Stair Lifts Information and More

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.