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?

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.

Lets take a look at 6 of the benefits of a stair lift.

1.  Getting up and down stairs becomes much easier.
2.  The danger level of using the stairs is greatly lowered.
3.  They are suitable for people with mild mobility difficulties to individuals with severe disabilities.
4.  The whole house is accessible, rather than a person being restricted to using one floor only.
5.  They can be fitted to a curved staircase and other types with custom solutions.
6.  Safe to use and require minimal effort by the user or a carer to operate the controls.

If you need a made to measure stair lift rail to accommodate the stair lift then depending on how customised the rail needs to be it may cost slightly more than a more standard installation but the good thing is that in many cases where a company may suggest that a stair lift cant be fitted its usually a case of one can infact be fitted and it just requires a dedicated mobility company who take pride in providing made to measure stair lift solutions.

So if you have maybe put off the idea for years and thought that your home cannot accommodate a stair lift then its worth having a chat with one of the mobility companies, especially those specialising in stair lift installation to see what they can do for you.

You can often buy an extended warranty with your stair lift that could be for an additional year or more.

There can also be a call out service offered which can cover 24 hours a day, as understandably no one can predict when their stair lift may suddenly malfunction.

Qualified engineers can also carry out regular servicing, possibly each 6 months or yearly to make sure that the stair lift runs as well as it should do and they can order and replace parts that may need replacing and make sure that it is running as it should and is safe for you to use too.

Because stair lifts are a product with mechanical moving parts and electronics it is a good idea that they are serviced, for your safety and the safety of carers even, and to get an optimum level of use from them, just like a car needs servicing at least yearly with all of the moving parts involved and to get the most efficient use from it, so does a stair lift need and benefit from being regularly serviced.

At home as long as a stairway is wide enough then there are usually no reasons why a stair lift cannot be installed.

The installation usually requires for a rail to be fitted that is strong enough to take the weight of the rest of the lift, plus the weight of the individual using the stair lift.

A stair lift will usually move at a slow speed with smooth motion and will not require much effort from the user, so that even if the user has other disabilities that restrict movement, they will usually be able to operate the lift on their own.

They are suitable for many ages so that a child would be able to use one too, so they lend their assistance to a wide range of mobility solutions, from someone severely disabled where family and carers could place the individual on the stair lift, to children, pensioners and many other situations.

While some stair lifts can be a little expensive, some retailers sell reconditioned units and you can save a few hundred pounds at times by purchasing a reconditioned one.

They can also be rented from some dealers, which may make sense where someone would require the installation and use of a stair lift for a limited time and would prefer to not have to buy one.

In some properties it may require a custom installation if a home or other type of property has a differently styled staircase from expected, this will usually require measurements to be taken so that a company can build a custom rail if needed that is specifically built to the persons staircase layout.

There are many stair lift dealers and a good one should make sure that they are selling you the ideal solution for your situation, they will often offer maintenance and servicing too, at an additional cost, unless they provide some sort of all in one package, but should you need the stair lift checked out or repaired it should be quite easy to get a qualified engineer to get the stair lift serviced or fixed.

Also extended warranties can be taken out if required.

Stair lifts have been around for quite some time and they continue to be improved so the future for stair lifts looks good and as new models come onto the market they look to become smarter and will require even less effort from the user.