Mobility issues make it so that tasks that were once regular parts of our every day become difficult and even dangerous. Walking up a flight of steps can easily be placed in that category of tasks. For those who have difficulty walking and who may require a wheelchair to get around, climbing stairs is pretty much out of the question. It’s best to err on the side of caution, of course. Playing it safe is always your best bet.
What is the safest way for an individual with mobility issues to ascend stairs?
At Advantage Home Health Solutions, we highly recommend the stair lift. There simply is no more effective solution for providing both safety and ease for those who need to get upstairs and downstairs in their homes. This is especially true for individuals who may not always be in the presence of caregivers. If he or she can walk but has trouble climbing up and down flights of stairs, a stair lift is an ideal solution.
How do stair lifts work?
Also known as stair chairs, stair lifts are motorized chairs that are installed along the sides of stair cases. They allow users to bypass the act of walking up or down stairs by simply taking a seat instead. The stair lift safely ascends and descends up and down stairs with the user seated comfortably in the chair. Stair lifts help those with mobility issues to easily access multiple floors, if necessary.
They also work with any set of stairs, whether they are straight or curved. This helps for those in need of help getting upstairs and downstairs to relieve themselves of the concerns that they may need to relocate to homes that have only one floor. Stair lifts give back senses of independence to those who feel like their mobility issues are keeping them trapped in sections of their homes.
“Stairlifts can provide a great deal of freedom and independence, and can mean that there’s no need to move house to a bungalow, or build an extension, or convert other rooms in the house,” confirms Disabled-World.com, “A stairlift can be fitted quickly and easily in a few hours so that the inconvenience is minimal, and you can regain the use of all the rooms in the house.”
What factors should be considered before installing your stair lift?
There is a number of important considerations when deciding to install a stair lift in your home. The most important one is the ability to transfer onto and off of the seat safely. Naturally, a user’s safety is of primary importance. Whether the staircase is straight or curved is also a major factor in determining the right stair lift to install. Uninterrupted staircases are ideal for straight stair lifts. It’s also an ideal solution if there is a landing and the user has no issues with transferring.
However, if the staircase is curved, this will change the type of stair lift a user needs. As Disabled-World.com points out, when choosing a stair lift, you should also address “such subjects as whether you are left or right handed, whether you can lift your feet to step height, whether you have difficulties getting out of a chair at normal height, and the nature of the problem causing problems getting up and downstairs.”
There are, of course, a few other things to consider including the presence of walls, doors, openings and handrails on or around the staircase. We will address these and other considerations in a future blog, so be sure to keep visiting our website! However, we’d be happy to answer any questions you may have about the stair lifts that Advantage Home Health Solutions has to offer directly. 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!
