If someone in Malden cannot manage their steps, two trained staff can bring them down seated in a motorized stair chair, inside and out, and back up afterward. It is $200 a visit.

Why are Malden homes hard to get out of?

Malden is hillier than people expect. Waitt's Mount, Belmont Hill and High Rock all sit inside the city, and many homes on those slopes are built above the street. That means the hard part is often outside: a run of concrete or granite steps from the porch to the sidewalk, on top of the interior stairs in an older two or three family house.

What goes wrong when families do it themselves?

• The outside steps. No handrail on one side, uneven treads, and a slope at the bottom. This is where most slips happen.
• The van can't park close. On a steep or narrow street, the ride may stop well below the house.
• Missed appointments. The driver waits at the curb, nobody handles the steps, and the visit is lost.
• Hurt helpers. A family member carries a parent down and injures their back.
• Ice. Hillside steps freeze first and stay icy longest.

Outside steps get the same two person, seated approach as an interior flight.

Who does the work?

Always two trained staff with a tracked stair chair. Care Remedy has served seniors and people with disabilities since 2019 and makes about 30,000 transportation trips a year from our Woburn office, a short drive from Malden. The crew handles the stairs and the walk to the vehicle, then the same in reverse.

What does it cost?

$200 a visit. Our wheelchair van is $115 each way within five miles, then $2 a mile. Wheelchair rides from Malden. Medicare does not pay for stair help. What sometimes does.

What should you tell us when you book?

How many steps outside and inside, whether there is a handrail, how close a vehicle can park, the person's weight, and manual or power wheelchair. A photo from the sidewalk helps. We will give you the rated capacity on the phone.

We serve Malden from our Woburn office. Call 781-957-8076.