All too often, the staircase ends up being a very dangerous part of the home for seniors. For this age group, most serious falls occur on the stairs and the majority of accidents are a fall on the stairs. Finding methods of reducing these risks is therefore imperative, so many people use stair lifts in their homes.

Stair lifts are a type of lifting aid that carries a person up the staircase safely. They can usually be operated very easily by seniors, with simple easy to use hand controls available on most models. Rather than having to rely on someone to help when it is time to use the stairs, those who own stair lifts can safely be carried up the staircase.

A stair chair is by far the most common type of stair lift and it is also the safest type of stair lift. This provides a chair for the occupant to sit in. The chair is sometimes made solely out of plastic, which make it very easy to clean, but there are usually several fabrics available. The chair itself is designed with sturdy armrests and usually comes with, or has available as options, seat belts. The chair should also have the ability to swivel, so the lift can be entered or exited away from the staircase.

For the vast majority of people, the stair chair is going to be the best option. It offers superior safety, especially when seat belts are used; however, there are some people who can not safely sit in the chair. This could be the result of an injury or perhaps after a knee replacement surgery, but these individuals lack the ability to bend their knees enough to sit in a stair chair. For these people a special standing lift is available, which is many times called a perch lift.

Perch lifts offer a very valuable service to many who are mobility challenged, but require a higher degree of balance, therefore it is usually only recommended to go this route if it is as a result of medical necessity. The small platform that is provided is designed to remain level as it moves up the staircase and many also provide an area where the occupant can lean against as they move.

Since, for most people, the stair chair is the safest option, it is also the most popular type of stair lift, with this configuration accounting for most of all new stair lift installs. For a straight staircase, a stair lift allows for a very attractive alternative to an elevator. This is because they are significantly less expensive, costing only a small fraction of what a residential elevator would cost. They are also much easier to install, seldom requiring any major renovation. In most cases, from the time the lift is ordered to the time it is delivered is at most a week.

For those who have a curved staircase, a stair lift is sometimes much more expensive. These lifts must be custom made, which can easily costs tens of thousands of dollars. They also take a long time to be built and installed, sometimes over 3 months.

Daryl Lahnker, a writer, is knowledgeable about many kinds of lifting devices, like the stair lift. Every year, millions of people seriously injure themselves on the stairs as a result of a fall and a stair lift is one of the best ways of increasing safety. There are also other steps that can be taken to preventing falls Visit the Stair Lift Guide to learn more.

Author: Daryl Lahnker
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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