When we get older and our mobility becomes a problem, stairs can cause big problems. Stairs represent a real hazard for elderly people and this cannot be ignored. Falls often occur which can be seriously damaging to both an elderly person’s health and confidence. Many elderly people opt to move homes at this stage since they do not want to lose their independence to walk around their own homes. Others opt for home visits from healthcare providers to assist them to navigate stairs, but what is becoming increasingly popular is the stairlift. Stairlifts can help you stay independent since they offer a safe alternative to climbing stairs while do not require the assistance of another person.
So the short answer is yes! A stairlift could prevent you from needing to move home and increase your quality of life. But there are a few things you need to think about before deciding is this is the best option for you.
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Do you need a stairlift now or later?
After years of independence walking around doing whatever we want it can be hard to let go when our health gets the better of us. It can be hard for us to admit to ourselves that we can no longer do the day to day tasks we used too.
If you feel you are still capable of navigating the stairs but you feel unsteady and in the back of your mind you feel that stairs pose a risk it might be better to opt for a stairlift earlier rather than later just in case. Even when the stairlift is there you do not have to use it each time initially, just when you feel vulnerable and in need of support.
Do you want to stay in a large home?
While a stairlift may seem like the solution, a large home can be difficult to navigate. Most of us do not own mansions but for those with particularly large homes and grounds navigating the stairs might not be the only problem. If your feel your home is too big then you may want to consider moving to a smaller property anyway, with or without stairs.
If you do want to stay then it might be worth looking into other things that could help such as cleaning services and gardening, not just a stairlift.
Are your stairs suitable for a stairlift and which type?
Before committing to the idea of a stairlift you should get someone to take a look at your stairs in order to ensure that a stairlift is suitable for your home.
On rare occasions stairs maybe too narrow for stairlifts or your stairs at too old. It is always work seeking an opinion.
On top of this you need to make sure you get the correct kind if stairlift. There are straight stairlifts that are easy to set up and used for straight stairs and then there are curved stairlifts which often need to be custom designed to fit the stairs of the particular house.