And check out our stairlift review
Not everyone has a profound knowledge regarding mobility aids. In fact, only a few people will consider learning even just the basic details about those types of equipments unless some circumstances arise and require them to do so. One good example is when somebody else in your family, perhaps a grandparent, parent, uncle or aunt, is approaching his/her senior years and your residence has two or more floors. In that case, you may have to install either a stair lift or a wheelchair lift. You won't be able to decide which of the two to choose if you have zero knowledge about those things.
Stair lifts, which has a lot of other names including chair lifts, stair chair lifts, stair glides and stair climbers, are used to help your senior or disabled person climb up and down the stairs with ease and comfort. Everyone knows that when you get really old you won't be able to move your legs without experiencing some pains, much more when you take a step. You can also use wheelchair lifts in your home. A wheelchair lift carries both the wheelchair and the user up and down floors.
If part of your task or homework is to compare certain mobility products, you will find three differences between stair lifts and wheelchair lifts. First difference is none other than the amount of space that each of the two lifts occupy. Since chair lifts are being used by a single person, it's quite obvious that it doesn't eat up a lot of space while the wheelchair lift needs more room for both the wheelchair and its user. Although when a person sits on a wheelchair, they don't acquire that much space but you have to consider the extenders and other additional ramps that come along with it, not to mention that different wheelchairs come in different sizes.
Another factor wherein stair lifts and wheelchair lifts differ from each other is their weight capacity. Even with just an initial observation, one can tell that the latter can carry more weight. This is of course because of the fact that the stair chair lift is only tasked to carry the weight of a person. On the other hand, the wheelchair lift will have to deal with the weight of both the user and the wheelchair, and even if it's just the wheelchair being lifted up, that still is pretty heavy.
Have you seen stair lifts in buses, planes and outdoor or public places? Perhaps you haven't. This is because wheelchair lifts are the equipments that are commonly used in outdoor settings although they can be for indoor use and installation as well. One known example for this is a wheel-chair accessible van. You may also see these wheelchair lifts installed in stages in recreational parks, public zoos and other locations.
One important note for people who are learning about chair lifts is not to confuse those tools with lift chairs. The latter is a mobility aid or chair with a power lifting mechanism. This helps lift your senior up to a near standing position making it easier and less painful for him/her to get up.
It will be a best move if you save up this early for those stair lifts. That way, you have something to dish out when time comes.
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Solve your home mobility issues with a handicap stair lift.