Mrs Fw's arthritis is getting worse and we're doing a bit of forward planning and looking at the possibility of installing a stair lift. Have any of you guys out there had experience of these contraptions. It's nice looking a glossy catalogues, but what are the requirements and costs, My Dad had one installed about 20 years ago for Mum that one is a straight up model ours will need to go round a bend at the top. NHS is dragging it's heels at Knee replacement (both will need doing)
Any thoughts would be much appreciated
Malc
Stair lifts
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ferrit worrier
- Posts: 5503
- Joined: 27 Jun 2008, 7:58pm
- Location: south Manchester
Stair lifts
Percussive maintainance, if it don't fit, hit it with the hammer.
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thirdcrank
- Posts: 36781
- Joined: 9 Jan 2007, 2:44pm
Re: Stair lifts
I'm sorry to hear about this and I can't advise on different stairlifts so I can only offer commiseration.
But, I'd urge you both to carry on with the stairs as long as you can. Use it or lose it.
But, I'd urge you both to carry on with the stairs as long as you can. Use it or lose it.
Re: Stair lifts
Sorry you feel the need for one, but I have seen them working on stairs with bends with no problems.
Re: Stair lifts
A colleague in the club had to get a stairlift installed to help his wife get up and down the stairs. He used a local firm which sold reconditioned lifts at a fraction of the price of advertisers with their glossy brochures. He was also told that it was far cheaper to have a straight lift than one which went around corners. He initially thought he would need one which went around a corner but the local co suggested a straightforward mod to the stair layout to avoid this. Best of luck. When my mother in law passed away we were advised by the estate agent to get her stairlift removed prior to putting her house up for sale. We offered it to a couple of local stairlift suppliers for free but they weren't interested. We eventually removed it ourselves and a scrap dealer collected it for free.
Be a great addition to the mine when you have finished with it.
Be a great addition to the mine when you have finished with it.
At the last count:- Peugeot 531 pro, Dawes Discovery Tandem, Dawes Kingpin X3, Raleigh 20 stowaway X2, 1965 Moulton deluxe, Falcon K2 MTB dropped bar tourer, Rudge Bi frame folder, Longstaff trike conversion on a Giant XTC 840 
Re: Stair lifts
Hi FW.
I understand that stairlifts will go round corners ok.
Where Mrs Mick F worked some years ago, the lady of the house had a stairlift and it went up, round a corner, up again, then round another corner, then up to the top.
As it happens, I met a chap in Bridestowe heading down JOGLE, and we rode together to Wadebridge. Chucked it down all the way!
I headed home via Bodmin and Liskeard, but came down from Wadebridge via Washaway.
The chap was called Tim Eagles.
Worked for Stanna I believe.
viewtopic.php?f=22&t=41759
I understand that stairlifts will go round corners ok.
Where Mrs Mick F worked some years ago, the lady of the house had a stairlift and it went up, round a corner, up again, then round another corner, then up to the top.
As it happens, I met a chap in Bridestowe heading down JOGLE, and we rode together to Wadebridge. Chucked it down all the way!
I headed home via Bodmin and Liskeard, but came down from Wadebridge via Washaway.
The chap was called Tim Eagles.
Worked for Stanna I believe.
viewtopic.php?f=22&t=41759
Mick F. Cornwall
Re: Stair lifts
I would not recommend Stannah to anyone, having observed the troubles they caused to my late mother.
I can PM you with more details, but suffice to say that the prominent marketing is, of course, paid for by the customers.
The adverts may be glossy and reassuring, but the customer service might not meet expectorations.
Shop around locally and listen to personal recommendations from users.
I can PM you with more details, but suffice to say that the prominent marketing is, of course, paid for by the customers.
The adverts may be glossy and reassuring, but the customer service might not meet expectorations.
Shop around locally and listen to personal recommendations from users.
Re: Stair lifts
No idea what it would cost you to move but a bungalow! I planned ahead when I was 50 I bought a bungalow on the assumption that one day I would need one. As it happens I got an infection which according to the xrays has left me with severe arthritis in one knee (age 55). Stairs are a real pain so lucky I made that decision.
Re: Stair lifts
My Nan had one when she was in need of one, TBH it was fitted a bit late a her need was there long before it was installed but she kept saying she didn't want/need one. I'm guessing pride was what made her say she didn't want one but we all talked her round. It is now used by my GrandFather and hopefully will keep going till he gets his telegram from Buck Palace in December 2020.
Re: Stair lifts
We fitted a through floor lift at my parents. Partly as a result of the staircase layout and also we needed to get a wheelchair in. Probably more expensive but handy for moving heavy items upstairs.
Re: Stair lifts
Graham wrote:I would not recommend Stannah to anyone, having observed the troubles they caused to my late mother.
+1 but for a different reason. We installed one for the Inlaw Paw, and were assured that when it was no longer needed (he was 99) they would buy it back for a decent sum. As it happened, he only used it once; that very night he went into hospital, and was bed-ridden for his last 6 months.
The stairlift cost 12,000 €, and they offered us a buy-back price of 1,500. We decided not to accept, but to keep it in case of accidents.
Avoid them.
BTW, a straight lift would have cost 9,000; ours had one major curve, and needed another one to tuck the chair out of the way at the bottom.
Have we got time for another cuppa?
Re: Stair lifts
My parents have had one for a couple of years and a couple of points worth checking on carefully when making a selection:
1. How long will the battery pack last when you have a power cut. In practice my parents might get maybe 4 or 6 runs during a power cut. It's never happened but the worry then is that should the power cut last too long they might end-up stuck upstairs. Company says it should last longer but it's out of warranty so they'd have to pay for investigations and they don't get many power cuts.
2. Post warranty maintenance costs. What routine servicing is required and at what cost. My parents did not go for a maintenance contract instead paying for each engineer visit.
3. Space taken out from the stairs. In my parents case they both need to use the stairlift so the blockage on the stairs is not important. But the stairlift does quite obstruct their stairs and it does make normal use of their stairs harder (e.g. for myself having to squeeze past the chair). Of course depends on your stairs, if one or both residents are using it, mobility of others using the stairs, etc.). It is just a consideration when selecting, something to check on.
Ian
1. How long will the battery pack last when you have a power cut. In practice my parents might get maybe 4 or 6 runs during a power cut. It's never happened but the worry then is that should the power cut last too long they might end-up stuck upstairs. Company says it should last longer but it's out of warranty so they'd have to pay for investigations and they don't get many power cuts.
2. Post warranty maintenance costs. What routine servicing is required and at what cost. My parents did not go for a maintenance contract instead paying for each engineer visit.
3. Space taken out from the stairs. In my parents case they both need to use the stairlift so the blockage on the stairs is not important. But the stairlift does quite obstruct their stairs and it does make normal use of their stairs harder (e.g. for myself having to squeeze past the chair). Of course depends on your stairs, if one or both residents are using it, mobility of others using the stairs, etc.). It is just a consideration when selecting, something to check on.
Ian
Re: Stair lifts
They're also ugly bloody things. We have a 150-year-old oak staircase, and sometimes the sight of that thing makes me want to spit.
Have we got time for another cuppa?
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thirdcrank
- Posts: 36781
- Joined: 9 Jan 2007, 2:44pm
Re: Stair lifts
My wife is a retired nurse and her circle of friends includes physio's and the like. It seems they have an expression "bungalow knees." I've just googled and found several hits including this one:
http://www.sefitness.com/tag/bungalow-k ... 3105468750
I appreciate there comes a time when stairs are impossible, but continuing to use them probably puts off that day.
... a new problem that is already affecting those who live in bungalows – ‘bungalow knees’. I started to link the knee problems people get when they start exercising to their living conditions. The conclusion I come to is that those who live in bungalows are missing out on vital exercise. If you don’t use it you lose it!
The good news is that it is quite simple to address – the important thing is to recognize it in the first place. A few ideas: when out use the stairs rather than a lift, if you live in a dorma bungalow make sure you use the stairs every day, if you use the bus use the upstairs, use the stairs instead of the escalator, use the stepper in a gym.
http://www.sefitness.com/tag/bungalow-k ... 3105468750
I appreciate there comes a time when stairs are impossible, but continuing to use them probably puts off that day.
Re: Stair lifts
"Bungalow knees" is a new term to me. Since the bungalow is the most common form of housing in my part of the world, I suppose we call the condition "knees". 
Stairs can indeed provide an excellent form of exercise. As a hospital physio my assigned wards were on the ground floor and the sixth, and it was my habit to use the stairs (at a run in my youthful 50's, but by the time I reached retirement I generally slowed to a walk when climbing the final flight). So I am not one to advocate the use of stair lifts unless they are necessary. Indeed, for my post-heart attack and post-cardiac surgery patients, I often recommended walking up and down stairs as the best way to exercise at home, noting that if you have fifteen steps you have fifteen places where you can sit down and rest to avoid exhaustion.
However, if your mobility is severely limited by injured, worn, or arthritic joints —knees in particular, but hips and ankles as well— rather than lack of muscular strength or flexibility, a stair lift can be a godsend. If, for whatever reason, you haven't enough strength to go abut your daily activities after using the stairs and there is no practical way to rebuild your strength, then hurrah for stair lifts!
Two of my friends, both extremely active well into their pension years, when in their 80's were able to stay in their homes only because of stair lifts. To use one when you don't need it is foolish, but if it enables you to do the things that are important to you I cannot think of a better investment.
Stairs can indeed provide an excellent form of exercise. As a hospital physio my assigned wards were on the ground floor and the sixth, and it was my habit to use the stairs (at a run in my youthful 50's, but by the time I reached retirement I generally slowed to a walk when climbing the final flight). So I am not one to advocate the use of stair lifts unless they are necessary. Indeed, for my post-heart attack and post-cardiac surgery patients, I often recommended walking up and down stairs as the best way to exercise at home, noting that if you have fifteen steps you have fifteen places where you can sit down and rest to avoid exhaustion.
However, if your mobility is severely limited by injured, worn, or arthritic joints —knees in particular, but hips and ankles as well— rather than lack of muscular strength or flexibility, a stair lift can be a godsend. If, for whatever reason, you haven't enough strength to go abut your daily activities after using the stairs and there is no practical way to rebuild your strength, then hurrah for stair lifts!
Two of my friends, both extremely active well into their pension years, when in their 80's were able to stay in their homes only because of stair lifts. To use one when you don't need it is foolish, but if it enables you to do the things that are important to you I cannot think of a better investment.
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ferrit worrier
- Posts: 5503
- Joined: 27 Jun 2008, 7:58pm
- Location: south Manchester
Re: Stair lifts
Many thanks for you thoughts folks, lots of things to look at. Hadn't thought of second hand or as they say now pre owned. Being a time served fitter machanics isn't too much of a worry for me . A bugalow would be ideal but at about £50k more than our current pad its a bit out for us.
Thanks again guys , much appreciated
Malc
. A bugalow would be ideal but at about £50k more than our current pad its a bit out for us. Thanks again guys , much appreciated
Malc
Percussive maintainance, if it don't fit, hit it with the hammer.