Best ways to glide upstairs and beat pain
THE freedom of going up and down the stairs whenever you like might seem like a small thing to some. But it’s a big part of staying safe and keeping your independence. Stairlifts can make life easier if you are experiencing difficulty using your stairs. An affordable modular type can be installed as soon as the next day — great for those coming out of hospital, for example. No structural changes are needed, as the stairlift will fit to neat brackets on the stairs, not to the wall. And running costs are very low. Neither are stairlifts noisy. When in operation, you’ll be impressed by the lack of disturbance, the quiet, energy-efficient running and the simplicity. There’s no need to feel any stigma, either. Leading manufacturers install thousands of stairlifts each year, with many customers saying that they wish they had got one earlier. So owning a stairlift has never been more popular. Why struggle with your stairs and feel limited in your own home, when a stairlift can give you back your freedom? A NEW alternative is a home lift that runs on a rail and is self-supporting, so doesn’t require major structural alterations. Compact and stylish, this type of lift is large enough to carry two people, but small enough to fit in anywhere. So it can take you and a companion from the living room to the landing or the kitchen to the bedroom, depending on the layout of your home. With a very small footprint of less than 7sq ft, it gives freedom and flexibility without taking up much valuable space. Safety and convenience features include a battery back-up, full-height lighting, full or halfheight doors, obstruction sensors, a key lock to stop unauthorised use by children, for example, and an optional seat and grab bar. Whether it is taking you smoothly and quietly up to bed at night, or helping you move laundry and run the vacuum around upstairs and down, it will make your life easier. It may be possible to view a home lift in someone else’s home before you buy — ask the lift company representative if they can arrange this.