We all need to take steps to ensure our families remain safe when we are at home. However, for many older adults, the very act of taking steps can be a risky one. Do you live with an elderly loved one or individual with mobility issues? Do they have issues with balance and/or strength? If so, walking up and down the stairs of your house may prove to be dangerous. You may want to consider a viable remedy: the stair lift.
Here are three signs it’s time to install a stair lift in your house:
1. Your loved one has expressed feeling unsafe.
There’s nothing like good old verbal communication to know how your loved ones are feeling. Here’s hoping you enjoy open and honest dialogue in your home. This may require the asking of some probing questions. Do the elderly loved ones in your home feel unsafe when using the stairs? Does the person with mobility issues feel nervous when having to visit another level of the home? No one in your family should feel unsafe. The installation of a stair lift can work wonders in bringing about peace of mind.
“The safety features that come with a stair lift include a safety buckle which is included on the chair,” reports U.K.’s Access BDD, “The system also has a variety of other safety features that prevent operation if there is any obstruction on the path of the stair lift or if you have not placed the armrest and footrest in the right position. Most stair lifts also come with a lock switch that prevents the chair from being used by other people especially children.”
2. Your family member has fallen and gotten injured.
Slips and falls are among the top reasons that elderly people in Canada require hospitalizations. The risk of slips and falls in your home is not to be taken lightly. If you live with an older adult who has already taken a tumble, it’s imperative that you do what you can to prevent it from every happening again. Making stair climbs an injury-free experience is a great way to safeguard your home from future slips and falls.
“Stairs are difficult to navigate, especially for older family members,” affirms Medium.com, “Falls on the stairs can be dangerous. Injuries, weaknesses and problems with vision, balance and strength can make climbing and descending stairs a dangerous task for older people. A stair lift helps people to use the stairs in safety, reducing the risk of injuries from falling on the stairs.”
3. Your elderly loved one spends most of his/her time on one level of the home.
Does Grandma or Grandpa tend to stay in his/her room? Does the family member who uses a mobility solution generally keep to the main level of the home? In any scenario when a loved one pretty much avoids the stairs, it suggests that a change is needed.
Not having full use of one’s home can be both depressing and aggravating. It can lead to feelings of isolation and loneliness, especially when other members are congregating on those hard-to-access levels. A stair lift installation will remove the barrier of the staircase and ensure no member of the home feels cut off from the rest of the family.
To learn all about the stair lifts offered by Advantage Home Health Solutions, please don’t hesitate to give us a call at 403-460-5438. You may also email us by filling out the form on our Contact page!
