Monday 4 July 2011

Top Handicapped Stair Lift

Handicap stair lifts are becoming increasingly popular in old homes, and even residences. They are very useful at providing mobility to the handicapped and those that are too old to comfortably go up and down the stairs without help. Stair lifts fill this need perfectly by allowing the user to both have independence and mobility while leaving family and friends to take care of their other needs.

There are, however, many varieties of stair lifts on the market due to their increased popularity. Getting one can actually become quite troublesome as getting the wrong one will mean the handicapped person will not be able to easily use it, making it ineffective and useless.

When you are buying one for your use, make sure you follow the following advice to make sure you get the best handicapped stair lift in the market.

Every stair lift is different, so make sure you look at the kind you will need by examining your needs. For instance, if the person you are getting this for is limited to a wheelchair, or cannot stand comfortably on their own, then you should get an elevator stair lift and not one with a chair.

Another thing about handicapped stair lifts is that they require a button to be pressed. If the person who will be using this cannot press a button by themselves, or cannot reach comfortably to press it, then you should consider another option.

Also look at the upper body strength in the person who will use this. The handicapped stair lift has a chair that the user will need to sit in, and if they are not even strong enough to sit in a chair without slipping, then it would be unsafe to get them a handicapped stair lift.

Make sure the stair lift you get has a seatbelt for safety. This is extremely necessary as without on the user could slip and fall down the stairs, seriously hurting himself. Make sure you check and make sure this works properly.

Also look at your home. You need to make sure the stair lift you are getting will fit on your stairs so make sure you sign on with a company that sends someone to your place to look at the house before installing the lift. Another important thing is after sales service. Hire a company that will be available to fix the stair lift should anything go wrong and has very fast repair times as otherwise you could end up with a broken stair lift and company that takes weeks to repair it.

Finally, you need to look at power. While most models come with a battery that will work in case of a power breakdown, make sure you check this and get one that has a good battery that will last a long time. Another thing to be careful about is how it is linked to your home power supply as you want the connection to be secure. Otherwise you will have to call an electrician every few days to fix the wiring.