Concerns about Buying a Stair Lift

Installing a stair lift is a great way to regain the use of the stairway in your home if you are disabled or if you have limited mobility. A stair lift is basically a safety chair that runs along a track mounted to the stairway. The chair is operated via remote control ? one at each end of the stairs in addition to the controller mounted to the chair itself. The remotes on either end of the stairway serve as a "call" function. That is, if you need to use the stairs and the stair lift chair is at the other end, you can "call" it to come pick you up. Overall, these devices are very practical because they allow you to safely negotiate stairways in your home. If you have a stairway in your home that you never use because you don't feel that it's safe, you probably feel as though the space is wasted. This is why it's important to have access anywhere in your home. Having a stair lift can give you greater access to your own home, but there are some concerns and limitations regarding how they are used.
Most people who are considering the purchase of a stair lift ask very similar questions. Will the stair lift occupy too much space, and therefore be in the way of a person who wants to walk up the stairs? Is there a safe and easy way to transfer from the stair lift chair to a wheelchair at the beginning and end of the ride? What about trying to carry items in between floors? These are common, relevant questions that aren't typically addressed by the product specifications.
First of all, almost all models of stair lifts fold upwards so that they won't take up too much space to use the stairs normally. The seat itself is able to fold upward, similar to a seat in a movie theater. The foot plate at the bottom of the seat usually folds upward in the same manner. Once the stair lift seat and the foot plate are folded upward, the seat only takes up about 12-15 inches of the width of the stairway. For most people, walking around the stair lift once it's compacted is not difficult or unsafe.
In order to transfer from a wheelchair to a stair lift chair or vice versa, you may find it easier if you buy a stair lift that has a swivel seat. Some models of stair lift have both a swiveling seat and a swiveling footrest, which makes transferring even easier. It's true that these models are more expensive, but it is usually worth the extra cash if you are in a wheelchair and need to be sure that you can transfer safely and easily. If you suffer from a progressive condition like arthritis, it is probably a wise decision to "future-proof" your stairway by purchasing a stair lift that has the swivel feature. Even if you don't need it to transfer now, you may use it in the future if your condition gets worse.
If you think you will regularly carry items from one floor to another, you will want to be careful about how you do that. The stair lift is made to be very sturdy, but you'll need to maintain some balance so you won't fall out of the chair. Fumbling about with loose items in your hands could undermine that. My suggestion would be to use a zippered bag that you can throw over your shoulder during the trip, so that your hands are free to hold on to the arm rests of the stair lift.

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Stair lifts can be very important safety tools. These devices, like the dumbwaiter, can increase accessibility.

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