As your loved one ages, their mobility may decline. The elderly often cannot climb up and down stairs as easily and it puts them at great risk for injury. Although in-home supports are extremely helpful with daily living activities such as cooking, cleaning, and assisting with hygiene routines, they are not there at all hours of the day. What happens when your aging loved one attempts to go up the stairs at night? What happens if they fall? Who will be there? A stair lift is an amazing and affordable safety measure you can take to help protect your aging loved one.
Downsizing Is Not the Only Option
You may consider helping your elderly loved one to downsize their home. You may suggest moving into an assisted living facility or a smaller one-story home. These conversations are extremely emotional. When someone loves their home, they may not want to live their last parts of their life in a place that feels foreign.
Downsizing is emotional and takes a lot of time away from work and family. Depending on the market, it may be too expensive to sell and purchase a new home. How will you store all the extra items? Is your elderly loved one or are you able to pay for a storage unit? Instead of downsizing, there are many top-rated companies that will provide you information on installing a stair lift in Redditch.
Finding the Right Stair Lift
There are different types of stair lifts to accommodate your home. If the staircase has a landing, you may require a curved stair lift. A straight stair lift fits standard size straight stairs. If there is enough space to comfortably switch seats on the landing, the professional may suggest you install two straight stair lifts.
A straight stair lift can only be installed onto straight staircases. To get on and off a straight stair lift safely, there cannot be any bends in your staircase or rails at the top, middle, or bottom. A home sales consultant will measure your stairs and determine if you have enough landing space at the top and bottom for safety. Your aging loved one should be able to easily get on and off the seat safely.
The home consultant will suggest a curved stair lift if your stairs or stair railings have a curve. Curved stair lifts are more expensive than straight stair lifts. If your staircase has a quarter or half landing, you will require a curved stair lift. You will also require a curved stair lift if you have spiral stairs. After installation, your home consultant will ensure the stair lift fits properly and is working efficiently before they leave. They will provide instructions, directions, and discuss the warranty.
