install a lift 15 years ago!
Romina and Les (pictured below) lived on a large property in Mornington Peninsula, Victoria, for more than 30 years. As the property became too big to maintain, they decided to subdivide the land.
Les, a builder by trade, built a beautiful double-storey Georgian Style house at the front of the property which they moved into 12 years ago. Little did they realise what a problem having a double-storey home would be ten years later.
In recent years, Romina developed Neuropathy, a condition where she has numbness in her feet and toes, therefore losing control of her feet. The stairs in their home are now an “accident waiting to happen”.
The pair’s adult children were so concerned for their safety they encouraged them to sell and move to a single-level home. But the very idea was heartbreaking for Romina and Les.
Over several decades they had accumulated so many memories associated with their property, not to mention they didn’t want to uproot and leave their local community and networks.
In the midst of their conundrum, Romina received a simple text from a friend. It was a photo of a lady in a RESiLIFT. From that moment, Romina and Les realised that they did have an alternative to moving home! This newfound insight gave them sheer joy.
Within weeks Romina and Les installed a RESiLIFT.
“It works like magic!” says Romina, “The whole house is under my feet!”
With just the simple press of the button, Romina and Les can travel freely between the two floors of their home.
Occupational Therapist Louisa King, for Community OT, says, “Whether you are going to stay in your family home as you age or move to something smaller, is a difficult but important decision. There are many factors which will determine the right choice for an individual, but the key is making their decision before it is too late.”
Fortunately for Romina and Les, their lift installation was just in the nick of time as Les had an unexpected health issue.
“There is only a limited window for people to make this decision.” Louisa says. “Ideally in their 60s or early 70s, people weigh up their options and implement their decision before the task becomes too big and decisions are made for them. Louisa has worked alongside many people in this situation.
“The lovely thing about installing a RESiLIFT is that it allows people to remain in their family home, which is often part of their identity.”
With the bedroom upstairs and the living area downstairs, Romina had to minimise going to her room during the day, for a number of years, prior to having the lift installed. Each morning she would bring everything she needed for the day with her to the lower level to avoid unnecessary trekking up and down the stairs.
For Les and Romina, installing a home lift was a game-changer. Not only could they now stay in the home they love, they knew their home was now safe. Despite still being in a two-storey home, their new day-to-day experience is like living in a single-level home.
As is often the case, the initial reason to consider a lift became more urgent when Les unexpectedly became unwell and required a walker.
While Les was in hospital, Romina organised a RESiLIFT to be installed as a surprise to Les. When he came home, he initially didn’t notice the lift because it blends in so nicely with the surrounds. However, once he realised, he couldn’t believe it!
Romina and Les have come out the other end of many years of worrying about what to do. “What the lift has meant for us is more than just a lift! It’s removed the stress and worry about the danger of the stairs and the urgency of downsizing to a single-level home. All the stress was resolved with one simple decision, to install a RESiLIFT.
“We are thrilled that we can now stay in our home forever!” says Romina.
This is a sponsored article produced in partnership with RESiLIFT.
