If you live with an elderly loved one, you undoubtedly have concerns about his/her safety. Especially if your older adult has trouble with balance and stability, he/she likely has a fear of slipping and falling. And, in all likelihood, you’re probably pretty nervous about such an unfortunate event occurring on the stairs. You’d have good reason to. Slips and falls on staircases have disastrous results. Might it be time to invest in a stair lift?
Here are three signs you need to install a stair lift in your home:
1. Your elderly loved one experiences knee pain.
Having painful knees is an unfortunate reality for many seniors. The pressure placed on them when walking up the stairs can be unbearable. Even with the help of a cane or walker, an elderly person’s knees can cause a great amount of discomfort. A stair lift is an ideal accessibility solution for individuals who contend with painful knees.
“Do your knees hurt every time you try to go up the stairs?” asks The U.K.’s Stairlift Guru, “If so, you should definitely consider buying a stairlift. Suffering from painful knees is typically a problem that arises in old age. This could simply be your joints and bones weakening, or it could be due to conditions such as arthritis.”
2. The senior in your home tends to stick to one level of the home.
Is your elderly loved one a staircase avoider? If so, it’s a clear indication that he/she may not be interested in exerting the energy necessary to climb them. The unfortunate circumstance that is enduring an injury or having a mobility issue can keep a person trapped in his/her own home. If your elderly loved one tends to stick to one floor of the house, you may want to dig deeper into the reason.
“One of the most obvious signs that it is time to invest in a stairlift is if you or a loved one struggles using the stairs or is avoiding them all together,” notes Essex, Maryland’s Preferred Elevator Company, “Whether you are out of breath before getting to your destination or are in pain while walking, you should think about getting assistance…Using a stairlift is an effective way to avoid hurting yourself and accessing your home easier.”
3. Your live-in older adult has back pain.
Most of us have had back pain at some point or the other. And when it strikes, we know how difficult it is to get up out of bed or up from a seat. For most of us, walking up and down the stairs can be unbearable if our backs hurt. Just imagine what it’s like for a senior with back pain to walk up and down the stairs. Alleviate that pain with the help of a stair lift!
“Back pain is an extremely common issue,” notes Stairlift Guru, “For some, it’s manageable. For others, it’s a huge inconvenience. Back pain, particularly lower back pain, can become even more excruciating when climbing stairs. Such pain can quickly worsen if you’re constantly putting pressure on your body and could result in a fall.”
If you have any questions about the high-quality stair lifts offered by LifeCare Mobility Solutions, please don’t hesitate to 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!
