While many people will think of a stair lift being useful for an individual with a physical disability and immediately make this connection between the two, there are other uses for stair lifts where mobility issues might not occur in the direct sense of physical disability but still problems due to other diseases like Alzheimer’s.

There can be added challenges when an individual with Alzheimer’s might be reluctant to use a stair lift and understandably it may lead to frustration for the person with the disease, there is also the added difficulty that once a person with Alzheimer begins to use it (if you can get them to) will they continue to do so as time passes.?

Clearly an individual with Alzheimer’s will not be expected to learn to use it on their own so there still needs to be assistance in that aspect and if the user can be convinced to use it regularly then it will increase safety and make things slightly easier for both the Alzheimer’s sufferer and those living with and/or caring for the person.

I think that there could be a risk of a stair lift being  installed prematurely though and it is probably a good idea to see how a person gets on with things first as each person is different, some people can deteriorate more quickly than others and if one person is still managing the stairs well enough for the time being then it would probably be best to carry on this way until difficulties begin to arise.

I dont think that there would be any benefit from having a stair lift installed earlier, unless there was an indirect benefit by getting one installed sooner like taking advantage of a deal or the installation falling in line with other changes to a persons home that might make sense to those involved.

While there is no way of knowing if an Alzheimer’s sufferer will use one once it is installed, you can at least avoid creating unnecessary obstacles for the person by hesitating a little before making the decision to have one installed.

The exercise that an Alzheimer’s sufferer can get is still important and as long as they and those assisting are not taking unnecessary risks by still walking up and down the stairs then this approach should be maintained until the situation becomes more challenging.

When it comes to stair lifts, they are not the type of mobility aid that you find yourself changing very often.

Unlike some mobility aids that a user might change a few times over the years, as a stair lift is fitted and requires the rails being permanently in place, until a household no longer needs to have one in place it means that many people might have the same one installed for a number of years.

Saying that, some people are long term users of a stair lift and so might have tried a few different ones over the years and have been able to experience the different makes and models available.

If you have tried out a few over the years, you may have grown to like a particular make and might even prefer to stick to that specific name, even though you might upgrade over the years.

Do you find yourself preferring a particular one?

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.