Stair Lifts and the Benefit of At Home Consultations

When you or a loved one has lost their at-home mobility, especially when it comes to stairs, it's time to consider a few options that can improve their quality of life. You can consider a move to a smaller single level condo, house, or apartment. At-home assistance can provide a solution for help. You and your family may even consider a nursing home or a community that caters to the elderly and their unique needs. In some cases, these may be the best options, but when you or your aging relative seems to be enjoying living independently and does so with relative ease, you may want to consider stair lifts.

The beauty of stair lifts is how easy they can be integrated into the home without ruining the integrity of the home. They are often adaptable for both straight and curved staircases with personalized options that fill specific needs. Even a particularly difficult to navigate staircase can be accessed with ease. You are able to choose a style that matches the interior design of the home. It's also a much cheaper option than moving or employing full or part-time assistance.

Even though it is less expensive than other considerations, you do have to think about price when it comes to stair lifts. Most companies provide at-home consultations so whether you are looking to install one in your home or are looking to invest in one for the home of a low-mobility family member, the convenience of at home consultations are great. Once you've narrowed down a few potential contractors, invite them to your home to discuss their prices and options. Make sure they talk about warranty coverage to cover maintenance for the first few years. Make sure they offer you a range of price point options - from reconditioned models to brand new technology - to get a sense of what is available to you.

When meeting the various contractors, it is also important to get a feel for how each product line handles safety. The safest products on the market are ones with a secure, comfortable seat that takes you up the stairs in a sitting position. You may also discuss models that have you kneel down or stand during transit. For the elderly, kneeling models are not recommended. Standing is not as safe as the sitting models, but you will have to judge for yourself what you are willing to consider. Other safety and user options include how each of the different stair lifts operates. Some have remote controls. Others are buttons or joysticks. Each is designed to match an individual's ability to operate each of the different kinds of controls.

Lastly, if you have different sets of stairs both inside and outside of your home, you will have to decide whether to have a series of stair lifts installed or just a single set in your home's most difficult staircase. Outside lifts require a different system in order to be weather resistant. Explore mobility around the home and discuss each with the contractors you meet with.

Once all the options are discussed with each contractor, you can sit down and compare all the offers you received in order to make an informed decision.