How Useful Are Stair Lift Chairs?

If you are even just looking at stair lift chairs then I gather you or someone else in your family is experiencing problems with the stairs. Either they are physically handicapped or incapacitated in some way or other and need help with their mobility.

It might be just a matter of general aging that makes it necessary for you to have one of these installations in your home. Perhaps you have an aging parent who isn’t as agile as they used to be.

Perhaps you are worried about their safety on the stairs and if this is the case then one of these lifts is going to make a world of difference to them, and of course to your peace of mind as well.

If your bathroom is on the upper level then it can cause great difficulty to the person who cannot negotiate the stairs. Also there is the question sometimes of transporting ‘stuff’ from one level to another. The user can easily sit on the chair and carry whatever needs transporting, on their knee whilst travelling.

There are different models to suit different requirements. For instance, someone who is physically handicapped is going to need a seat with extra safety features such as armrests, a seat belt etc. Plus it may be that a larger seat is needed for someone without much upper body strength to keep themselves upright.

Installing stair lift chairs really isn’t rocket science. With a little care it is quite possible for the homeowner themselves to fix the lift. If that idea didn’t suit then the supplier will do the job and it shouldn’t take much more than 2-3 hours tops. All of this can be achieved with little or no upheaval to the household.

The situation could be that you are having someone to stay in your home for a temporary stay who needs this type of help with the stairs and in this case it is obviously more sensible to simply rent. The lift can be de-installed when no longer needed.

You have a choice whether to have a model which will run on your household electricity supply or one which will run using re-chargeable batteries. Or – one with both, the battery being a back up for use in case of power interruptions so that the passenger is not stranded at any time.

It is very easy to get a quotation by looking online. You would be asked questions about dimensions, what is required of the lift, and whether your staircase was straight or curved. The cost obviously hinges on your answers to these questions.

Stair lift chairs are very versatile installations and you should be able to find just the one that will suit your requirements, or the requirements of the person who needs the lift.

As long as your stair treads are at least 27″ wide you should have no difficulty fitting one to your stairway. Weight of the user shouldn’t be a problem either, there are models which will carry up to 500lbs. weight. I think that should be sufficient carrying capacity for most people.

The installations shouldn’t cause you any trouble, they are usually very light on maintenance needs. In any case you should be issued with a good guarantee which should cover you in the eventuality of any problems.

Once you have had one of these lifts, I would like to bet that you won’t want to get rid of it, they can be so useful in so many ways.

For a person having problems but not wanting to have to leave their own home they are a Godsend and can mean the person concerned can carry on living in their own home, once they have a means of mounting to the upper level in their home.