It can be extremely important to find a way to increase staircase safety at home, often meaning the difference between safety and severe injury. For seniors, this is especially true, as a senior is much more likely to fall on the stairs than any other age group. One of the most common means of making the stairs safer is to use a stair lift.
The stair lift is an important safety aid, used to help make it easier for an individual to use the stairs. While there are quite a few different models of stair lift, they typically are designed in a similar manner. A chair or small platform is provided to support the users weight. The stair lifts chair or small platform is then sent up and down the staircase, moving along a metal track. This helps to ensure that the stair lift user is safely carried up the staircase, with a greatly reduced risk of injury.
The basic design principals of a stair lift do not vary too much model by model, but there are many more subtle differences between the different types of stair lifts. Some of these differences are primarily based on aesthetics and comfort. For instance, most stair lift manufacturers offer several different seat designs, some with more cushioning or a different look to the seat. Stair lift seats that have fabric coverings usually offer a number of different fabrics for the user to choose from, so that the stair lift can be matched to the home’s furnishing.
While a number of the choices offered by stair lift manufactures might be based on aesthetics, there are also a number of choices that are more geared towards the safety of the user. For instance, the actual size of the stair lifts seat varies, with extra large reinforced seats available. Stair lifts with extra large reinforced seats typically fall into the category of heavy duty stair lifts and can also support much more weight. Seats with special restraint systems are also available, such as a shoulder harness, which can be an important tool for those who rely upon caretakers to use the stair lift.
Another difference between the different types of stair lifts offered by medical manufacturers involve the way the stair lift is powered. There are two types of power supplies available for stair lifts and they are classified as either an AC Stair Lift or a DC Stair Lift.
AC Stair Lifts are the least expensive option and get their power directly from the home’s wall electrical outlet. The AC Stair Lift has been around the longest and up until the 1990′s was the most common type of stair lift.
DC Stair Lifts are beginning to be a much more common and popular choice, because they are powered off of a rechargeable battery. These types of stair lifts, which are often referred to as a battery powered stair lift, offer the advantage of continuing to function even if the power goes out, so add a great deal of security to the home. However, battery powered stair lifts do have a higher upfront cost and maintenance cost than AC Stair Lifts do.
Stair lifts are a tremendous tool for those who have difficulty walking up the stairs. They can greatly improve home accessibility and make life much easier for the mobility challenged.
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