What Are The Different Options For Stairlifts?

If you’re struggling to climb the stairs, have recently suffered a fall or care for someone with a degenerative disease, you may have thought of installing a stairlift in your property.

Getting a stairlift put into your home is far easier than the difficulties of buying and selling house, even when you disregard the emotional strain that the leaving your residence can cause.

Sometimes, though, people think that their home isn’t suitable for a stairlift, perhaps because of the shape of their staircase, or the narrowness of the stairs.

Others fret that the cost would prove too much for their finances, that the installation would create a huge amount of damage or perhaps they might not even be convinced of the benefits.

All of these are understandable reservations, but in reality none of these are applicable or insoluble.

The Stairlift

The stairlift has been around in its modern form since around the 1920′s. In that time, many different designs have evolved to tackle every kind of problem imaginable.

People often think that their stairs are too narrow, or curve too much for a stairlift to be installed. Rest assured that this is not the case; modern chairs are up to every challenge. Indeed, it’s even possible to have a stairlift on an external set of stairs.

Design features include hinged rails at the bottom of the stairs to deal with troublesome doorways, “perched” chairs for narrow stairs, platforms and other adaptations for landings and using different combinations of railing to navigate complicated staircases. Some models can be controlled by remote rather than the user, so that a carer is in control of their charge.

New builds are manufactured from scratch according to your specifications, meaning that you needn’t worry about problems during the installation (because they’ve already been measured and planned out) and you can ask any questions that you might have at the survey stage. The planner will also ask questions about your health and needs in order to determine the best solution for you.

As a consequence, a typical installation takes less than an hour and will cause the minimum of disruption. There’s no need for the use of any power tool more sophisticated than a drill, as the main element of the work is fixing the railing into position.

Costs

Price shouldn’t be your main concern when considering whether you need a stairlift.

For a start, you don’t have to purchase a stairlift, but can rent in order to gauge the benefits of having one available. There’s also a thriving market for second-hand and refurbished models, offering further cost saving opportunities.

Furthermore, local government recognises the benefits of people being able to stay in surroundings that they’re comfortable in, and can often provide a grant towards the cost.

In short, stairlifts can be specifically made for your needs, with every aspect of your home taken into account. Given the benefits to personal mobility and safety that they provide and that a survey costs nothing, what is there to lose in?

Health blogger Anne regular writes about the latest mobility gadgets that help the elderly and is a full time carer herself.