Stair Lifts: Struggle With the Stairs No More


by Sean Noughtly - Date: 2008-11-24 - Word Count: 537 Share This!

People of all ages often struggle with the stairs, but people who are over sixty five represent the group most likely to have difficulty on the stairs. This is commonly caused by mobility diseases, like arthritis, that make it difficult and oft painful to use the stairs. One way to solve this problem would be to avoid the area that has stairs, which might work for public areas, but avoiding an area in your home is something that is not very practical. A much more elegant solution is to install a stair lift.

Stair lifts, a type of home medical equipment, are made to allow an individual to safely span a staircase. In many cases, they can be installed very easily and drastically reduce the chance of falling on the stairs Most of these lifts operate using a chair to move the person between floors. The chair moves along a track that is directly attached to the stairs. The chaired lift system, or stair chair, is one of the safest ways to use the stairs, but a few lifts are available that use platforms instead of the chair.

These platform lifts are typically only used by people who lack the ability to bend their knee or move their leg, such as after a hip or knee replacement surgery. The individual will stand on a small platform that moves them up the stairs. These require that the occupant remain standing the entire distance of the staircase, but some do provide a place the user can lean against. Since there is much more balance required to use these platform lifts, which are called perch lifts, most do not recommend their use unless they are needed out of medical necessity.

Since it is safer, the stair chair is the most common type of stair lift and the one that most people are familiar with. Many times, the seat will be designed so that it can pivot. This way, the chair can be pivoted away from the staircase, which allows an individual to enter the lift safely without touching the staircase.

A sensor is built into quality lifts to ensure that things on the stairs do not obstruct the lift or interfere with its operation. The sensor can detect objects on the stairs that could interfere with the lift. Since it is not possible to guarantee that there will not be anyone to leave a toy or pocketbook on the stairs, these sensors can greatly help to increase the overall safety of the stair lifts occupant.

There are several things that should be thought about when purchasing this type of mobility aid. It is necessary to know several measurements of the staircase. Typically to begin with, just having a general idea of the length and width of the staircase is sufficient. Using a tape measure carefully find the distance from the floor to the top landing. Measure the width of the staircase as well. The dealer will require more precise measurements, but having a general idea of the length is usually enough to narrow down what type of stair lift is required. The weight of the rider is also something that should be figured out before ordering the lift. Most lifts support at least 300 pounds.


Related Tags: health, seniors, falls, stairs, stair lifts


Sean is very familiar with lifting aids like stair lifts. These devices can greatly improve your safety and are used by seniors and others who have difficulty using the stairs. Find out more about these and other lifting aids, like wheelchair lifts, by visiting AmeriGlide. Your Article Search Directory : Find in Articles

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