Stair Lifts: Improving Safety

The inability to safely and reliably use the stairs, will in many cases largely affect a persons life. There are many places that have stairs, including most homes. In many ways areas away from the home can be navigated, because government regulations require for businesses to be made accessible. The home is a different story and not being able to get around your own home can largely effect a persons life. This is one reason that many people use stair lifts.

A stair lift is a medical lifting aid that helps to carry someone up the stairs. They usually are called stair chairs, which the occupant can sit in as they are moved along the distance of the stairs.

When getting ready for installing a stair lift, there are several considerations. The distance the stairs spans is one of the most important factors. The width of the staircase is also important, because you will want to have enough space to still walk up and down the stairs. Some lifts feature a folding seat, which when not in use can be folded to decrease the amount of space the lift takes up.

However, the most important factor is the type of staircase you have. A curved staircase requires a very expensive lift that will need to be custom built and professionally installed. A straight staircase on the other hand can be outfitted with a stair lift much easier and for a great deal less money. Those that have curved stairways, can usually install a residential elevator in place of a curved stair lift for about the same money, but will get a better return on their investment.

Choosing the Correct Stair Lift

Climbing the stairs has been shown to become much more difficult and dangerous as a person's age increases. Often those that are older are not as resilient and do not heal as quickly, so a fall can be very hard to recover from. There are several ways to prevent falls, like avoiding the stairs or moving to an area without stairs, but these are in most cases impractical. In most instances a stair lift is the best way to prevent a fall on the stairs.

As a means of preventing falls and increasing accessibility, a stair lift ranks very high. For straight staircases, they cost much less than an elevator would be and can be installed with only slight modification to the stairs. Several self-install kits are often used, which can be installed in only a few hours and do not require any special tools.

Finding the right stair lift is important and there are several factors that you should consider. The overall length of the staircase and the weight of the occupant that is using the lift are two of the most important concerns. If the staircase is less than 35 feet, it is seldom an issue, but staircases that exceed 35 feet need a special type of lift. Most have a weight capacity that is around 350 pounds, but this varies by model. There are several available that can support a good deal more than 350 pounds, but often this is over a shorter distance.

You will need to get exact measurements of your stairs before ordering a lift, but most dealers can walk you through this process. It is, however, a good idea to get an approximate measurement of the length of your stairs before you begin looking at available models.

Those that use these lifts are able to access all areas of their home with only the push of a button and are much safer doing so.

Measuring For Your Stairlift

Sometimes health problems increase as we age. These health problems end up preventing us from doing normal tasks that we would usually do without these ailments. Throughout the years, stair lifts has provided a great aid for people who are unable to travel up or downstairs. Before buying a stair lift, it is always important to have the correct measurements of the stairway on hand.

When measuring your stairway, it is always best to measure twice. You want to be as accurate as possible so when it's time to install the stair lift, there won't be any problems. Always begin at the very top of the step and, with a measuring tape, measure all the way to the bottom. Make sure that the measuring tape doesn't sag in between the steps.

After this, measure the depth, the diagonal distance from edge to edge of one step, height, width, and depth. Doing these measurements will prove that the aforementioned measurements are correct and that stair lift will fit. The last thing you should do is measure the length of the bottom step to the closest wall next to the stairs.

Safety, Stair Lifts, and More

Using the stairs is an integral part of many people's daily routines, but for those that have difficulty walking, which is often as a result of diseases like arthritis, it can be difficult or even impossible to use the stairs. For these people a stair lift is often the best and most cost effective way to allow full access of their home.

Those that are not able to safely use the stairs might consider simply avoiding areas that have stairs and for public areas, this might be a good idea. However, around the home this solution looses its practicality. This is because avoiding the upstairs of your home means that you will have to avoid a large portion of your home. It is far better to take advantage of one of the many mobility lifting aids that are available for the home.

The stair lift is the most common type of lifting aid found in the home. This is because most homes have straight staircases and in these homes a stair lift can be installed for much less than an elevator could be. The stair lift carries a single occupant up and down the stairs quickly and safely. Depending on the model, some are capable of supporting over 500 pounds and can be used indoors or outdoors. While outdoor models are available, they cost a little more and are required to be completely weatherproof. Indoor lifts are less expensive and more common, but both are very popular.

People who have curved staircases are almost always better off going with an elevator though, because the cost will be about the same, but the elevator has much more functionality.

Use a Stair Lift, Get Safety

If you are someone that suffers from health problems that negatively affect your ability to walk up the stairs, you might feel that you are limited, but this does not have to be the case. Instead there are several ways to overcome these limitations, and one of the most common ways is by using a stair lift.

Stair lifts are used in many situations, both residential and commercial, to make all areas easily accessible. Most use a chair that the user sits in as they are carried up and down the stairs. The chair is attached to a metal track and an electric motor moves the chair slowly along the track.

If you live in an area that has frequent power disruptions it is a good idea to go with a battery powered stair lift. These lifts have a slightly higher up front cost and, since the battery must be periodically replaced, it also has a slightly higher maintenance cost. However, if the power goes out, the lift will continue working, so you do not have to worry about becoming stranded up stairs.

When looking for a battery powered stair lift, make certain that you learn how the unit charges. Most modern lifts charge constantly, even when they are being used, but older lifts used a system that is sort of like a cordless phone. In order for older lifts to charge, the chair had to be parked in a specific place and if you forgot, the battery would not charge.

Most lifts you will find no longer use this method, but a few still do, so make certain that you find out about this before you purchase the lift.

Let a Stair Lift Do the Climbing

Climbing the stairs is frequently difficult and sometimes impossible for those who are afflicted by arthritis and other mobility related problems. It is easy to hurt yourself on the stairs and falls are the leading cause of hospitalization among those who are over the age of sixty-five. A stair lift is one of several devices that can be easily installed to most staircases and will prevent accidents on the stairs.

A stair lift is a type of mobility aid that is used to carry a person up and down the stairs. Usually a chair is used, but sometimes a small platform is used to carry to transport the person between floors. The chair lift is generally the best bet, because it is much safer, but the platform lift is used by people who cannot bend their knees enough to sit down.

Installing a stair lift is generally very easy if you have a straight stairway. They can usually be shipped and installed in less than a week. While many people do the installation on their own, it is important to follow all of the steps, so if you don't feel comfortable doing it, don't do it. Professional installers are available and in addition to installing the lift, they will provide in home instructions about how to use it.

Installing the stair lift is the first step in preventing accidents, but you still must be careful when using the lift. Always remain seated when the lift is moving and keep the stairs free from obstacles. The lift is designed to detect obstacles on the stairs, so it will stop before it damages you or the unit, but there is no need to take any risks.

Stair Lifts on the Stairs

A staircase is a common part of many homes in America and it is also one of the most dangerous areas of the home. A fall down the stairs can be devastating and the leading cause of accidental death and hospitalization among people over sixty-five is a fall down the stairs. One of the most accepted ways to prevent a fall down the stairs is to use a stair lift.

Stair lifts are similar to elevators in that they are used to carry people between floors. Unlike an elevator or a vertical platform lift though, stair lifts carry people across the length of the stairs, instead of vertically up and down. They are usually installed onto the steps, but in some cases, like in instances of a curved staircase or an exceedingly narrow staircase, the stair lift is instead installed onto the wall. A chair is most commonly used to carry the person up and down the stairs and it moves along a track that is secured to the steps or wall.

The amount of weight that a stair lift is capable of supporting varies by model. Most average between 300 and 375, but some are capable of supporting a considerably larger amount of weight. Those stair lifts that support over 375 pounds are usually called heavy duty stair lifts and feature reinforced seats that are usually also a little wider.

People that have and use a stair lift are able to quickly reduce the risk of an injury, which can occur when you fall down the stairs.