Elevator or Stair Lift?

It is not always easy for people who have severe arthritis to use the stairs. There are many other conditions that also make the task of climbing the stairs difficult, and some cognitive disorders, when coupled with conditions like arthritis, serve to amplify the dangers of a fall. To help reduce the risk of a fall, a stair lift is often installed and is usually the most cost effective way to allow a person full use of the stairs.

If you can not climb the stairs, you have a few options available to you. You can simply not use the upstairs portion of your home, but this often means a major change to your lifestyle and means that you will be not using a large portion of your home. Another option would be to move to an assisted living facility that has elevators or to a home that is only one level, but for many people this is not even a consideration, because among other things it means a large reduction of your independence.

Generally the only other option would be to install a personal elevator or a stair lift. If you have a straight stairway, a stair lift can be installed quickly, easily, and will be much less expensive. There is usually no major home modification required in the installation of a straight stair lift and most times it can be ordered, shipped, and installed in less than a week. Often times those who have an ‘L’ shaped stair lift are also able to install a lift for much less than an elevator would be.

People who have a curved stairway, must purchase a special type of stair lift that is custom built to fit the curve of their stairs. The cost and time associated with this endeavor is great and it usually costs at least one hundred times more than a straight stair lift. Due to the great time and cost associated with this type of lift, it is generally better to install a residential elevator as opposed to a curved stair lift.

The cost of a residential elevator is about the same as a curved stair lift, but it will require some home modification. Several models are available that can be installed into a wood framed home and simply require a straight shaft between floors. Most houses that have a closet hallway, can install the elevator into the space taken up by the closet.

Aside from the added functionality of a residential elevator, which can be used by people in wheelchairs, an elevator will also increase the homes value. When it comes time to sell the home, the elevator will be a good selling point and much of the initial cost of the elevator will be recouped. A curved stair lift on the other hand, looses much of its value when it is built, because it will only fit a staircase that has the same degree of bend, so it actually dramatically decreases in value as soon as you buy it.

If you have a straight stair lift or one with a 90 degree bend (’L’ shaped), you can typically install a stair lift easily and for less than a residential elevator, but if you have a curved stairway, then a residential elevator is usually the best option.