What Makes Up a Stair Lift?

Aging can be a wonderful thing, but it usually involves some changes to the way our body works. There are some things that become much more difficult and using the stairs tops the list. Not only is the task of using the stairs often much more difficult, it is also much more dangerous. Falls while using the staircase are the number one cause of accidental death among those over sixty-five, which is the reason that so many folks decide to install a stair lift.

Around the home, a stair lift usually is the easiest way to increase safety on the stairs without putting an undue tax on the wallet. For straight staircases, a stair lift is much less expensive than an elevator and will require little home construction. Usually a stair lift can be quickly and simply installed onto a stairway in only a few hours onto a straight staircase.

Stair lifts generally consist of a aluminum track that is securely attached to the staircase using a mounting bracket. After the track is secured to the stairs, the car is placed on the track. The car is what carries the person along the distance of the stairs and it moves up or down its track. Usually a seat is attached to the car and the occupant of the stair lift sits in the seat as they are moved up the stairs.

Most stairway lifts are usually controlled by a hand control that is attached to the lifts car. It receives its power from the lift, so there are not any concerns about remembering to change batteries and since it is physically attached to the car, it can not be lost.

The control uses a constant pressure switch, so in order for the lift to move, the button on the hand control must be held down. This makes certain that the lift only moves when you want it to and if something happens, you can simply release the hand control and the lift will stop moving. They are also usually designed so they can be operated by only a single finger.

In addition to the hand control that is physically attached to the car, most lifts also come with two wireless remotes. Generally these are placed at the upper and lower landing and secured to the wall with Velcro. This way they can be taken down if needed, but otherwise it is always possible to call the lift, even if it is at the bottom of the stairs and you are at the top.

When choosing a lift, you can go with a battery powered lift or an AC powered lift. The battery powered lifts can be used even if the power is interrupted, but they cost a little more.

Today, battery powered lifts use a constant charging system, so the lift is always charging no matter where it is on the track. Older and lower quality stair lifts require that the car is parked in a specific spot on the track to charge. This meant that if you forgot to park it in a specific place, the lift would not charge. Since, few lifts and no quality ones still use this configuration, they tend to be a lot more reliable.

Those that use a stair lift are able to safely use and independently climb up their stairway without fearing a fall.