Stairs becoming too arduous?
AVOIDING a fall can become quite a preoccupation as we age. Falling is the most frequent cause of emergency hospital admissions for older people and a serious threat to their health and independence, causing pain, distress and loss of confidence.
Yet many falls are preventable, and should be even more so in the future. There is a system being developed in America that can predict when an elderly person will have a fall, up to three weeks in advance.
It does this via infra-red monitors that track alterations in the person’s walking speed and stride. Doctors are alerted via text or email when potential health changes are detected.
But until this system is widely available, most older people will have to rely on taking sensible precautions at home such as removing trip hazards, installing grab bars and choosing slippers with non-slip soles. Of course, the one place where you really don’t want to fall is on your stairs.
A secure handrail can help keep you steady. But if falling on the stairs is a significant risk, the best solution might be a stairlift.
Some people confine themselves to living on one level or even consider moving house because using the stairs is just too arduous or dangerous, but it doesn’t have to be this way.
A stairlift means you can continue to enjoy your home, gliding smoothly and safely up and down stairs whenever you need to.
Some can be fitted within a few days of getting in touch with a good supplier or manufacturer, or even the next day if necessary. And that goes for curved staircases as well as straight ones.
A free home survey will give you a quote that will usually be valid for 12 months.
There should be no obligation to buy and no hard sell, so do feel free to take your time making up your mind.