Arlington climbs. From Massachusetts Avenue up toward the Heights, the streets rise and the houses rise with them, which means the front walk is often a slope with steps built into it before you reach the porch. Add a two-family with the upstairs unit reached by its own staircase, and you have the two conditions that stop most wheelchair transportation cold.

Care Remedy provides the stair assistance and the wheelchair-accessible ride as a single booking.

The Slope Is Part of the Problem

Most services think about steps and forget the approach. In Arlington the distance from a safe vehicle stopping point to the front door is frequently uphill, sometimes over uneven brick or concrete, and often longer than it looks from the street.

That matters on the way out and matters more on the way back, when the person is tired from an appointment. We plan the approach, not just the stairs, before the day.

What the Stair Work Involves

We bring a stair chair, the same class of equipment fire and EMS crews carry, and two trained staff. The rider is seated and secured with chest and leg straps, one staff member works above and one below, and the chair carries the weight on each tread. Where a flight turns, we stop at the landing and reposition.

Nobody in the family is asked to lift. That is the whole point, and it is why we would rather send an extra person than improvise. Technique detail is in stair chair and mobility assistance in Massachusetts and moving someone up and down stairs at home.

Then the Ride

From Arlington the common destinations are Mount Auburn, Winchester Hospital, Lahey in Burlington, CHA Cambridge, and the Boston teaching hospitals. Our vehicles use ramps or hydraulic lifts with floor anchors and four-point securement, so the rider stays in their own wheelchair the whole way, and our aide walks them in to the check-in desk at the far end.

Recurring treatment gets a standing schedule instead of weekly bookings, described in our dialysis transportation overview. Vehicle and booking detail is on our Arlington wheelchair transportation page.

Winter Is a Real Constraint Here

A sloped walk with steps is manageable in October and a genuine hazard in February. We will tell you when conditions make a transfer unsafe rather than attempting it, and we will work out an alternative — a different door, a different stopping point, or a rescheduled time — instead of pushing ahead.

What to Tell Us

The number of steps outside and inside, whether any flight turns, whether railings are present, how far and how steep the walk from the street is, the rider's approximate weight, and their mobility equipment.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do you cover Arlington Heights?

Yes, along with East Arlington, Arlington Center, Brattle, Jason Heights, and the Morningside area.

Can you manage a long sloped front walk?

Yes. Tell us the distance and the surface when you book so we plan the approach and the stopping point.

Can we book stair help without a ride?

Yes, and it is common after a hospital discharge.

Is this an ambulance?

No. We serve medically stable riders who need no treatment or monitoring en route. For emergencies, call 911.

Can a family member ride along?

Yes, at no extra charge. Mention it at booking.

Start With the Approach and the Steps

Call 781-957-8076 or email info@careremedyinc.com . Describe the walk and the stairs and we will tell you what is realistic.

Care Remedy Inc, 100 TradeCenter, Suite G-700, Woburn, MA 01801.