Preventing Accidents on the Stairs

It is usually very difficult for people who have arthritis, neuromuscular diseases, or other mobility problems to use the stairs. The stairs can also present a very real danger to those who are mobility challenged and falling down the stairs is the leading cause of accidental death among those over 65.

With all the dangers the stairs can present to a mobility challenged individual, it is no surprise that many people think that the only way to stay safe on the stairs is to avoid them. This stance is taken by many people, but it means not using a significant part of your home or moving to a home or assisted living facility that does not use stairs. The people that take this route though have likely not heard about stair lifts.

Stair lifts can be found in homes across the country and throughout the entire world. They are a mobility lifting aid that carries a person up and down the stairs in a safe manner. The person is carried up and down the stairs using a seat or small platform that travels along a metal track. The metal track is most often affixed directly to the stairs, but some models attach to the wall.

A stair lift is controlled by a remote control that is attached to the chair or small platform. The remote control has a dead mans switch, which might sound scary, but it just means that to keep the lift moving you must keep constant pressure on the remote control button. In addition to the attached remote control, most stair lifts come with 2 wireless remotes with can be Velcro-ed at the top and bottom of the stairs. These wireless remotes also have a dead mans switch and allow you to bring the unit to the top or bottom of the stairs even if the car is not present, using the same principal as calling an elevator.

If you can not use the stairs, then a stair lift is one type of mobility aid that can greatly help to improve your safety on the stairs.

Climbing the Stairs Safely with a Stair Lift

It can be difficult for people who have a muscular disease or a joint disorder like arthritis to use the stairs. These types of illnesses can make it dangerous to use the stairs without assistance and can often force the person to make the difficult decision of not using part of their home or relying on someone to help them use the stairs. This is a decision that you do not need to make if you install a stair lift.

Stair lifts can be installed onto most straight staircases quickly and inexpensively. A track is first secured to the steps. The track runs the distance of the staircase and a chair or small platform is sent up and down the stairs.

Most people find these mobility devices can be used with ease and they make the whole family’s life easier and safer. Often it can be difficult enough to keep yourself steady on the stairs, but if you have to help a family member up the stairs, it becomes much harder. In some cases it might not even be possible to do in a safe manner and this is part of the reason that a stair lift can help make the whole family’s stair experience safer.

The stairs do not have to be an overwhelming obstacle, but it can be easy for them to be seen this way. If you or a loved one can not use the stairs in a safe manner anymore, it is probably a good time to invest in a stair lift.

Stair Lifts: A helping Hand

If you are mobility challenged, then it might be very difficult or even impossible to use the stairs on your own. Often just keeping your balance is hard, but when this is coupled with the pain that can be associated with arthritis, it makes it very dangerous to use the stairs. Many people install stair lifts in order to keep safe while using the stairs.

By installing a stair lift in your home, you are basically installing a helping hand that can carry you up and down the stairs at any time of the day. A track is installed to the steps and securely bolted in place. Attached to the track is a chair that is sent up and down the stairs.

These lifts greatly reduce virtually any risk of injury while on the stairs, but you still must follow some basic safety procedures. A stair lift operates by a remote control that is usually attached to the chair. In order to move the chair, constant pressure must be applied to the remote control button. You should never attempt to stand while using the stair lift. It is also very important to keep the stairs free from clutter. Embedded in the footrest of quality lifts is a sensor that detects objects on the stairs, and will keep the lift from moving.

Stair lifts are a very good way to keep the risk of falling at a minimum and to always be able to independently use the stairs.