Stairlifts; also known as stair gliders or chair lifts, are commonly used mechanical devices that assist people with physical disabilities in ascending and descending the stairs.
As you know, stairs can be seen practically anywhere. Whether it be at homes, malls, foot bridges, or even in hiking trips, you can find these vertical steps. They are quite useful for the general public but can be quite daunting for people with physical disabilities. This is why chair lifts were invented.
Moreover, an accessible home environment is essential to maintain a comfortable living. This is especially true for individuals with physical ailments or mobility issues. As we delve further into this topic, we’ll discover some of the benefits that stairlifts have to offer for people with physical disabilities.
So let’s read on so we can enlighten ourselves with how stairlifts can improve the quality of life of these individuals.
Increased Independence and Freedom
Ascending and descending the staircase independently can be a difficult task to perform for the physically disabled or people with mobility issues. This can be psychologically and emotionally hard for them to accept since independence increases self-esteem, and self-worth.
Therefore, to slowly gain their autonomy, people with physical disabilities can independently use a stair glider to alleviate the physical pain of having to travel up and down the stairs when they’re post op, or have limited range of motion.
Furthermore, there is a positive psychological effect that they gain as they no longer feel like a burden to others, and hence become more self-sufficient.
Safety and Comfort
Chair lifts offer a good amount of comfort and safety to the individual using it. Not only does it help the physically disabled to ascend and descend the stairs, it’s also loaded with design features perfectly customized to keep the individual from falling off as he or she glides up.
Additionally, modern stair gliders are designed to be more compact and sleek. It doesn’t take up much space so it will not make any changes to the routine of other people in the household.
Lastly, people with disabilities and their family members will have peace of mind knowing that this is a secure device. Equipped with features like seatbelts, armrests and footrests, it provides individuals with mobility issues a smooth and comfortable ride up the staircase.
Accessible for Everyone
Regardless of age or mobility issues, stair gliders are easily accessible. These mechanical devices are beneficial to anybody recovering from surgery or simply can no longer walk up and down the staircase. It provides features that make it safe and accessible to seniors or post op individuals (e.g. seatbelts, armrests, and footrests).
Furthermore, chair gliders are designed to suit individual needs. They provide independence, especially for seniors and post-op patients. Not to mention, there are various designs and models to choose from that will further enhance the individual’s lifestyle.
Cost-Effective Solution
When it comes to cost-effectiveness, stair gliders are an excellent solution for people with mobility issues. This mechanical device requires minimal assembly since it can be set up right away on the stairs. Extensive renovations or construction will not be needed as the tracks and brackets are just attached to the wall, providing support and elevating the rails from the staircase.
Also, renovations will definitely cost more because changes in most areas of the house are made to fit the person’s needs. Although this may be a good thing, it can be disruptive to the person’s routine, as well as to other family members’ living in the same household.
Lastly, in terms of electricity cost, chair lifts only use 0.06 kWh daily. That’s even less than most appliances that are being used everyday.
Customized Options
Making some design changes to one’s home can be daunting or worrying for some individuals since our homes are a reflection of ourselves. However, there is no need to worry about stair gliders disrupting interior design since these mechanical devices have a variety of design options to choose from that fit specific needs.
Additionally, chair lifts can be easily customized to further improve one’s comfortability and usability. Features like height of the seat or swivel seats can be changed and adapted to one’s comfort and liking.
Lastly, these devices are made to suit the wide variety of staircase configurations. Which means that whether you have curved staircases or traditional ones, there is an option available for you.
Improved Quality of Life
Stair gliders are a comfortable way to improve one’s independence. We all know it can be mentally and emotionally hard for most seniors and people with disabilities to accept that they can no longer do tasks autonomously. With mechanical devices like stair gliders, independence is slowly gained back, hence providing a sense of self-sufficiency.
Moreover, adaptive devices like this one have a positive psychological effect on these individuals. Because aside from providing independence and improved quality of life, disruptive home modifications are avoided in a cost effective and comfortable manner, with little to no changes to their daily routine.
Key Takeaway
Providing independence and improving the quality of life for people with disabilities or mobility issues are one of the many benefits that stairlifts can offer. Not only does this adaptive device provide safety and comfort, it’s also a cost-effective solution to be able to ascend and descend the staircase.
In addition to this, it is accessible for everyone, and can be easily customized according to one’s liking and staircase configuration. It is also equipped with features like seatbelts, armrests and footrests that can be adjusted to one’s specific needs.
So whether you’re a senior, physically disabled or with mobility challenges, these mechanical devices will provide a safe way to travel from one floor to another making your home more accessible despite the physical challenges.
