Something that we may take for granted in regard to our mobility is the ability to negotiate a staircase. It becomes something we notice more when we see an elderly parent or grandparent walking on the stairway. Naturally, it’s worrisome to see them on the stairs, particularly if they need a cane that they’re carrying with them, or if we see them trying to carry laundry or other items while walking up or down the stairs. While your first thought may be that mom or grandma needs to have their bedroom moved to the first floor, there may be another answer: a Stair Lift.
Stair lifts in Maryland are not a new concept. In the 1930s, they were introduced to help patients who were suffering from the polio outbreak. Chair lifts have a track that is either attached to the stair steps or to the wall going up the stairway. The lift either has a secure chair or else a platform that can actually lift a person sitting in a wheelchair. The rails may be either straight or curved and they can be made of materials like aluminum and steel.
The chair part of the lift may have arm rests, a foot rests and a seat belt for safety. With most stair lifts, the chair rides up and down the rails with the user’s back toward the wall. Once the chair reaches the top or the bottom of the stairs the chair will swivel so that the user is facing the correct way on the stair way and is able to grab the railing and get up out of the chair. Other lifts will keep the chair facing away from the staircase.
There are all kinds of safety systems built into stair lifts. The chair has a seat belt. On some systems the chair will not move up or down the track unless the chair is locked into position. If a portion of the track interferes with a doorway or if it would be in someone’s walking path, that part of the track can have a hinge installed so it can be moved out of the way so no one trips on it.
