Saturday, June 13, 2015

What To Look For When Buying Chair Lifts For Stairs And Other Mobility Aids

By April Briggs


If you are caring for someone who has physical disabilities or you are dealing with one yourself, you know how important mobility aids can be for independence. If you are beginning to outfit a home or apartment with these devices, you may not know which ones to choose or which are the right ones for you. Here are some tips on picking out chair lifts for stairs and other aids that will give you the assistance you require.

One of the first things to do is to determine exactly what your needs or the needs of the person you are caring for are so that you can buy appropriate equipment. You may want to speak with your doctor or any of the physiotherapists that are treating you in order to find out what devices would be of the most assistance to you or the person you are caring for. You may want to also ask what may happen down the road so that you can choose devices that will work both today and in future if your condition deteriorates.

One challenge that many patients and caregivers need to overcome is a home with more than one floor. If moving to a home with only one floor is not an option, you may need to consider installing a chair lift. This moves a seat or a patient's wheel chair from one level to another via a wall-mounted track.

The bathroom is one area where you may want to install assistance devices. There are rails which can be installed on the wall of a bathtub to help someone get in and out of the tub. There are also devices which are installed on the ceiling which can help you get from a chair into the tub. If standing up for extended periods is difficult, you may want to consider getting a seat for the tub or choosing a model with a bench that is built in.

You may think that the only place a lift would be needed is on the stairs or in the bedroom but this is not always the case. Depending on what an individual's needs are, having a way to swing from a bed to a wheelchair could be very helpful. In this case, a ceiling-mounted rail system can help an individual swing from the surface of a bed into a chair or other device. It can also reduce the chance that a caregiver will injure their back from repeated lifting.

One thing that you will see listed time and time again under the descriptions of these devices is the weight that they can handle. You will need to choose items depending on the weight of the patient and any other equipment that may need to be moved at the same time. Lifting too much weight can damage the structure of a device or burn out a motor and strip gears.

Some of these devices can be quite expensive. You may need to install them over the course of months or even years. Working with a consultant and a reputable company may be able to help you retrofit a home by identifying which devices will be needed first.

If you are looking for companies to work with in Baltimore MD, the internet can be a great place to start. Check out the range of products that they offer and make sure that they can help if you need repairs or item replaced as well.




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