| | | What is a Stairlift? |  Stair Lifts also known as stairlifts, chair lifts, electric stairlifts, stairway elevators, stair chair elevators and stair glides or stairglides are essentially chairs that aid people that have difficulty climbing stairs. Stair lifts have been helping the elderly and handicapped gain maximum mobility by eliminating the barrier of stairs. A stairlift in your home is practical and affordable to the average person. | | |  A stair lift is a chair attached to a track that is bolted down onto a staircase. There are no structural changes made to the home. The lift can be used for carrying a person, laundry, groceries, or luggage up and down the stairs with a push of a button. Popular convenience features include swivel seats that turn away from the staircase, remote controls that send or call the lift to another floor, and a folding track at the lower landing to make the most out of small hallway space. The lifts plug into standard household outlets. Stair lifts can be placed on either side of the staircase. | | |  Stair lift rails are usually constructed out of aluminum and the chair rides up on a rack and pinion. The chairs are typically battery powered and can go 25 to 30 trips on a charge. The batteries are charged when the chair is parked at the top or bottom. The batteries will need to be replaced every 3 to 5 years. Stair lifts come in a variety of configurations including Staight Stair Lifts, Curved Stairlifts and can be installed on many different types of staircases: Straight, Curved, or Spiral. | | | Why a Stairlift / Stair Chair:
| 1. Relieves the concern about the safety and comfort of your loved ones when you can't always be by their side. | | 2. Provides peace of mind that a loved one you are caring for will not fall down the stairs. Your loved one can enjoy all the comforts and amenities of the home they have grown to love over the years. | | 3. A stair lift will make your life, and the life of the person you are caring for, easier and safer for years to come. | | 4. Low cost alternative when stairs become an obstacle. When you compare the cost of adding a room to the first floor, moving to an assisted living center, or purchasing a one-story home, a stair lift is by far the most economical choice. | | 5. Stair lifts can be used for carrying things up and down a staircase, such as groceries, laundry, or luggage. | | 6. Walking up and down the stairs is one of the leading causes of falls in the home for people of any age. | | 7. Great solution if walking up and down stairs is a temporary obstacle. | | 8. Dramatically reduces the wear and tear on ankles, knees, and hip joints. Saves joint use for the activities you love to do. | | | | | Stairlift / Stair Lift Manufacturers: | | 1. Bruno Independent Living – Based in Wisconsin, Bruno is the leading US manufacture of stairlifts and stair chair elevators. Bruno makes three models: The Bruno LT 2750 – which has a 275 pound capacity, the industry leading Bruno Elite 2010 with a very narrow vertical rail and a 400 pound capacity, and they also make the Bruno 1550. Bruno also makes the industry’s leading curved stairlift – the Bruno CRE. | | | | 2. Harmar Mobility – Based in Florida, Harmar makes the Harmar Pinnacle which is a unique lift. It folds to only 11 inches wide, and uses a quite worm drive system that uses less power. Harmar also manufacturers the Max – which has a 500 lb capacity for those that need it. | | | | 3. Sterling is another manufacture with a complete line of stair lifts. Sterling manufactures straight and curved rail units. The Sterling 950 and Sterling 1000 are their straight units and the Sterling 2000 is their curved unit. | | | | 4. ThyssenKrupp Access (TKA) is also an active manufacturer – building the TKA Flow II – for curved applications. The Flow II uses a circular tube for a rail that is both low profile and can be painted a variety of colors. The Flow can work on steep / spiral stairs that many other stairlifts cannot. TKA also makes the Levant for straight staircases. The Levant uses an attractive aluminum rail. | | | | | | | Stairlift / Stair Lift Features: | | 1. Safety First: Stair lifts come with obstruction sensors so the lift can detect something in its path and automatically stops so you can remove it. They also include seat belts. | | | | 2. Ease of Use: Most stair lifts swivel at the top and bottom allowing the user to safely get on or off the lift. Remote controls are provided to call the stair lift up or down the stairs. | | | | 3. Blends into any home décor: Most stair lifts fold when not in use to provide easy access to the stairs. Many stair lifts offer different fabrics and colors so you can customize to your taste. | | | | 4. Options, Options, Options. Stair lifts come with many different options. Some have folding tracks, different controls, folding arms, and others that allow you to paint the rail the stair lift rides on. | | | | | Stair Lift Key Points: | | 1. Rail mounts to stair treads, not to wall. Stairs must be in sound condition. | | | | 2. If your stairs are narrow (less than 37"), the track distance from the wall will be a key issue. This factor is also dependent on the height of the stair lift user and their leg length. | | | | 3. If you have difficulty transferring to the seat of the chair then seat height will be a key issue. | | | | 4. Seat height at bottom of stairs is an important point if client is short. | | | | 5. If you have lower back pain and a soft start and stop are important then DC powered residential stair lifts maybe more appropriate. | | | | 6. If user is tall then seat depth of the access stair lift is important. | | | | 7. Stairway must have adequate lighting at top and bottom of stairs. | | | | | 8. Confirm local government requirements for electrical plug. | | | | 9. Track must be allowed to come all the way to the top landing and bottom landing for safe transfer to the seat of electric stair chair lifts. | | | | | | | | | |
