Arthritis January 8, 2009
Posted by twitwoot in mobility.add a comment
Arthritis is a major disease that affects the world over and is characterized by pain, stiffness and inflammation to the joints. Most people believe that this disease is only present amongst senior citizens but this is a myth. Many people aren’t aware of what causes arthritis.
There are actually quite a few reasons why people develop arthritis. Didn’t you hate it when your teacher in elementary school teacher lectured you about having good posture by sitting up in your seat? The teacher may have been on to something. Many cases of arthritis are actually due to poor alignment or poor posture throughout the years. When the body isn’t properly aligned body weight is unevenly distributed. If this continues over time, then arthritis can definitely occur.
Physical damage can be a common reason for developing arthritis as well. When a joint is damaged and is unable to repair itself it is almost inevitable that arthritis may occur. It is almost impossible to prevent arthritis from happening in this scenario.
We are constantly reminded that exercise is good for our health. It prevents obesity, diabetes, and heart disease. It also prevents arthritis, so those who live a sedentary lifestyle may also be at risk. When you don’t have a normal routine of exercise you limit the flexibility of your joints and limbs. Limiting your joints will also limit the amount of nutrition available for them.
So the question remains, “What are some helpful ways to prevent arthritis?”
As noted earlier, one should abandon their sedentary lifestyle and get used to an exercise routine. Tai Chi and yoga are great alternatives for those who don’t like to sweat so much. They help muscle flexibility and improve joint movement.
Dieting is also important. A healthy diet of fruits, vegetables, fish, and certain fats (such as extra virgin olive oil) helps create anti-inflammatory chemicals. This diet keeps the pain of arthritis under control. Foods such as red meat and dairy help fuel the inflammatory chemicals. It’s best to keep these foods to a minimum. If these guidelines are followed, arthritis will not take charge of your life.
A Brief Stair Lift History October 17, 2008
Posted by twitwoot in stair lifts.Tags: perch lift, perch lifts, stair chair, stair chairs, stair lift, stair lifts, stairlifts
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Falling on the stairs is a very real concern to many people. Those that are affected by disorders like arthritis often find that they are no longer able to safely use the stairs. This means that a large part of your home might be inaccessible, unless you own a stair lift.
Stair lifts are used in the home to carry a person to the top or bottom of the stairs. They are, in most cases, installed directly onto the steps, but some are secured to the wall instead. However, most times, unless the staircase is curved or very narrow, the lift is installed onto the steps.
Most of these lifts use a chair to transport its occupant, but for those that can not safely use a chair, a platform stair lift is also available. These lifts that use platforms are called perch lifts. Since the occupant of a perch lift will remain standing as they are carried up the stairs, it requires a higher level of balance than a traditional stair chair.
These lifts have been used in the home for many years, but during the nineties several companies began manufacturing easy to install lifts. These lifts made it much more affordable and easier to have a lift in your home and their popularity quickly grew during the nineties. Today, unless you have a curved staircase, most people opt to go with a do it yourself lift.
Not Being Able to Use the Stairs October 3, 2008
Posted by twitwoot in stair lifts.Tags: stair chair, stair chairs, stair lift, stair lifts, stairlift, stairlifts
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Not being able to climb the stairs safety is a very real concern for many people. The stairs are a very dangerous place and the leading cause of injury and death among people over sixty-five. To help make it safer to use the stairs, a stair lift is one mobility aid that is many times used.
Stair lifts are installed directly onto a staircase in most cases. In the event of an exceptionally narrow staircase or one that is curved, the lift will usually need to be installed onto the wall. In most cases when the stairs is straight, the stair lift can be installed by the owner of the home in only a few hours.
These lifts physically carry its occupant up and down the stairs and in some cases come with baskets that can be attached to the lift to help carry goods up the stairs as well. It is imperative to keep track of the weight limit of the stair lift, especially if you are going to use it to carry up supplies with you.
This is one of the reasons that it is usually suggested to always make sure you have an extra 20 pounds of weight capacity for every hundred pounds you weigh. For instance if you weight 200 pounds, you would want to go with a lift that could at least support 240 pounds. Most support over 300 pounds, but sometimes the length of the staircase, can affect the weight that the lift can support.
Increasing Your Safety September 26, 2008
Posted by twitwoot in stair lifts.Tags: falls, stair falls, stair lift, stair lifts, staircase, staircases, stairlifts, stairs
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Using the stairs is a task that is done daily by people from all over the world. In some cases though, it can be dangerous, painful, and even impossible for people to use the stairs. This is commonly as a result of disorders like arthritis, which involves reduced mobility, but there are many other disorders that can make using the stairs difficult. To combat these difficulties, many people use stair lifts.
Stair lifts are designed to carry a person up and down the stairs. They usually do so in a chair that moves slowly across the distance of the stairs, but sometimes a small platform is used in place of the chair. Depending on the model, some lifts are able to support in excess of 500 pounds, but most support around 350 pounds.
These devices are very simple to operate and on a straight staircase, it is usually possible for the homeowner to install a lift on their own. Stair lifts that are made for straight staircases, use a track system that is bolted straight onto the stairs. The chair or platform moves across this track carrying a single rider.
Using a stair lift is one of the best ways to increase safety and allow an individual to move around the home. These lifts can make the whole home accessible again, and in the case of a straight staircase, they will provide a much more cost effective alternative to an elevator.
Stair Lifts: Going Up and Coming Down September 19, 2008
Posted by twitwoot in stair lifts.Tags: stair chairs, stair lift, stair lifts, stairlift, stairlifts
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Walking up and down the stairs is something that many people do on a regular basis. You might have stairs in your home or perhaps stairs at your work. It can be great exercise, but if you have difficulty walking, like those affected by arthritis, it is often very difficult to use the stairs. It is also very dangerous and people who are over 60 are at increased risk of injury on the stairs. To help prevent injuries and improve accessibility a stair lift is commonly used.
Stair lifts are used to carry a person along the length of the stairs and often are an affordable alternative to a residential elevator. On a straight stairway, a stair lift can be installed in only a few hours and for much less than an elevator. Those with curved stairways are not so lucky though and due to the high cost of a curved stair lift, an elevator is usually a better bet.
Using a stair lift is a task that is very simple. An easy to use hand control is used to activate the lift. It can be operated with only one finger and uses a constant pressure system that only moves the lift while pressure is being applied to the hand control. This safety feature ensures that the lift only moves when you intend it to and when you are ready for it to do so.
Using a lift is one of the best ways to help you or a loved one stay safe on the stairs, so if you are mobility challenged and unable to easily or safely use the stairs, you should consider installing one.
Staying Safe in a Stair Chair September 12, 2008
Posted by twitwoot in stair lifts.Tags: perch lift, perch lifts, stair chair, stair chairs, stair lift, stair lifts, stairlift, stairlifts
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There are several ways to improve safety on the stairs for individuals who are over sixty or those that suffer from problems that make it difficult to climb the stairs. Doing so is very important as a fall on the stairs can easily result in severe injury or even death. To make matters worse, falling on the stairs is a leading cause of hospitalization and death among seniors. Perhaps the most efficient and safest way to improve safety is to use a stair chair.
A stair chair is another name for a stair lift, which is used to carry a person to the upper or lower floors of their home. They get the name stair chair, because a chair that is used to carry the occupant as they move to an upper floor or back down.
While most people find a stair chair to be the best type of stair lift, there is another kind that is sometimes used. This lift is called a perch lift and the rider stands on a small platform as they move along the stairs. Since the rider must remain in an upright standing position, these lifts tend not to be as desirable or safe as a traditional stair chair. Sometimes though, for medical reasons, these lifts are a good choice. They also take up a little bit less space than a stair chair usually does, so on a narrow staircase, they might also have benefit.
Advantages of a Battery Stair Lift September 5, 2008
Posted by twitwoot in stair lifts.Tags: stair chair, stair chairs, stair lift, stair lifts, stairlift, stairlifts
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For many, the climbing of the stairs is a task that is done with no thought. The stairs might be climbed two at a time or ran down with vigor, but for the mobility challenged, the stairs present a very large obstacle that can be very difficult to overcome. There are several ways to deal with the obstacle that is presented by the stairs. In many cases, the stair lift is the most cost effective way to ensure complete access to a home that has stairs.
The stair lift is a mobility lifting aid that is used to carry someone up or down the stairs. They utilize a track and car system in which the occupant rides on the car up and down the track, which is attached to the stairs. They all use direct electric current, but some transfer the electric current to one or more batteries. The batteries are charged by the current and are used to move the car along the track.
The advantage to a battery powered stair lift is that it can be used to power the unit even when there is a power outage. This ensures that in the event of a blackout or other emergency, the lift can still be used. These lifts cost a little more and also require that the batteries be periodically replaced.
In homes that have a straight stairway, a stair lift can often be installed easily and will be a very cost effective way of increasing accessibility. Curved stair lifts are much more expensive though, so in most cases an elevator is the better choice.
In homes that have a straight stairway, a stair lift can often be installed easily and will be a very cost effective way of increasing accessibility. Curved stair lifts are much more expensive though, so in most cases an elevator is the better choice.
New and Used Stair Lifts August 29, 2008
Posted by twitwoot in stair lifts.Tags: stair chair, stair chairs, stair lift, stair lifts, stairlift, stairlifts
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Climbing up and down the stairs is often difficult and dangerous for people who are mobility challenged. Many diseases, like arthritis, make it painful, but it is not only the physical diseases that can make climbing the stairs dangerous. Cognitive disorders that affect your balance, can also make the stairs hazardous and when they are combined with a physical disease, their effects are amplified.
Overcoming the dangers associated with the stairs might seem difficult, but if you install a stair lift, it is easy to improve safety and accessibility. Stair lifts are devices that carry a person up and down the stairs. Since the stair lift is doing all of the work, the occupant needs only sit back and relax as they are safely carried along the stairs.
There are a few different types of stair lifts and several different manufacturers of stair lifts. It is usually a good idea to buy a new stair lift, but some sites do offer used ones as well.
If you are going to buy a used stair lift, make sure that you purchase it from a certified dealer. This will ensure that you get a device that has been rebuilt and tested for safety. You will get a minimum 6 month warranty and the track will be cut to fit your stairs.
The alternative of buying a used stair lift from a private individual isn’t all that attractive. This is because you do not know how the unit was treated, whether it has been properly maintained, or whether it is still in safe working condition. While you might save a little money this way, in the long run, it is almost always better to buy the lift from a certified used stair lift distributor.
Promoting Safety With a Stair Lift August 22, 2008
Posted by twitwoot in stair lifts.Tags: lift assistant, safety, stair chair, stair chairs, stair lift, stair lifts, staircase, stairlift, stairlifts, stairs, stairway, steps
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People who are unable to safely walk up the stairs, might be at a disadvantage in many areas, but there is no reason you must be at a disadvantage in your own home. A stair lift is one way to remove this disadvantage and make certain that you will always be able to use the stairs. There is no reason to avoid an area of your home simply because you are unable to climb the stairs and this is often the case for people who don’t have a stair lift.
Using a stair lift is generally very simple. Most carry a person up and down the stairs in a chair that is attached to a track. The track remains stationary and is securely bolted onto the stairs. To operate the lift, a remote control is attached to the lift. Most lifts also come with several wireless remotes, which can be used as call buttons at the top and bottom of the stairs, or can be used by a caretaker to remotely operate the lift.
Many lifts today are battery powered, and while they still plug directly into an electrical outlet, they actually use the battery to move the lift and the electrical outlet is used to charge the battery. Lifts that use batteries have been around for many years, but older models had required that the lift be parked in a specific place along the track. If you forgot to park it in that specific place, the lift would not charge. Modern battery powered stair lifts do not require this any longer and are constantly charging, even as they are being used.
To promote safety and allow a person to freely move up and down the stairs, a stair lift is usually the best and most cost effective choice. The exception to this comes when you need to install a curved stair lift. Curved stair lifts are incredibly expensive and take several months to be built and installed. For this reason, if you would need to install a curved stair lift, it is usually better to install a personal elevator, which costs about the same and unlike a curved stair lift, will actually increase the value of your home. Curved stair lifts, on the other hand, have little resale value, because they will only fit staircases that are exactly the same as the one they were built for.
Decreasing the Risk of a Fall August 15, 2008
Posted by twitwoot in stair lifts.Tags: stair chair, stair chairs, stair lift, stair lifts, stairlift, stairlifts
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People above the age of sixty-five are at an age, where there are many increased health risks. One increased risk is the risk of a fall down the stairs, which is the principal cause of inadvertent deaths among this age group. It is also the principal cause of hospitalization. To lessen these risks a stair lift can be installed onto most staircases.
A stair lift is a device that offers a service similar to that of an elevator. Both elevators and stair lifts are designed to safely transport a person up and down the stairs, who might be otherwise unable to do so. Instead of traveling straight up and down as an elevator does, a stair lift is designed to travel length wise the distance of the stairs. They are also considerably less expensive than elevators and stair lifts rarely require any construction, with the exception of the actual installation of the lift.
Most people who decide to install a stair lift will be able to do the actual installation on their own. If the staircase is straight or ‘L’ shaped, there are several manufacturers that make easy to install Do-It-Yourself stair lift kits. These models use a metal track system that attaches to the stairs. The person is then carried up and down the track in a chair or standing on a small platform called a perch.
In almost all cases, a lift that uses a chair is the better option. They are much safer, because you remain sitting as you are carried up the lift, but for those who can not bend their knees, the perch lift might be the only option.
