Slower on the stairs?
CAN you still bound up the stairs? Then you’re the lucky one. But if you are starting to worry about your safety, perhaps your stairs are telling you something. It could be time for a little help, in the shape of a stairlift.
It could cost less than you think and be an investment in your quality of life both now and for the years to come.
Today’s stairlifts are designed to blend effortlessly into a home and take up the minimum of space on the stairs.
The rail’s mechanisms are usually concealed behind a discreet blank face, similar in size to a skirting board.
Alternatively, a home lift is spacious, comfortable and safe and can carry up to three people and a wheelchair, if required.
The lift takes up little room and doesn’t require a supporting wall. Put it in a corner, tuck it in a cupboard, or even place it in a stairwell.
BETTER BATHING
THOUGH we may not like to admit it, there is a real need to make our homes safer as we grow older. The bathroom is a case in point, as it is a hotspot for falls. But which solution should you choose?
A walk-in bath, accessed by a door with a low step, is very relaxing to soak in, and can help to ease joint conditions such as arthritis.
The latest include a heated seat to keep you warm as the tub fills or drains. And there are space-saver types to fit small bathrooms.
For speed and ease, walk-in showers are hard to beat. Halfheight doors, wider frames and low trays make them very accessible.
There is also the option of keeping your old bath, but using an inflatable bath cushion or a retractable bath belt to get into it more easily.
Either will lower you gently in and out of the water at the press of a button.