TWO In ONE Stairlift, Made in the United Kingdom

Whether you have painful hip problems or issues with bending the knees as a result of arthritis or other complications, climbing stairs will not be an easy task. This is why we offer our new Perch Sit & Standing stairlift that allows you to do exactly as it name suggest – to safely climb or descend the stairs whilst standing or perching. This style of stairlift is the perfect solution for your multi-story mobility needs and we can help you every step of the way to decide if this is the right system for you.

This perch sit & stand stairlift is available as an extension to our standard Straight Stairlifts. Not like usual perch sit and stand stairlift, This stairlift gives you the option of sitting whenever you feel like.

Designed with Comfort in Mind

Sit and Perch Stairlifts are designed with the focus of making the ride as comfortable as possible. This is achieved not only through its padded perch seating and armrests but also through the bespoke design of the seat itself. Furthermore the fully adjustable safety belt offers a non-restrictive, comfortable security feature for additional peace of mind for those concerned about stability wile the lift is in motion.

Space Saving Standing Stairlift

What’s more, on top of this fantastic stairlift being able to cater for those that have difficulty with sitting, it is also functional for those who can. In fact, this style of stairlift is suited to those who don’t have enough space in their stairwell for the standard size of stairlift. For narrow staircases or where there is limited accessibility, the perch sit & standing stairlift is the perfect solution with its space saving design.

Old Age & Reduced Mobility – At What Point Should You Consider Getting A Stairlift?

Ageing is an inevitable process which we will all go through in our lives. As we grow older our bodies will start to show signs of the life we have led and flexibility, speed, strength and manoeuvrability will tend to decrease over time. This is not as ominous as it may sound as you can still enjoy the things that you like doing in your life but living with reduced mobility just means that you need to take steps to be more comfortable. Climbing stairs is often a sizable challenge when reduced mobility becomes apparent as this task can be the source of a lot of physical discomforts while also increasing the risk of a fatal fall. Stairlifts exist for exactly that reason and every year Affordable Mobility helps hundreds of customers ease the impacts of reduced mobility by installing sleek and reliable Platinum stairlifts from Elevaton Solutions. 

Stairlift costs are totally dependent on the type and length of your home’s staircase but as with many big home additions you may be wondering “do I need a stairlift?” or “how severe does my mobility need to be in order to get a stairlift installed?”. There is no hard and fast rule to determine someone as a prime beneficiary for a stairlift but at the core, it’s your comfort and safety that are the deciding factors.

Seriously committing to having a stairlift installed in your home can seem like a big decision and it is natural in some cases for individuals to be reluctant in admitting the extent of their physical limitations. If you are experiencing any of the following points, we recommend making an appointment with a stairlift specialist immediately.  

Climbing The Stairs Is Taking A Long Time

Walking up the stairs is a fairly simple physical process and is usually done in a single consistent rhythm. That said, walking up a flight of stairs should take no longer than a few seconds so if you are finding that you are taking longer and climbing each step in multiple stop-start movements then this could be a sign that you may be having difficulty and require assistance.

The act of walking up a flight of stairs engages a whole range of lower body muscles including hip flexors, glutes, quadriceps, hamstrings and the soleus to name a few. When we climb a flight of stairs this network of muscles contracts in order to spring us forward and up onto the next step. 

Sarcopenia is a medical term to describe the loss of muscle tissue in adults as they age after 30 with the prime affected age group being 60-75. It is said that during this time that those within this age range can experience around 5% muscular reduction every decade from middle age causing weakness, lack of stamina and an inevitable reduction in physical activity. This further accelerates the rate at which muscle tissue is lost to the point where it becomes increasingly difficult to summon posterior chain power needed to climb a set of stairs. 

You Are Experiencing Pain In Your Joints

Tendons, ligaments and cartilage are flexible and springy bits of tissue that help attach muscle to bone and help promote connectivity throughout our bodies. In our younger years, these types of tissue are remarkably hard-wearing and reactive when we participate in physical activity. As we get older our tendons and ligaments become less springy and shorten which leads to stiff achy joints. 

In addition, joint cartilage and connective tissue that helps support your bones naturally start to wear away thus giving way to conditions like arthritis, tendonitis and chronic pain. If you think about the act of climbing a set of stairs you are essentially top-loading your knees, hips and ankles with your entire body weight. If those joints do not have the flexibility or support then huge aching and pain is sure to occur. 

Ultimately climbing a set of stairs should not be a painful experience. If you have started to feel pain in your joints during or after climbing stairs then this is a sign that it may be time to consider a stairlift. Life is too short to live with chronic joint pain brought on by over-exertion and the stairlift installation process is hassle-free and easy. 

You Feel Out Of Breath & Drained After Climbing Stairs

We all experience an ever so slight rise in heart rate when climbing up a set of stairs which is natural since our heart has to work harder to pump blood into the muscles that are powering us forward. If you feel significantly drained, out of breath and dizzy after climbing a set of stairs then this is a sign of over-exertion and that your body is struggling with the output required to complete the task. 

Anyone experiencing this level of fatigue should without question seriously considering a stairlift immediately because on many occasions light headedness and fatigue can result in serious falls, broken bones and hospitalisation. Over time, our circulatory and cardiovascular systems tend to become less efficient at operating resulting in lower aerobic capacity. Cardiovascular 

You Have Problems With Balance

Problems with balance are a serious concern and if you have started to feel less able on your feet then the stairs can prove to be a hazard. The loss of balance is well documented in ages 60+ and is one of the most popular reasons why individuals decide to invest in a stairlift for their home. As with the loss of stamina and shortness of breath, balance difficulties can also result in a serious fall which places even more importance on stairlifts as a preventative measure to further injury. Problems with balance in old age are down to the fact that cognition, site and reaction times also decrease as time gets on.

When you couple this with the muscular physiological degradation as previously mentioned, the risk of having a fall due to bad balance becomes very much heightened. Research has shown that about one in three adults over 60 have had a fall over the last year which makes stairlifts a very attractive prospect. Furthermore, over time the human body can’t recover and repair as effectively as it once could and a fall due to bad balance could result in lengthy hospital stays and even the use of a wheelchair. If you’ve noticed a change in your ability to balance and remain stable then don’t risk having a fall, stairlifts are a sensible option that will protect you and give you full peace of mind whilst being able to enjoy your home. 

Stairlifts Made Easy

With Affordable Mobility getting a stairlift in Manchester is a simple straightforward process! It all starts with getting in contact with our team who will discuss your requirements and specifics surrounding your home’s staircase. Within no more than 48 hours an assessor will visit your home where he/she will take measurements and structural information on your staircase. We will then provide you with a competitive quote after which we will then install your stairlift.

 Call us today on 0094 77 366 0 395 or visit our website for more information. 

This Article was originally done by Alexander Fox

Essential Stairlift Safety Tips

Stairlifts offer those with limited or reduced mobility a viable, smooth and reliable way to enjoy the entirety of their home. This is a hugely understated benefit because it essentially allows those users to be independent within the comfort of their own home which is very important for self-esteem, autonomy and mental health. Stairlifts also mean that those living with mobility issues don’t need to completely re-route their life to move into accessible accommodation. Affordable mobility has been the source of quality Platinum stairlifts in Stoke-On-Trent for many years and our stairlifts are made to suit every conceivable type of staircase imaginable making the option suitable for everyone. 

For all of their benefits Stairlifts are complex pieces of machinery, after all they are tasked with transporting the full weight of a human body safely up many flights of stairs via a rail. It is therefore very important that the necessary safety precautions are taken to safeguard your wellbeing and the wellbeing of others as well as the stairlift itself. So what best practices should you abide by in order to remain safe? 

Prevent Rail Obstruction

In order for stairlifts to function effectively, the chair must be able to travel up the full length of the wall rail without being obstructed by any objects or clothing. If the latter occurs then the stairlift could jam leaving you stuck mid staircase. If you are living with lowered mobility then being left stranded in the middle of a staircase is not a situation to be in as getting back down comes with its own risks of injury and falls not to mention intense stress. The added consequence of a jam as a result of an obstruction means that key areas of your house such as bathroom and bedroom will be out of reach until an engineer makes it to the property. Make sure if possible that someone can clear your stairways of things like pet toys, children’s toys and anything else that may have been left on the stairwell. In addition, make sure that all items of clothing are not dangling over and causing any potential jams before you travel either up or down.   

Add Cushioning To Make Chair Comfortable And Avoid Aches

Like with most household fixtures, people like to add their own touches to make things more comfortable for themselves and we have seen individuals employ extra cushioning and upholstery additions. This is a nice touch and it also means that by adding extra cushioning to your discrepancy, you are safeguarding your back and posture. We would however advise against adorning your stairlift chair with things like throws as they have the potential to obstruct the rail mechanism.

Only Take One Person At A Time

You should be aware that the rail upon which the chair travels on is rooted in your wall using a trail of hard-wearing metal brackets. When you add the weight of a person to the equation, the rail has a lot of weight to cope with and whilst it can cope with a single person, it is not designed to take multiple people.

Curved staircases have a weight limit of 200KG so it is advisable to be mindful of this restriction. In addition, carrying extra persons is also very unsafe as they cannot strap in securely.   

Make Sure Your Stairlift Has Reliable Power Backup

For those with mobility issues, a stairlift becomes an essential functional component of the household as it facilitates travel to the upper areas of their properties. So what happens when the unthinkable occurs and for whatever reason (a power outage or electrical fault for example) your house is left without electricity? The good news is that today’s modern stairlifts are not connected to the mains but are powered by a high-performance battery pack which charges when the stairlift is not in use. This means that at any given time the stairlift will operate even if there is a power outage at your property. 

When it comes to battery packs you cannot afford to take any chances as they are the driving force responsible for your stairlift operating safely. As a safety precaution, you must ensure that your unit is fitted with a reliable battery cell which can retain large amounts of capacity and doesn’t lose energy. This is quite a technical ask so it’s best to enlist the expertise expert engineers by signing up to a planned stairlift maintenance plan.