Stairlift Alternatives

As we age or face mobility challenges, navigating stairs can become increasingly difficult. For many, a stairlift might seem like the go-to solution for maintaining independence and ensuring safety at home.

However, stairlifts are not the only option available. Whether due to aesthetic preferences, physical constraints, or budget considerations, it’s important to explore all the alternatives to find the best fit for your unique needs.

 

What Stairlifts Alternatives Can I Choose From?

Domestic stairlifts are often the first choice for households due to their affordability, versatility, and safety. Depending on your personal strength and ability to maintain balance, there are a variety of manual and automatic options to help you use the stairs. Choose from solutions such as:

• Stair handrails
• Platform lifts
• Stair climbers
• Ramps
• Home lifts
• Move your main living spaces to the ground floor, e.g bedroom, bathroom

Here we take a closer look at ways you can take the struggle out of the stairs.

 

Stair Handrails

Second stair handrails and horizontal grab rails are cost-effective solutions to problems with the stairs. Helping you to keep your balance, you’ll be able to distribute your weight more evenly with each step you take.

Handrails can help reduce the risk of falling when using the stairs, but won’t eliminate the risk entirely. Horizontal grab rails can be clipped onto your existing handrail, allowing you to grip and lean on it as you move up and down the stairs. To install a second handrail, you’d need to drill into your wall. Once fitted you should be able to support yourself using both sides of your staircase.

 

Platform Lifts

Platform lifts are another option for reaching the floors of your home safely. They’re especially useful for wheelchair users, as there’s no need to transfer between seats. Platform lifts can be fitted to give access to split-level floors divided by a few steps and different floors separated by a full staircase. Installing a platform lift often depends on the amount of space in your home.

They are large and bulky, and if you require a lift with a shaft to reach another floor, it will take up a lot of room upstairs and downstairs. They are also expensive to buy and you’re likely to need building work to support the lift structure and reinforce your home.

 

Ramps

Having access ramps can help you throughout areas of your home, such as in outdoor spaces and any entrances to your home that have steps or uneven ground. Ramps are fairly easy to install and can also be fitted with a handrail for extra support.

 

Home Lifts

Home lifts can be a popular way of accessing the different levels in your home with complete ease and safety. Modern home lifts can be fitted surprisingly easily, without too much disruption to your interior or having to have major renovation works.

 

Move Living Spaces to the Ground Floor

Making the transition and bringing your bedroom to the ground floor in place of perhaps a dining room or other room you no longer have great use for is an ideal solution for preventing the need to travel up and down the stairs as often.

If you have the means to have a ground-floor bathroom, this can also help immensely with your mobility issues, creating less of a need to navigate the stairs every time nature calls!

 

Stair Climbers

A stair climber is a manual tool that can be operated by a carer to transfer a person with a disability up and down the stairs. Stair climbers consist of a fixed seat with two rear wheels. The disabled person sits in the seat, secured with a seatbelt. The carer then leans the chair back and pulls the stair climber up the stairs, with the seated person facing out over the stairs.

Stair climbers are more durable and sophisticated versions of evacuation chairs you may have seen in commercial settings. Whilst they are ergonomically designed for safe use, this method cannot be used independently and relies on carer support. The user may also feel uncomfortable looking out over the stairs as they climb.

 

Stairlifts at Halton Stairlifts

There are different types of stair lifts to choose from. Affordable, flexible, and compact, straight and curved stairlifts can also be used independently and safely. Depending on whether you have trouble sitting or standing, you can choose between a perch stairlift, a sit-and-stand stairlift, and a traditional chair lift to meet your physical needs.

Find out more about what’s the difference between a stairlift and a chair lift. Stairlifts can also be fitted quickly without the need to drill into walls, so your décor is protected. There’s also no need for construction work, although things like plug sockets may need to be relocated as required.

Whilst there are a lot of stairlift alternatives, stairlifts are often the preferred choice for people struggling with stairs. Automated with safety features, fast and easy installation, a variety of options, customisable features, and options for different budgets, stairlifts are a fantastic choice.

Speak to our team of stairlift experts on 0800 644 766 who can help you to weigh up the pros and cons of stair climbing options, and provide you with free, no-obligation quotes on recommended stairlift models.