Do you need a stairlift?
Do you find yourself avoiding using the stairs in your home?

Have you had any close calls when navigating stairs in your home or while out and about?

Do you struggle to carry items such as washing up and down the stairs?

If any of the above apply to you, it might be time to think about options to take the effort out of the stairs. These options could be to consider living downstairs or moving into a bungalow or ground floor flat. The other alternative is to install a Stairlift. You might be surprised to hear that installing a stairlift is often cheaper than the costs involved in moving house and most importantly it means less of a change to your lifestyle, being able to utilise all areas of your house and allowing you to carry on living independently in your home and the area that you know.

Once you have decided that a stair lift is the right choice for you and your home, it is important to ensure you choose a stair lift that best suits your requirements.

Before you buy a stairlift, as with all large home improvement purchases, there are options to think and talk about. We advise consulting friends, family and professionals before committing to buying a chairlift.
•    It is advisable to contact an Occupational Therapist (OT), who will be able to offer you guidance on the best solution for your requirements. An OT can also provide you with information in regards to Grants that you may be eligible for.
•    Do you know someone that owns a stairlift? If you do, don’t be shy, ask them about their opinion and the advantages of having a stairlift.  They may also have some suggestions of what questions you should ask the stair lift company.
•    Make sure you weigh up the different models and what sets them apart from each other.
•    Reliability and safety are the main factors to consider. Don’t let cold callers rush you into making a purchase, take your time.
•    Requesting a free stairlift brochure, information pack and speaking to a consultant is a great way to compare products that you may consider for your home.

Which is the best stairlift for you?
When Choosing a Stairlift, it is important to keep in mind your current needs, as well as consider how your health and may change in the future.
Before you commit to buying you should receive a visit from an expert, who will measure your stairs and assess your needs and safety requirements. This type of consultation shouldn’t take longer than 1 hour.

Seats for Stairlifts

Traditional Seated Stairlifts
These are the most common chairlifts, where the user can sit comfortably on a seat that swivels at the top of the stairs to make it easier to go from sitting to standing. We recommend that if you are in need of a mobility aid that is bigger than a walking stick, then make sure you have two of each. One at the top and one at the bottom of the stairs, as it can be challenging and awkward to carry bulky items on a seated chairlift.

Perch Stairlifts (Sadler)
Designed specifically for people with limited flexibility, This is an entirely new concept in chair-lift design. It offers a new alternative to traditional and perch-style chair-lifts, helping the user to maintain a more upright posture, while taking much of your weight through the seat, minimising the weight supported by the legs. The slim design is ideal for homes where the staircase is too narrow to accommodate a traditional chair-lift seat.

Straight Stairlifts
As the name suggests, Straight stair lifts are made for straight staircases, and they tend to be the cheaper and less complicated option. Installation of these usually only takes a few hours; the rail is fitted to the stair tread rather than the wall of the staircase, so you needn't worry about having to sort out painting and decorating work. All our chairlifts are powered from the mains all they need is a PowerPoint within 2 meters of either the top or the bottom of the stairs, they also come with a battery backup option in case of power failures, for your peace of mind.

Curved Stairlifts
Curved Stair-lifts can go round bends in the staircase, as well as glide across landings, half landings and negotiated different inclines. All Stannah curved stair lift tracks are made to order, to fit each staircase. The custom-made curved stair-lifts operate on a double rail that fits very tightly to the wall, even on tight bends, freeing up more space on the staircase, while the dual rail provides added stability. All our chairlifts are powered from the mains all they need is a PowerPoint within 2 meters of either the top or the bottom of the stairs, they also come with a battery backup option in case of power failures, for your peace of mind. The seat needs to be in the right place to charge, and there is a warning beep if it is in the wrong place.

Outdoor Stairlifts
Outdoor Chairlifts provide easy access to exposed sites such as porches and backyards. They are made from non-weathering materials and provided with a waterproof cover, so they are ready to use at any time, yet withstand the elements.

Transfer Platform Straight Stairlifts
Transfer Platform Straight Stairlifts are cheaper options to curved chairlifts. This means that you use your existing landing to move between two straight stairlifts.  However, this is only a suitable solution if you are mobile enough to make the transfer from one stairlift to another. If it is unlikely you will be able to do so in the future, then a curved stairlift may be more appropriate and overall a more convenient choice.

Should you buy a new or reconditioned stairlift?
There are some Reconditioned Stair lifts available in and around Perth. Your decision of which to purchase will be dependent on your budget and requirements. The reconditioned stairlifts usually refer to the carriage / seat of the stairlift which while the rail system is usually new as these are very specific to staircases and can be a hard match.

New stairlifts will come straight from the manufacturer, will be easy to repair, give you a wider choice of materials and features to choose from and can provide extra peace of mind, although they will also be more costly.
Reconditioned chair lifts will cost less. However, parts may be harder to get hold of, there could be less choice, and they may not last as long as new chair-lifts.