As lovely and elegant as stairs may appear in a home setting, the truth is that without a stair lift chair, many people would prefer not to have any stairs at all after spending several years of going up and down in their homes.
Today, being fairly easy to install professionally and reasonably affordable, they can help in many ways to make life more flexibly pleasant for those not choosing to abandon their cherished homes in exchange for a house without stairs.
Life Changes
A dozen scenarios can creep up almost unnoticed as the years pass by. Generally, young children and teenagers love having a stair case; however, they eventually grow up and leave the roost. Adults growing older and heading into the senior or elder years least enjoy the dilemma of having to climb stairs to an upper level bedroom or bathroom area–without catching their breath and having to stop.
Independence
For many people, there is nothing more stressful than loosing their independence in everyday living. Having to depend on someone to help them climb stairs when the bedrooms are found on the second level is bad enough. Moreover, hiring a caregiver to help carry a person up and down the stairs is dangerous for both parties involved.(1)
Mobility
With stair lifts, also known as gliding chairs, persons with a temporary or permanent disability can once again have access to a main bedroom, garage or basement area. Why be restricted to just one area of your home, or go into a nursing home facility, when one can easily enjoy complete access to their own home?
Millions of people having mobility issues, such as arthritic patients or those with accident injuries, end up unnecessarily in assisted living facilities, costing up to $7,000 per month and more, after finding they can no longer maneuver a simple flight of stairs.(2)
Safety Issues
The latest statistics coming out of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) tell a troubling story in that one in three senior citizens will face moderate to severe injuries this year after suffering a fall.
With most falls occurring at home, the need for a stair lift is apparent. Of those seniors who do fall, 50 percent end up in a nursing home instead of back at home. Moreover, 25 percent of those seniors fracture a hip that will require life-long nursing care.(3)
There is another aspect as well. An emergency call to 911 many times creates a difficult situation. While first responders do well moving persons from one locality to another at one level, a flight of stairs complicates matters all the more in transporting a needy person in sometimes crucial, life-threatening situations.
Affordability
According to Safe Home Pro, “While there is a wide choice of affordable stair lift models, associated costs can be a major factor in being able to either buy privately or rent through an insurance company offering full or partial coverage. Depending on the model, however, the costs seem to remain at a stable level from about $1,700 to $3,500.”
Unfortunately, Medicare does not generally cover the rental or purchase of such life enhancing devices for those in need. Howbeit, Medicaid, depending on the state of residence, is more likely to cover stair lifts if they enable individuals to continue living in their homes and thereby eliminate the need for placement in nursing home environments.(4)
A Good Investment
With the huge selection of styles, designs and ease of installation by trained technicians, installing a stair lift in a home can add possible resale value at selling time and much comfort during the years in between. Essentially, it becomes an investment in one’s safety and independence that gives much peace of mind as well.
Reference Sources:
(1) http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jim-t-miller/how-to-choose-a-home-stair-lift_b_3521648.html?
(2) http://www.easyclimber.com/
(3) http://www.cdc.gov/HomeandRecreationalSafety/Falls/adulthipfx.html
(4) http://www.payingforseniorcare.com/financial-assistance/stair-lifts-medicare.html
