Many elderly people and those with physical limitations use stair lifts to increase mobility at home. Many people do not know that stair lifts can also be beneficial for another group of people. Pregnant women are a demographic of people who could also take advantage of the many benefits that a stair lift can provide.

Stair lifts are inexpensive, easy to use, and practical for every home. People underestimate the problems with mobility that pregnancy can cause and probably do not think about how hard it can be to walk up and down the stairs in the late stages of pregnancy. What many people do not know is that many companies who sell stair lifts also have rental programs and used models that retail for less.

During the final months of pregnancy, a woman’s center of balance changes substantially, causing stairs to become a risk. Women need to lean back further to keep their balance and a steep staircase can be difficult to use. Pregnant women release a hormone called relaxin, which lubricates their joints in preparation for birth. A side effect of this hormone can be higher risk of injury, including dislocated hips and pulling of muscles. For pregnant women in the late stages of pregnancy who want to minimize their risk of injury, renting a stair lift can be a great option. You can have all the benefits of a stair lift for a short period of time, for less. Another option is to purchase a used stair lift. You can get a great stair lift you can keep forever, for less.

Purchasing a stair lift is a priceless investment. Even if you are pregnant and only need it for a short period of time, elderly family members or those with physical limitations could benefit from you having a stair lift in your home. If you do not want to spend a lot of money but want the benefits of a stair lift, purchase a used lift or take advantage of a rental program. Cut down on the risk of injury during pregnancy by having a stair lift installed in your home!

As people get older, mobility issues can make simple tasks in your home a strain. Things as easy as walking up the front stairs to the door or going up and down the stairs inside your home can become a difficult task for the elderly or someone with physical limitations. Being able to stay independent at home will improve your quality of life, and there are a few things you can do to increase your mobility.

Homeowners with limited ability have several options when looking to increase mobility both inside and outside of their home, these options include:

Stair Lifts. Installing a stair lift in your home is simple, affordable, and practical. Anyone who has trouble with walking up and down stairs can benefit from them. They can be made to fit any staircase, use very little electricity, and fold up when not in use. Most stair lifts use a straight track to travel the staircase, but when a turn is involved, a custom curved track can be made. They run off a rechargeable battery that plugs into a normal wall outlet. This makes stair lifts have a low cost of ownership. When you aren’t using your stair lift, you can fold it up so the stairway is not hindered. There are also models for both indoors and outdoors.

Wheelchair Lifts. Wheelchair lifts are a great for someone who uses a wheelchair to get up and down the stairs. With models that can be used indoors or outdoors, wheelchair lifts make any stairs accessible. Some wheelchair lifts work like open elevators and lift you straight up. Others have a track and platform that carry you between floors. The models with platforms are great, because they can fold up like a stair lift. Having the freedom to travel anywhere in your home without ever leaving your wheelchair makes a wheelchair lift a priceless investment.

Home elevators. Home elevators are the most expensive option, but also have many upsides. They will add value to your home and can travel several floors. The demand for home elevators has increased, and this increases the value of a home that has one. Home elevators also have the ability to travel up and down several floors. New technology like pneumatic elevators can easily be installed into any home because they do not need a pit of machine room. They are self-standing and can be attached to a balcony or travel through a hole in the floor. They are also extremely energy efficient and require little maintenance. There are many models to choose from, and you can get one small enough for a single rider or large enough to fit someone in a wheelchair.

Related articles

• Residential Elevators and Their Benefits
• Benefits of Residential and Commercial Wheelchair Lifts

Stair lifts can be an effective way to help elderly and handicapped persons move freely between floors of their houses, but what about when a house isn’t accessible from the outside? With
Electra-Ride’s Elite Outdoor Stair Lift, staircases outside of homes are ascended and descended with ease. This stair lift meets ANSI A18.1 requirements and runs on two 12-volt batteries that require no special wiring – just plug into any standard outlet. The Elite Outdoor Stair Lift also features:

• Fully adjustable, contoured seat along with a large, accommodating seat size.
• Adaptable armrests and footrests to make your seating as comfortable as possible
• A weight capacity of up to 400 lbs.
• A weather-resistant cover system that does not require any fumbling – it moves with the lift as it operates.
• Stainless steel hardware tested for use in temperatures ranging from 0°F to 125°F.
• Powder-coated paint for peak protection from any outdoor conditions
• A locking swivel seat at moves at the top and bottom of the stairway.
• Special soft-start and soft-start controls for maximum comfort.
• Easy installation – can be placed on either side of the stairway as close as 7” from the side.
• An on-board audio and visual diagnostic system for simpler and more concise service if problems arise.
• Available custom length tracks for difficult areas outside of your home.
• Effortless wheelchair transfers with flip-up armrests
• Battery power that ensures usage even during outages

The Electra-Ride Outdoor Stair Lift is a premiere system for anyone needing assistance with stairways on patios, decks, porches and any other area where ramps aren’t available outside of your home. It will make your movement up and down outdoor stairs effortless and will provide you with the comfort and security of any indoor stair lift.

One trend in homeownership seen over the past few years has been modifying an existing home to meet an elderly or disabled person’s physical needs. Common improvements have included adding an elevator to go between floors, installing a stair lift, and adding a wheelchair lift or ramp, in some cases. Modifying a home isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach, however, and a person’s physical needs are the most important factor. According to a recent article, modifying a home in most cases involves planning for living on a single floor. But, some other factors to consider in creating an accessible space include:

• Do certain rooms, such as the bathroom or the kitchen, need grab rails?
• Do some spaces need to be lit better through specific types of lighting and accessible switches?
• Making sure the hallway is at least three feet wide and brightly lit.
• All rooms on a floor should have a five by five area of open space to accommodate a wheelchair.
• Having a no-step entry, such as one with a wheelchair ramp or lift that goes directly to a door.
• Making sure that interior doors are at least three feet wide.
• Adding a device, such as an elevator or stair lift, to go between floors.

Home elevators, for this last point, are a common method for going between floors in a modified house. These can be installed through a closet space, depending upon the model best suited for your home, or through two or three floors. A stair lift is another option to make a home more accessible, and straight and curved designs are available.

In terms of accessibility from the outside, outdoor stair lifts are one possibility, particularly as these operate by 12-volt batteries. Wheelchair lifts can make your home more accessible by bringing your wheelchair directly to the front door through a ramp and a small lift.