Stair Lifts For Disabled

If a person is disabled, handicapped or simply getting older and they have come to realize that they need help with the stairs they will find that there are numerous styles and models of stair lifts for disabled people to choose from.

Different disabilities can indicate the need for different styles of lift. If the potential user doesn’t have problems with their knees or hips and can sit comfortably then the regular sit-and-ride type is quite adequate for their needs.

This means that they simply sit themselves down on the chair, press the control button and they are taken up or down the stairs whenever they wish.

This alone means that they have regained quite a large chunk of independence and that in turn gives a great boost to morale.

If the passenger does have problems with their knees, i.e. they have stiffened or even seized up then a chair would not be suitable. It would mean they couldn’t sit properly and this could be very unsafe for them.

Perhaps they would feel better standing up and there are stair lifts for disabled people with knee or hip problems that allow them to do just this. Instead of a chair there is a stand-on platform with a secure guard rail for the passenger to hold onto whilst traveling.

Another style would be what is commonly called a ‘perching’ lift and this has a small bench type seat which is positioned around the buttock area so that the passenger can simply ‘perch’ their bottom on the edge. They wouldn’t need to bend their knees for this type. Again this lift would have a secure guard rail to hold on to.

A slight drawback to these two lifts is that they do not have a security belt, only a guard rail so the passenger would need to be able to keep their balance whilst holding on.

The ultimate stair lifts for disabled persons would be the wheelchair platform lift. This comprises a platform that a wheelchair can be wheeled onto, made secure and then sent on its merry way, either up or down the stairs, in complete safety for the passenger. All the controls are easily accessible.

Generally speaking, the passengers on these lifts would want to travel sideways or facing upwards. It would not be a comfortable feeling facing downwards when traveling, it could lead to quite a strong feeling of insecurity [even though they wouldn't actually be in any danger].

There isn’t anything to beat the boost one of these lifts could give to a person who previously has experienced problems with the stairs. Nobody wants to feel a burden on other’s and we all want to be able to do what we want, whenever we want, not to wait till its convenient for someone else to help us – this is basic human nature.

If you or someone in your family is suffering problems such as these then you could do nothing better for them than to look into the question of installing one of these stair lifts for disabled persons.