There are many things that a severe case of arthritis can affect. It can make walking difficult and standing and sitting painful. Arthritis is also one of the leading factors that affect the way a person moves up and down the stairs. While arthritis is a leading factor, there are many other things that can also lead to an inability to use the stairs. To help prevent accidents on the stairs, a stair lift can be installed.

Stair lifts are a type of mobility aid that is designed to aid a person in climbing the stairs, but they actually do much more than that. Stair lifts actually carry a person up and down the stairs, so the risk of a fall is greatly reduced.

They can easily and safely be operated by most people, and most models also come with wireless remotes, which allow a caretaker to effortlessly carry their ward up and down the stairway. The use of these lifts by caretakers has saved several peoples lives as well.

Recently in the United Kingdom, a daughter was helping to get her parents ready for a doctor visit when a fire forced them to evacuate the house. The daughter used a wheelchair to get her father to the stairs and then placed him in a stair lift, seat belted him in, and was able to save his life. She stated that without the stair lift installed, there was no way that she would have been able to get her father out of the house. This is not the only time a stair lift has been responsible for saving lives and if you consider how they prevent accidents, they have probably saved many more.

In addition to being used by caretakers, many people use stair lifts because otherwise they would not be able to use the upstairs part of their home. It makes no sense to avoid an area of your home if you do not have to, and if you install a stair lift, you do not have to. Those that choose to install these mobility lifts are able to, at whim, climb the stairs and are no longer required to wait for someone to give them a hand. Easily operated, some lifts have alternate control methods available for people who are not able to use their hands.

Having a battery powered stair lift is a great idea for people who frequently loose power at their house. They have a slightly higher up front cost and a higher maintenance cost, but for many it is worth it. The higher maintenance cost is brought about by having to periodically replace the batteries in the lift. Usually the batteries cost less than a hundred dollars, but they do need to be replaced from time to time. Even without replacing the battery, you will have to check the lift more frequently, but as was stated this is often worth it.