When using a stairlift, it’s important to think of not only your own safety but also that of others sharing your home and that nobody is put into a dangerous situation, either by the stairlift user or other members of the household.

While safety is always increased by having the stairlift serviced and checked over every now and then which you can read about at stairlifts servicing for safety and optimum use it’s the actual use, awareness and reponsible attitudes of anyone living within a household with a stairlift in place that can really add positively to the situation to ensure that no one is at risk of an accident and injury.

Some ways that you can improve safety is by making sure that the stairs have no objects left lying around on them, even if there is something placed on one of the steps, a pair of shoes maybe or a box that someone is due to remove soon, the objects might seem that they are out of the area that the stairlift passes along, but you cant be sure of this.

It’s overall safer and a better idea to set a rule within the household where no one will leave any objects lying around on the stairs, no matter how harmless it may seem at the time.

Another habit to get into is making sure that the stairway is not being used by anyone else, whether you are the sole stairlift user or one of the users or a member of the household who does not need use of the stairlift, it’s essential that no two people try to squeeze past each other while the stairlift is being used.

Being properly seated and positioned is important to your safety while using the stairlift and also making sure that only one person is actually in position on the stairlift when in use.

For example it might seem harmless to sit a child on your lap but as it’s impossible for a second person to be positioned safely and you cant guarantee their safety then this makes it a dangerous situation and one that should be avoided.

Theres also the fact that the manufacturers do not design the stairlift chairs to take two people on them safely.

It may seem fun for a child but it would put both the child and the user in danger if they took this risk.

If you have any pets within the household which are allowed to roam from room to room, like a dog or a cat then making sure that they cant easily enter the hallway while you intend to use the stairlift can also prevent any dangerous situations from occurring.

If you are sure that your pet will not get in the way during operation of the stairlift then this might not be so much of an issue for you, but even so, it’s worth keeping in mind that a household pet can suddenly bolt straight up the stairs or act out of character and this could cause suprise to you which could lead to something going wrong.

Keeping each of these things in mind if they apply to your household will ensure that you and the rest of the people in your home are not put at risk and that everyone is kept safe while the stairlift is in use and even when it’s not in use.

A few days ago i read a reply by Contax who comments on posts here and one comment was regarding his recent experience with a mobility scooter loan scheme in Scunthorpe and he was pleased with the scheme and found it convenient and from what he said in his comment, it appears that safety is a high priority as they make sure that you are able to use one safely enough before loaning it to you.

Have you found a scheme similar to this in your area? And how well is it run?

A mobility scooter loan scheme is a great idea if it is managed well, and if there is enough demand for it in an area then it’s something that makes a lot of sense to have in place.

If you currently dont have a scheme like this near to where you live and shop, do you feel that it is something that you would use if it was introduced for yourself and other mobility scooter users to benefit from?

Please share your opinions by commenting below.

As adjustable beds will have various positioning features as well as some having massage options, it’s only natural to want to make the most of those features and once you get used to operating the controller you will find yourself getting used to various settings which are just right for you.

Of course one of the major points of an adjustable bed is that it can provide what a standard bed cant, you can read about some of the benefits of adjustable beds including aiding and improving circulation and you will find the assistance that they provide of great benefit to you.

For some users the use of the adjustable bed will only be at resting and sleeping times but for other users who need to spend more of their time in bed, especially during the day they may require more adjustment throughout the day so they may find themselves using the controls more which leads to more use of the motors which enable the bed to move into various positions.

Also if the bed has massage features then the user may want to make use of those features quite frequently, and why not if the features and options are built in and can benefit the user.

Something to keep in mind though when operating an adjustable bed is that the massage equipped beds are not intended to be used for prolonged periods, meaning that the bed itself and the adjustments of position and height and any other adjustments are fine as they are only using the motors temporarily but the massage feature should not be used continuously.

Over the space of a few hours, you should only use the massaging feature for maybe a third of that time, so basically a couple of hours of the massaging being on is fine during a 6 – 8 hour duration in bed, and if you are in bed longer then you can switch on the massage again say around 4 hours after you last used it, or of course you could break up that time of massage use with half hour or hourly uses over a certain time period.

If you try and use the features constantly then it may shorten the life of the various parts necessary for the functions that you use.

This does not mean that you shouldn’t make use of the features included within the make and model of adjustable bed that you own, just that if you use them sensibly and not constantly that you will most likely extend the life expectancy of your adjustable bed.