What Are Stairlifts?
With an ageing population, the interest in stairlifts is on the rise, but what is a stairlift? Mechanical lifts with seats, stairlifts take a user up and down the stairs at a safe pace, controlled by the user, using a track.
Who Are They For?
Anyone who struggles with climbing or descending the stairs could benefit from a stairlift.
- Disabled people
- Elderly people
- People unsteady on their feet
- Those undergoing physical rehabilitation
- Anyone with POTs or similar fainting disorders
- Anyone who crawls up stairs or shuffles/sits down to descend
The Different Types
Straight Stairlift
These stairlifts are for straight staircases with no bends, corners, contours, or curves.
Curved Stairlift
If your staircase curves, has an intermediate landing, or other deviates from a ‘straight’ shape, you will need a curved stairlift. You can even get tailor made ‘freecurve’ stairlifts to suit your home’s unique requirements.
Upgrades For Stairlifts
Stairlift Slide Track
If a doorway or passageway interferes with the track of a stairlift, a slide track is the best solution to ensure you can still use your stairlift safely and without causing obstruction to high traffic areas and passages. A slide track “automatically slides the track away from any obstacles while the stairlift moves up and down the staircase.”
Easy Hinge
An easy hinge is a foldable section rail at the bottom of the stairlift. Both manual and powered easy hinge options free up space at the end of stairlift tracks that may interfere with passageways, doorways, and foot traffic areas, leaving the area obstacle-free. After using the stairlift, the track can be folded up to maximise space, leaving the area obstacle-free.
Swivel Seat
A swivel seat allows you to turn the seat once you reach the landing, positioning you to face away from the staircase when you stand up. There are both manual and powered stairlift swivel seat options available.
Zero Intrusion
In the layout of some houses, a door may be placed at the top of the stairs, particularly in rooms such as basements and underground garages. In these narrow staircases where the stairs end at the door, a regular stairlift could become a tripping hazard, which is why zero intrusion removes the rail overrun, allowing you to install a stairlift in these areas without having to make any modifications to your home.
New, Used, and Rental Stairlifts
Reconditioned to the highest achievable standard, used stairlifts are a safe, warranty-covered alternative to a new stairlift for those whose budget won’t allow for a brand new option.
If you are recovering from an operation, injury, or other temporary health setback, a rental stairlift can make all the difference to your daily life. Likewise, if you’re opening the doors of your home to someone who needs a stairlift in the short term, rentals can be a perfect solution to give your guest their independence.
What The Numbers Say
American inventor C.C. Crispen is credited with inventing the stairlift in the 1920s to help a friend with polio travel from floor to floor, but a version of the stairlift may also have been used as early as the Tudor period by Henry VII. Clearly, there has always been a longstanding need for stairlifts, a trend which continues into today.
The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents reports that “most serious accidents involving older people usually happen on the stairs or in the kitchen”, with the largest proportion of accidents being falls from stairs or steps. Such falls result in the deaths of 60% of elderly people, a staggeringly high statistic.
No-Obligation Advice & Friendly Experts
If you have difficulty getting up and down stairs, you are not alone. Our friendly team of mobility specialists are here to offer expert advice and guidance. Whether you visit us in our Blackburn, Chorley, Clitheroe or Leicester store, or give us a call, we are here to deliver outstanding customer service.
Discover more about stairlifts, including our simple no-obligation home survey process.
You can also find out how to spread the cost of your stairlift with Snap Finance.
