How A Stair Lift Can Benefit You As A Senior And Some Features To Look For
If you're in your senior years or have an elderly relative living with you, then you may want to think about having a stairlift installed if your home has stairs. Stairs can be dangerous for the elderly who may have problems with vision or balance. You can have a lift installed indoors or outside. Some lifts are even large enough that you can roll a wheelchair onto them. Here are some benefits of having a stairlift and some features to look for.
Why A Stair Lift Is Helpful For Seniors
If you're active and healthy, you may not have problems going up and downstairs. However, when you have medical problems such as arthritis, vision loss, fatigue, weakness, and trouble breathing, stairs can be a real hurdle. A lift allows you to go up and down stairs while you're safely seated. On days when you feel like it, you can still take the stairs on foot even when a lift is installed. The lift won't get in the way of other people in your family going up and down the stairs as usual.
By having a stairlift in your home, you or your elderly relative can access all parts of the house, which is essential if bedrooms are on the second level. Plus, you'll be able to use a lift to go outside or down to a lower deck when there's a lift installed outside too. This could mean the difference between you or your elderly loved one staying in your home and having to move to assisted living or a single-story residence.
Features To Look For In A Stair Lift
You want a stairlift that's safe and easy to use. The chair should be large enough to safely hold you even if you're on the large size. Armrests are an added safety feature that help you keep your balance when getting in and out of the chair and that keep you from falling out. A stairlift should also have an automatic stopping feature so it won't run over a pet that's on the stairs and doesn't move out of the way. In addition, a remote is nice so you can send the chair to the top of the stairs if you want it out of sight when company comes.
Battery power is something to consider too. You'll want the chair to be functional if the power goes out, and having a battery backup enables you to get downstairs during a power outage or bad storm.
For more information, check out a website like gillettewheelchair.com.