Stairlifts To Heaven
John Fowler
Many elderly people face a difficult choice in their later
years, as their ability to tackle the stairs in their houses
becomes more difficult. Do they sell the houses they love and
move into a bungalow or sheltered accommodation or do they
convert their dining room to a bedroom and live downstairs,
assuming they have a bathroom on the ground floor. Of course,
there is a third option, which is to provide safe and secure
access to their upstairs facilities by using installing a
stairlift.
The purchase of a stairlift is quite a daunting prospect since
it is something that you have probably never done before and
will never do again. What should you look for in a stairlift
and do you understand all of the facilities available and which
ones are most important to you? There is also the cost factor,
how much do you pay to get peace of mind and should you
consider second-hand or reconditioned stairlifts.
Firstly, my recommendation is that whether you buy new or
reconditioned that you go to a reputable supplier who can
advise you on all of the issues, especially installation. If
someone has passed away in you locality and their stairlift is
for sale cheaply, it is tempting to buy it. However, remember
that there are strict safety standards to adhere to, and that
installation may not be straight forward. Just consider the
tracking for a moment, is it a straight run, is it on the same
side of the stairs, are the stairs the same dimensions, or is
the tracking actually curved. With stairlifts you are not just
buying a mobility product, you are also buying peace of mind.
Make sure you deal with suppliers who have years of experience
in advising customers and installing their products.
When considering actually what type of stairlift you require,
most people opt for the seated version of the product although
other types are available including a standing stairlift and
one with a large platform to accommodate a wheelchair. For the
rest of the article we will consider the most common type, the
seated stairlift.
Seated Stairlift
These tend to be the most common type used in a domestic
setting. The majority of users are able to walk, but find it
difficult to negotiate the stairs. The person must be able to
sit safely on the seat during transit and transfer on and off
at the top and bottom of the stairs. A swivel seat and lift-up
armrests will make transfers onto and off the seat easier.
The swivel seat can be manually or electrically operated. It is
preferable that the user can transfer independently; however, in
some situations it may be possible for the carer to carry out an
assisted transfer in conjunction with a piece of small handling
equipment. The ability of the carer to transfer the user at the
top of the stairs should be very carefully considered and
avoided if at all possible.
Seating Position
There is a choice of fixed seats, fold-down seats, perching
seats and seats which slide forward to assist access in and out
of the lift. Some companies will fix the seat at the most
appropriate height for the user.
Some of questions you should consider prior to purchase are:
• Will the standard seat provided be the correct size for the
user?
• Will the user need a special seat for a child or a harness
for a more severely disabled child? A seat unit or moulded
seating system will have to be removed before the seat can be
folded.
• Which direction will the user need to face? Most seats face
sideways, but if the user has a stiff knee he/she may need to
face forwards to give them more room.
Installation Design Considerations
If your staircase has a sub-landing at the top, with a few
steps to the left or right, most companies can fit a manual or
motorised folding platform which bridges the gap between the
top of the stairlift and the landing, although the number of
stairs and the amount of available headroom will need to be
taken into consideration. This allows the user to get off the
stairlift and walk straight onto the landing, avoiding the need
to have a curved or two straight stairlifts installed.
Some people may find the platforms unnerving as they are quite
high up over the staircase. If the track for the stairlift
cannot continue beyond the bottom or top step of the staircase,
usually because it will obstruct a door, some companies can
provide a fold-up, hinged rail to overcome this problem. Can
other members of the household easily use the stairway when the
lift is folded against the wall?
How will the stairlift be controlled and powered
Will the user be able to operate the standard controls, usually
push button controls sited on the end of the armrest, or is an
alternative method required, for example joystick or toggle
controls? Will the controls need to be sited in another
position? Wander leads allow the user to operate the controls
from the most comfortable position or a carer to operate the
lift independently. Remote controls, for a carer to operate,
are also available from some companies. Lifts are available
with an audible signal to alert blind and partially sighted
users that the lift is at the top or the bottom of the track.
Straight stairlifts are available with a battery backup option
in case of power failures. Most standard straight stairlifts
are powered from the mains. Most curved stairlifts run from
rechargeable batteries, which are continually topped up from
charging points at the top and the bottom of the stairs. This
needs accurate re-siting at the charging point because of a
warning bleep if it is in the wrong place.
Maintaining your stairlift
Most major companies guarantee their stairlifts for one year.
After this it is recommended that they are inspected every six
months and serviced annually. Some companies offer an emergency
call-out facility. However, check that they have fully trained
service engineers on call 24 hours per day. On completion of
your one year warranty most companies will offer to
re-guarantee the lift for a charge. It is advisable to check
these charges before purchasing.
So, in summary, my advice is to consider all of the points
above and then contact a reputable supplier of stairlifts and
go and discuss your requirements with them. Most have expert
staff on hand to answer your technical queries and build a
tailor made solution to fit your needs. Products to make
someone more mobile are often bought by, or for, the vulnerable
or infirm - take the risk out of the purchase and talk to
experienced care advisors that have been specially trained to
understand their customer's needs and requirements. More
information on stairlifts and mobility aids can be found at
www.services-professional.co.uk/Retailer-Magbility.html
About The Author: John Fowler trained as a Mathematician and
has worked in the IT industry for over 30 years, much of the
time in sales related functions. John can be contacted via
http://www.services-professional.co.uk
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