Stair Safety and Preventing Falls

Falls on the stairs can be very detrimental to the health of those over the age of sixty. This is because often those over this age are not able to recover as quickly and have brittle bones. Preventing accidents on the stairs is very important and one of the first steps is identifying common causes of falls on the stairs. There are several factors, some preventable, which contribute to most accidents on the stairs.
One of the most common causes of accidents on the stairs is as a result of osteoporosis. Osteoporosis is caused by calcium and vitamin deficiencies, a decrease in activity, and changes in hormones. It causes the bodies bones to become likeier to fracture, because the bones become brittle. Preventing osteoporosis can be achieved by consuming plenty of calcium and vitamins, while maintaining a regular exercise regime.

Another leading cause of falls is as a result of decreased physical exercise. Weaker muscles and loss of strength is common in the elderly, but even just working out a few times a day can greatly decrease the risk of weights.

Decreased vision is another factor that can increase the risk of a fall. Often decreased eyesight results in poor depth perception and peripheral vision. This can make it difficult to use the stairs and often results in missing a step. This also makes it harder to detect when a fall is imminent, so the individual is often ill-prepared for the fall. It is important to clearly mark areas of differing elevation and ensure that grab bars and handrails are present. Colored tape and textured tape are often used to mark areas of differing elevations.

By understanding some of the common causes of falls, a good deal of them can be prevented. If you are at all unsteady, then a stair lift is often a great device to use. These devices carry an individual up or down the steps, so greatly reduce the risk of an injury.

Accurately Measuring you Stairs for a Stair Lift

Today, people all over the world use stair lifts as a means of allowing complete access to a home or building. They are used commercially and in private home alike. Many of the people that have straight stairways, choose to install a lift on their own using one of the many do it yourself stairlift kits that are available.

Stair lifts are used to allow an individual to safely move between floors and most physically carry its rider up or down the steps. Individuals with a straight staircase or a staircase that has a 90 degree bend and is shaped like an ‘L,’ can sometimes do the installation on their own. Doing the installation usually saves you time and money.

Before you begin the installation of a stair lift, you will need to get a complete and accurate measurement of your staircases dimensions. This includes the total length of the stairs, the distance from the landing to the nearest wall, and the measure of an individual step. To ensure that you get an accurate measurement and to also improve safety, it is by and large a good idea to have someone help you take the measurements. Usually the dealer can walk you through the steps of measuring on the phone, but if you do not feel like you can accurately take the measurements, they can also have a team come in to measure for you.

The main reason that an accurate set of measurements is needed is two fold. The first reason is to make sure that the stair lift can safely fit your stairs. Your staircase could be too long or too narrow for a specific type of stair lift, so by measuring it, the dealer can make sure you get a compatible lift. The other reason is that the dealer is going to cut the track system, so that it runs the length of your stairs and no longer. Getting an accurate measurement is imperative to ensuring that the track is cut to the proper length and will fit your stairway.

Safety With Stair Chairs

People who have difficulty using the stairs, might not be able to easily go everywhere, but there is no reason you should not be able to easily go anywhere in your home. This is the reason that so many people choose to install a stairlift in their home.

Stairlifts are devices that are used to carry a single person along the distance of the stairs. They are used commercially and residentially, but are far more common in the home. They are sometimes called stair chairs, because most use a chair to carry the person along the distance of the stairs.

The stair chair is by far the most common type of lift, but not everyone is able to easily and safely sit down, so the perch lift is used as an alternative to the stair chair. A perch lift requires that the occupant stand as they are carried across the distance of the stairs. Due to the extra physical demands, such as a steady sense of balance, of a perch lift, the stair chair is usually the recommended option.

Those that use stairlifts to climb the stairs are able to do so in a safe manner that they would not otherwise be able to do un-assisted. The lifts can be operated by the occupant or by a caretaker using a wireless remote. Seat and chest belts are available for most models, so if the device is to be used by a caretaker, the safety restraints are usually highly recommended if not physically required.