Staircase lift

[Epsteinroberta]

I'm investigating ways to get up the stairs to the second floor of my house-which I can't sell. I'm having more and more difficulty. Anything specific I should look for or are they all pretty much the same?

 

[mich5]

You may want to price modifying your downstairs rather than getting a lift. As you lose trunk muscles, you will not be able to use a stair lift. If you lose leg muscles, you'll need a wheelchair both up and downstairs. Perhaps you can put in an accessible bathroom downstairs and 'convert' a downstairs room into a bedroom. Makes your house 'smaller' but is working for us.

 

[ottawa girl]

Roberta,

We recently moved because of stairs. I hear ya! The last couple of weeks were a challenge. I could do the 15 steps, but was increasingly tired out.

In my case, an OT explained that a chair lift, though a viable option early on, may not be the ideal solution because if/when my core muscle strength were to diminish, it would not be safe or practical. We were in a condo with no option for renovations of any kind because of space design and due to structural walls being in the way of any such plans.

I am sorry you can't sell - have you considered renovations to meet future needs? We had also toyed with the idea of renting our previous condo and moving to a rental, but decided, in the end to sell and relocate nearer my family.

Not sorry we did that. i can use my scooter if necessary throughout the place and have the bathroom I need. I'm just exhausted (still) by the entire move - but not missing the stairs!

 

[Annie's Phil]

Elaine & Mich5 are correct about not being able to use a stair-lift when the trunk muscles weaken too much. This was Annie's experience. I put in an Acorn lift, which worked for about 14 months or so. In addition to eventually not being able to support yourself while on the lift, there's the transfers that are necessary at both ends of the stairs.

There is a variety of stair lift that accommodates a wheelchair if you have sufficient space at the foot and head of the stairs to accommodate the platform that supports the wheelchair. We didn't have enough room for one - it all depends upon the house layout.

 

[Nighthawk]

You may want to price modifying your downstairs rather than getting a lift. As you lose trunk muscles, you will not be able to use a stair lift. If you lose leg muscles, you'll need a wheelchair both up and downstairs. Perhaps you can put in an accessible bathroom downstairs and 'convert' a downstairs room into a bedroom. Makes your house 'smaller' but is working for us.

That's exactly what my caregivers did for me recently.
They "converted" part of the downstairs floor into a "room" by putting privacy curtains. I already had a hospital bed loaned to us by our Local Chapter of ALSA.
Also, they put a commode shower chair in the bathroom. This bathroom downstairs is rather small when compared to the bathroom upstairs I was previously using. It only has a toilette and a sink, no shower. So, my caregivers loaned a portable indoor shower also from our ALSA. Also it's easier for me to move around downstairs on my wheelchair (more space, more area).

So far, it's kinda okay. Not the same level of privacy and noise--free environment as my bedroom upstairs but, I'd rather sacrifice that than having a bad fall while going upstairs and breaking my neck and who knows what else.


Carlos