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3 Facts You May Never Have Known About Stair Lifts

At LifeCare Mobility Solutions, we proudly carry high-quality stair lifts of both the straight and curved variety. As their names imply, straight stair lifts are fitted to staircases with no bends or curves while curved stair lifts are fitted to staircases that have one or more bends.

In our experience, stair lifts offer the best solutions for seniors and individuals with mobility issues to stay independent at home and to access all levels of their residences. By having these innovative motorized chairs installed in your home, you’ll ensure that no slips and falls ever occur on your staircases. But did you know how stair lifts first came about? Believe it or not, the innovation has quite the interesting history!

Here are three facts you may never have known about stair lifts:

1. The first stair lift was used by Henry VIII of England.

It sounds a bit improbable that such an incredible mobility solution would have origins that date as far back as the 1500s. But according to Pennsylvania Stair Lifts, King Henry VIII owned what can best be described as a “stair throne”. Because of his large size, the king apparently had some difficulty getting up and down the stairs of Whitehall Palace in London.

By the age of 44, Henry had sustained a leg injury during a jousting match. Due to his declining health and increased weight, as a result, a “stair throne” was necessary. According to PAStairLifts.com, royal records revealed that “a chair…that goeth up and down” was located in the palace.

“British documentarian David Starkey found evidence of the chair when researching Henry VIII,” says the website, “He says servants would have used a block and tackle system to lift the king up and down.”

2. The concept of the modern day stair lift was conceived by a car dealer.

If you see an individual struggling to walk up the stairs, it only makes sense to come up with a solution to help that person with his/her climb. This was the thought process of C.C. Crispen, a Pennsylvania-based car dealer who came up with the “Inclin-ator” back in 1924. He conceived the idea when his neighbour became bedridden, reveals Pennsylvania Stair Lifts.

“In 1924, Crispen put his ‘Inclin-ator’ on display in Philadelphia,” their website details, “The Inclinator Company of America introduced the first widely-used stair lift soon after. Other companies went on to engineer innovations to the product, such as the curved rail stair chair.”

3. In 2012, a stair lift for animals was introduced.

Who said that humans were the only ones who needed assistance getting up and down the stairs? Pet owners everywhere are well aware that when their beloved animals reach advanced stages of their lives, they too need help with their everyday activities. Understanding this, British pet insurance company, More Than unveiled the “Stair of the Dog 2022” in 2012. It’s a stair lift that was designed to publicize the need for medical care for obese pets, says PAStairLifts.com.

“Although retailers expressed interest in selling the product, More Than created the Stair of the Dog as a warning to pet owners whose canines were entering Henry VIII territory,” says the site, “In a news release on its website, More Than said such lifts ‘could become common in British homes unless we change our approach to our dogs’ diets.’”

If you have any questions about the stair lifts offered by LifeCare Mobility Solutions, call us at 416-267-9800 or email us at info@lifecaremobility.ca. You may also contact us by filling out the form on our Contact page!

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