There are, like almost anything in life, both positives and negatives to growing older. It can often mean having more time to spend with ones family, loved one, or simply doing things you enjoy. However, there are also a number of health risks that increase with age, so it is necessary to look for ways to help mediate these risks.
One of the more common health risks is that a fall will result in a serious injury, which is often the result of diseases like osteoporosis that is responsible for making the bones fracture more easily. Falls can and do occur in all areas of the home and away, however one area, the stairs, presents a much larger risk for seniors.
The stairs are more dangerous for a number of reasons, such as the hard unforgiving surface of the steps, the height difference between the top and bottom landing, and the difference in height that each foot must carefully navigate.
Like a soldier gingerly navigating through a minefield, so must a senior gingerly navigate up or down the stairs. However, as a soldier in a minefield may make use of a minesweeper, so may a senior make use of a stair lift.
Stair lifts are important tools for seniors and others who are unable to use the stairs, which can increase safety and make it easier to move along the staircase. There are a number of models of stair lifts available and several popular manufacturers, but these safety tools all share a similar car and track design.
The car refers to the part of the stair lift that does all the work, with the electrical motor in the base and a seat attached to the motor. For battery stair lifts, the electric battery will also be contained in the car. The car is attached to a metal track that spans the distance of the stairway and moves slowly along the track, as a train moves slowly between stations.
There are also some stair lifts available that make use of a small platform in place of a chair, allowing the user to remain standing as they are carried up the staircase. However, these types of stair lifts, which are called perch lifts, are not as safe as the traditional stair chair.
The reason that stair chairs represent the safer stair lift is because the senior sits down as they are moved up the stairway and only stands when they are at the top and bottom. The chair of the stair lift can be swiveled away from the steps, to make transferring into and out of the lift safer and easier, as it can be done while facing away from the steps of the staircase.
Stair lifts are one of the most impressive tools in the arsenal of a senior with limited mobility, because they can quickly and easily move the senior up the stairs. This greatly eliminates many of the accidents that can occur on the staircase, which is the most dangerous area of a home for a senior.
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