Chairlift was an American synthpop band. Caroline Polachek and Aaron Pfenning formed Chairlift in 2005 while living in Boulder, Colorado, and Patrick Wimberly joined them when they moved to Brooklyn in 2007. In 2008, Chairlift released their debut album Does You Inspire You. Pfenning left the band in 2010, and as a duo, Polachek and Wimberly released two more albums: 2012's Something and 2016's Moth before announcing the end of Chairlift in December 2016. Chairlift formed initially as a project between Aaron Pfenning and Caroline Polachek at the University of Colorado in October 2005. The group intended to make background music for haunted houses.[1] Along with bassist Kyle McCabe, Chairlift recorded the beginning of Daylight Savings EP at New Monkey Studio in Los Angeles, California in April 2006. Chairlift relocated to Williamsburg, Brooklyn in August 2006 and signed to Kanine Records in June 2007. Patrick Wimberly joined the group in early 2007. After writing and recording while Polachek was still in college,[2] Chairlift released their first full-length album, Does You Inspire You, in 2008.
Their song "Bruises" was featured in the 2008 Apple commercial that launched the fourth-generation iPod Nano.[3] The single "Evident Utensil" was nominated for an award in the "Breakthrough Video" category at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards.[4] The album was rereleased by Columbia Records on April 21, 2009, after the band signed with the major label. The rerelease included two additional tracks not on the original release and a longer version of "Make Your Mind Up".[5] Chairlift went on their first international tour, opening for bands like Phoenix, The Killers, and MGMT.[6][7] Pfenning left Chairlift in 2010 to pursue his solo career in Rewards. On September 7, 2011 they released the video to their single "Amanaemonesia" from their second album Something.[9] For their 2012 single "Met Before" Chairlift created an interactive, choose-your-own-adventure video that Buzzfeed awarded the number one spot on its "23 Best Music Videos of 2012" end-of-year round up.[10] Their sophomore album Something released via Columbia Records on January 24, 2012.
[8] Something features production from Dan Carey and Alan Moulder.[11] After the record was released in Japan, Polachek co-directed a video for a Japanese version of "I Belong In Your Arms" with director/animator Eric Epstein. Through the time Polachek was finishing her solo record Arcadia, Chairlift continued working on their third record, "Moth". "Moth" was released January 22, 2016. On the same day as the album release, Chairlift was featured on "Sweet"'s snapchat story discussing their history, their music, and promoting their newest album. Moth features 10 new songs, including the single "Ch-Ching", which was featured on snapchat. In December 2016, Chairlift announced that they would be breaking up, with a final tour in the spring of 2017. Chairlift collaborated with Das Racist on the song "Fashion Party", the tenth song on Das Racist's 2010 mixtape, Sit Down, Man. In 2011, Wimberly produced multiple songs in American rap group Das Racist's album Relax. In 2013, Wimberly and Polachek collaborated with Beyoncé on the song "No Angel" from the album Beyoncé.
In 2014 Polachek announced that she would release a solo LP under the name Ramona Lisa. Titled Arcadia, the album was released in April 2014 on the labels Terrible in the US, Pannonica in Europe/Japan, and Mistletone in Australia/New Zealand. ^ a b cPage Reviewed / Updated - May 2016 Quotes for Stair Lift Purchase & InstallTechnology to Lower Care CostsFind Affordable Home CareFind Financial Help for EldercareOther Financial Help for Home ModsTable of Contents Medicare's Policy Medicaid Coverage Assistance for Veterans State-Based Home Modification Programs Other Financial Assistance and Payment Options Costs Features Affecting Price Purchasing Used Installations Alternatives to Stair Lifts Stair Lift Manufacturers Does Medicare cover the cost of stair lifts? It is logical to begin here as it is a very common question. The short, uncomplicated answer is, for all practical purposes, Medicare does not pay for stair lifts. The one possible exception to this rule is Medicare might pay for a small portion of the cost if the stair lift has an elevating seat which helps the rider to sit down and get up from the chair safely.
However, such a feature would only be available in a high-end stair chair which would cost considerably more than the amount Medicare would reimburse the purchaser. In other words, the amount of financial assistance would be less than the additional cost for a stair lift which has that feature. Medicare supplemental insurance policies also do not cover stair lifts. These policies are intended to help with co-payments and deductibles for goods and services covered by Medicare. Since, Medicare does not help, neither would a Supplemental or Medigap policy.Seniors and Medicare beneficiaries can receive free quotes for the purchase and installation of stair lifts. As Medicaid policies are different in every state, it is difficult to make a general statement about Medicaid's coverage of stair lifts. Furthermore, Medicaid offers multiple programs in each state, still making the question more complicated. However, if we limit the discussion to Medicaid's policy for the elderly and / or disabled who are living in their homes, the probable answer is yes, Medicaid will likely cover the cost for medically necessary, stair lifts provided they enable individuals to remain living in their homes and avoid nursing home placement.
If Medicaid in your state covers stair lifts, it will do so through your state's Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) Waivers. Waivers are Medicaid non-entitlement programs that help individuals who require a nursing home level of care to remain living at home. Many Medicaid Waivers cover home modifications and the purchase and installation of a stair lift would be considered a home modification and therefore a covered benefit. See a state by state list of HCBS Waivers for home modifications. Another option is State Plan Medicaid, which may be thought of as regular Medicaid. Regular Medicaid is an entitlement, but usually has more restrictive financial criteria when compared to Waivers. Many states cover durable medical equipment (DME) under their state plan. Under DME, they may cover mobility-enhancing equipment and a stair lift could be classified as such. Medicaid would pay only for the most basic model and the program may cap the amount of assistance an individual can receive.
Therefore, state plan Medicaid program might not cover the full cost. The Veteran's Administration is somewhat more generous than Medicare when it comes to stair lifts or stair glides as they are referred to by the VA. Wheelchair bound veterans and those who cannot otherwise manage the stairs in their homes as a result of a service connected disability can have stair lifts paid for by VA health care. A home visit and a skills evaluation are both necessary prior to authorization. There are also options for elderly veterans or their spouses who cannot manage stairs for reasons unrelated to their military service. Many families are already aware of the VA Aid and Attendance benefit which can be used for care related services. If not, more information is available here. Lesser known are Veterans Directed Home and Community Based Services (VD-HCBS). These are VA Medical Center-specific programs that help veterans who would otherwise require nursing home level care by providing them with assistance that allows them to remain living in their homes.
Some of these services are left up to the veterans' discretion, hence the phrase Veterans Directed. Under VD-HCBS, should the veteran determine a stair lift is essential to helping them remain in their home, it would then be an allowable expense. Yet another option for veterans are grants intended to accommodate for a disability. HISA Grants are applicable to the widest number of veterans as they do not require that one's disability be born from an injury experienced during their military service. Also available, though to a narrower range of individuals, are the SHA Grant and the SAH Grant. Approximately half the states have non-Medicaid assistance programs which help the elderly remain in the homes. Unfortunately, not all of these programs cover home modifications. While eligibility requirements differ from program to program, typically these programs consider both the applicant's income and their financial assets (as well as their physical need). A list of state programs which provide help for home modifications is available here.
One must inquire specifically with the program if a stair lift would be an allowable expense. The purchase price of a new stair lift ranges from approximately $1,000 - $3,000. Some manufacturers and resellers include the installation costs in the purchase prices and others do not. For those stair lifts which cannot be self-installed, one should expect to pay an additional $500 - $1000 for a professional installation. Free non-binding quotes are available here. There are many factors and features which can affect the price of a stair lift. Some of the more important ones include: Unlike many home medical products, purchasing a stair lift used, makes good sense. The designed lifespan for most stair lifts is approximately ten years and the average stair lift is only used in the home for three years. For those paying out of pocket, buying used can save 25% - 50% off of purchasing the product new. Buyers can expect a product price of between $500 - $1,500 for a used stair lift.
It should be emphasized that unless one is buying from professional refurbisher, this price very likely does not include installation. One challenge, when buying used, is with curved staircases. It is much easier to match a straight staircase stair lift to a different house. With curved staircases, very few are exactly alike and buyers may be required to purchase additional pieces of track from the manufacturer to make the stair lift fit their home. Installing a stair lift can be a very straight-forward, do it yourself project or a very complicated, multi-day project requiring both a professional installer and an electrician. Installations tend to be a lot more simple for straight staircases with adequate clearance at the base and top of the stairway. Though challenging for an elderly individual, younger family members and friends with limited construction experience should be able to handle the most basic installations. A variety of factors affect the difficulty therefore the cost of a stair lift install.
Most professionally installed stair lifts cost between $500 and $1,000 for the labor. Some stair lift manufacturers or resellers include the cost of installation in the purchase price of the product. Factors which affect installation cost include: Stair lifts, without financial assistance, can be beyond the reach of many families. Unfortunately, there are very few, less expensive alternatives. One option is to install hand rails on either side of the staircase. This narrows the staircase considerably allowing the stair climber to stabilize themselves from both sides simultaneously. The hand rails should extend one foot beyond the top and bottom of the stairway. Though obviously not perfect, this solution should cost less than $200 installed. A second option are sliding stair rails. These are grab bars which slide and lock into position in front of the stair climber and move along as they climb or descend. One manufacturer of these products is called StairAid. StairAids, though still fairly expensive, cost approximately 50 percent less than an electric stair lift.