The staircase is one of the most dangerous areas of the home for seniors. Annually, falls on the stairs represent the leading cause of serious injury, hospitalization, and accidental death among the elderly. With this knowledge, it becomes apparent that the stairs must be made safe and easy to use for the elderly and others who have limited mobility. In some cases, this means installing a stair lift on the stairway.
A stair lift is a powerful safety tool, which is designed to carry a single person up and down the stairs. The person enters the stair lift at the top or bottom of the stairs, most often by sitting in a chair or, in some instances, standing on a small platform. Once on the lift, it must simply be activated and the user will be carried safely along the staircase.
There are many different types of stair lifts available and several common manufacturers, such as Summit Stair Lifts and Acorn Stair Lifts, but a big part of the decision on what type of stair lift to use depends on what type of staircase is in the home.
Usually a stair lift for a straight staircase is the easiest to install and least expensive type of stair lift. There are a number of DIY Stair Lift Kits that are designed for the homeowner to install. These kits are less expensive than other types of stair lifts, with the added benefit that you can save a great deal on installation costs. However, most staircases are not straight, so the DIY Stair Lift Kit is not always an option.
There are several stair lifts available for non-straight stairways and choosing the right one depends on what type of staircase is present. For staircases with 90 degree bends, including stairways with landings halfway down, there are several stair lifts available that are competitively priced. These stair lifts are typically more expensive than straight stair lifts though, but can usually be shipped quickly and installed relatively easily.
For curved staircases that do not have a 90 degree bend, but instead have a more curved shape, it is usually necessary to purchase a custom built stair lift. These are the most expensive, because the track must be bent to fit the curve of the staircase. Not only is this very pricey, but it also can take several months for the stair lift to be built and installed. Usually an elevator is a more cost effective and practical choice in this case, as curved stair lifts have a much lower resale value and take so much longer to be built and installed.
Once the stair lift is installed, using it is a breeze. Most stair lifts provide a chair for the person to sit in as they are carried up or down the stairway, which is why they are often called stair chairs. The chair swivels, so entering or exiting the stair lift can be done safely off of the actual steps. Most stair chairs also include seat belts and chest restraints, or at least have them as an option, which can be useful for caretakers.
The stair lift itself is controlled using a simple hand control, which is wired directly to the chair. Using a constant pressure system, which means the stair lift only moves as long as someone is pressing the button, it is then simply necessary to push the up or down button and let the stair lift do the rest. Most stair lifts also include two wireless remotes, which can be mounted at the top and bottom landing to act as call buttons for the stair lift.
Add a Comment