STAIRLIFT ADVANCES IMPROVE DAILY LIFE
TECHNOLOGY isn’t just for the smartphone-loving young, by any means, with many members of the older generation getting to grips with the likes of email and shopping online.
And in recent years, technology has also been put to work to assist those with health or mobility issues as they get older.
Advanced assistive aids such as stairlifts are now giving many thousands the chance of a more independent life.
The latest are packed with clever safety features, such as sensors that will halt the stairlift if an obstacle is detected in its path, and a soft-start and stop to prevent sudden jolts.
An integral seat belt will ensure you are safe and secure, while a locking key switch enables you to prevent unauthorised use.
What’s more, modern stairlifts come with remote controls, so that you can summon your lift to your feet, while a diagnostic display lets you check all is running smoothly.
And by employing designers and interior specialists, manufacturers are now producing awardwinning stairlifts that can also lift your home with their elegant lines.
But how did stairlifts evolve? An overweight and lame Henry VIII is said to have had the first stairlift installed in Whitehall Palace to help him get up the stairs. It was operated by ropes.
Then in the 1920s, the first modern stairlift was created to lift heavy textbooks between the floors of a library.
There are now more than 4.3 million users of mobility aids in the UK alone, estimates the Office of Fair Trading.
It says the figure may well be much higher as the Audit Commission has estimated that 35 per cent of people above the age of 65 have a mobility problem and could benefit from using a mobility aid.
And the Department for Work and Pensions estimates that 10 million people have a limiting long-term illness, impairment or disability.
So if you choose to improve your life with a well-designed, technologically advanced stairlift, you certainly won’t be alone in doing so.