It should go without saying that a loss of mobility presents a major change in one’s life. The once-simple act of walking up and down stairs can become a cumbersome task. In the case of many Canadians, it’s a task that cannot be completed without assistance. At Advantage Home Health Solutions, we proudly provide stair lifts that not only safely transport our clients up and down stairs, but ensures their safely and comfort at the same time.
You may be of the mind that all stair lifts are created equal. After all, their jobs are simple, right? They go up and they do down. However, when installing a stair lift, there is a lot more to consider than you may have assumed. This is why the team, here at Advantage Home Health Solutions, goes to great lengths to inform our clients about the facets of stair lifts so that they can make informed decisions.
So what things should you consider before installing your stair lift? Here are five important ones:
1. Safety.
You know the old saying, “safety first”. Well, it’s neither a cliché nor a sales gimmick. It’s the truth. And, at Advantage Home Health Solutions, we consider it a top priority. Making sure that a stairwell is free of any tripping hazards is imperative to the safety of our clients. As we pointed out in our last blog, we also make sure that our clients are aware of the obstruction sensors that come with our stair lifts. They ensure that stair lifts stop if something is in the way.
2. Ease of use and access.
Getting up and down a flight of stairs on a stair lift isn’t as simple as simply sitting down in a chair. It’s important to determine exactly how one plans on getting on and getting off of the chair. And if more than one person in the home plans on using the stair lift, there are factors that should be considered such as the direction one will be facing when he/she is at the bottom of the stairs. Dismounting at the top of the stairs should be made easy for all users.
3. Staircase configuration.
Does your staircase go straight up in one direction or does it go around in a curve? Is it a single flight of stairs or is there a flat landing before the top of the stairs is reached? If there is a flat landing, what is its length, width and pitch? Getting a firm assessment of the exact type of staircase you need your stair lift for is an imperative step in choosing the right one.
4. Walls, doors, openings and handrails.
The tops of all staircases are not the same, are they? Some have clear openings to hallways, while others have closets, bathrooms or bedrooms immediately appearing. As well, not all handrails are identical. The location of the handrail as well as its width and overall size come into play when deciding where to install a stair lift. Is the handrail on the same side as where the stair lift could be?
5. Flooring.
What type of flooring is located directly beneath and around the stair lift? Is it carpet or hardwood flooring? Is the floor surface made of wood, concrete or ceramic materials? Answering such questions will often help us to determine the stair lifts that are easiest to install for our team and the safest to get on and get off for our clients. However, we imagine that you may have many more questions of your own.
Of course, we’d only be too happy to answer them! If you have any questions about the mobility devices and home accessibility options that Advantage Home Health Solutions has to offer, please don’t hesitate to contact us to ask them. Give us a call at 403-460-5438. You may also email us by filling out the form on our Contact Page!
