Press Feature · Mt. Lebanon Magazine
We're proud to share that Altamira was recently featured in Mt. Lebanon Magazine's article"Transitioning to the End of Life,"which explores the difficult but important planning decisions families face around aging, home care, and long-term living arrangements.
Staying Home vs. Moving: A Real Choice
The article covers several paths families consider — from moving into a senior living community to downsizing with an estate sale — but our managing partner, Joe Kramer, spoke to the option many people prefer: staying in the home they already love.
“At Altamira, we believe that much can be done to help individuals remain safely and comfortably in their own homes. Most residences can be adapted to remove barriers that make daily living difficult, whether a person is losing mobility as a result of age, a medical condition, or an unexpected accident.”
— Joe Kramer, Managing Partner, Altamira Ltd.
How We Assess a Home
Every project starts with a walkthrough. Our team inspects entrances to make sure clients can safely get in and out of their homes, then looks for barriers or fall hazards inside — stairs, narrow doorways, inaccessible bathrooms, and high thresholds. From there, we build a customized plan around each client's specific needs.
What We Install
🪜
Stairlifts
🛗
Patient Lifts
♿
Wheelchair Lifts
🛤️
Residential Ramps
🚿
Zero & Low-Entry Showers
Most modifications — stairlifts and ramps in particular — can be completed in a single day, and even bathroom remodels typically wrap up in three to four days. That means a full home makeover is often finished within a week.
Why Aging in Place Makes Sense
As Kramer noted in the article, staying home isn't just about comfort — the evidence increasingly shows that people do better, physically and emotionally, when they can remain in a familiar environment. It's also frequently more affordable than moving into an institutional care setting.
Altamira has served the Pittsburgh metro area for 15 years, and we've seen steady, significant growth in the number of families choosing to modify their homes rather than move. Today's products are also less intrusive than ever — modern stairlifts run quieter, and many ramps can be installed without permanent construction, so they can be removed later if a home is sold.
15
Years Serving Pittsburgh
1 Day
Typical Ramp/Stairlift Install
1 Week
Full Home Makeover
💰
Help Paying for It
One of the biggest misconceptions we hear is that accessibility upgrades are out of reach financially. That's increasingly not the case. Funding sources like Veterans Administration programs, Pennsylvania's Community Health Choices Medicaid waiver, and various state and nonprofit organizations can help cover the cost of home modifications.
Read the Full Article
The Mt. Lebanon Magazine piece also covers estate planning, elder law, and downsizing — well worth a read for anyone starting to think through these decisions for themselves or a family member.Read it here.
