Elder Care Zone - Caring for the Elderly, Elder Health Care Services, Elder Home Care and More
    (Add to Favorites  |  View All Articles  |  Resource Directory)

Stair Lifts when a doorway or aisleway are near the stairs


Hinged Rail Stair Lifts


If a door at the top or the bottom of the stairs may be blocked by the rail of the stairlift, there are a number of models designed to overcome this problem. Some manufacturers are able to produce a rail with reduced overhang upstairs, so the lift will not protrude as far into the hallway. This may solve the problem at the top of your stairs and is a very cost effective solution.

If there is a door or passageway at the bottom of the stairs then it is likely that you will need a folding track or hinged rail stairlift. This means that the bottom section of the rail can be folded out of the way when the lift is not being used. This will allow you to gain access to a door that would be blocked by a normal rail and also means that there is no tripping hazard if you have an open hallway downstairs.

The hinged rail option is available from most suppliers but the cost and quality can vary greatly. Seek independent advice and consider if you would be able to fold the rail manually or if you would require powered operation. Most people do need the powered version as the mechanism can be quite heavy. Unfortunately these options will add to the cost of the lift.

The only other option is to stop the rail of the lift short, to prevent it protruding as far into the hallway. This might make getting off the lift dangerous and is not an ideal solution by any means. Again you must seek advice, preferably from an occupational therapist. Also take into account that while you may be able to use the lift this way in the short term you may find it impossible in the future. Some companies may not consider it an option as they feel there is too much risk involved.

Christian Dunnage is a director of Dolphin Mobility Ltd, a UK based independent supplier of stair lifts and mobility products http://www.dolphinlifts.co.uk and author of http://www.stairlift.co.uk an impartial online guide to having a stair lift in your home.


MORE RESOURCES:

News provided by Yahoo! News and Google News

Elderly care 'must be fair and simple' - Craegmoor News

Elderly care 'must be fair and simple'
Craegmoor News
Any solution for funding better care for elderly people should be fair, simple and sustainable, it has been claimed. According to Stephen Burke, ...

and more »

Blueprint on funding elderly care aims to call halt to politicking - Times Online

Telegraph.co.uk

Blueprint on funding elderly care aims to call halt to politicking
Times Online
A blueprint for the funding of care for the elderly has been drawn up by social care experts from all political parties in an attempt to end months of ...
Main parties sign elderly dealLocal Government Chronicle

all 397 news articles »

Obama health bill holds key to elderly care fees - Financial Times

Obama health bill holds key to elderly care fees
Financial Times
Barack Obama took to the road yesterday in a frenetic itinerary to drum up a last-minute surge in support for ...

and more »

Nursing unit offers tips for caring for elderly parents (Spring Observer)
Life expectancy in the United States has jumped from 47.3 years in 1900 to more than 77 years at the beginning of the new millennium. In 2000 there were approximately 35 million Americans age 65 and older; by 2050 there will be an estimated 86.7 million.

In Britain, a Debate Over Care for the Elderly (New York Times)
Prime Minister Gordon Brown’s plan to provide free care for the growing elderly population faces opposition at a time of record deficits.

Resident of elderly care facility found in Regina - Vulcan Advocate

Resident of elderly care facility found in Regina
Vulcan Advocate
Ernie Rout, a resident at a Vulcan elderly care facility, was found Friday in Regina. Rout, 69, had been reported missing Thursday, and a search for him ...

Labour refuses to rule out 'death tax' to fund care for elderly (Times Online)
The Health Secretary today refused to rule out plans for a “death tax” to pay for care for the elderly.

Toledo nurse sentenced in theft from elderly employer (The Toledo Blade)
A registered nurse who spent years caring for an elderly Toledo man was sentenced to community control yesterday for taking money from the now-deceased man. Patricia Wardrop, 60, of 4859 South Crestridge Rd. was sentenced to five years probation and ordered to pay $200,000 to the estate of Norbert Clendenin. She pleaded no contest Dec. 17 to one count of theft from the elderly or disabled ...

Nurse going to prison for stealing from elderly patient (The Intelligencer)
Donna Hammerstone will serve three to 23 months in prison. She admitted she became "greedy" after a wealthy elderly man gave her a few gifts.

home | site map | articles
© 2006