Mobility concerns? A stairlift for your home could be the simple solution

Asking for help is never easy – first you have to accept you need help and then you need to find the courage to ask for it. Recognising when its time to get support with mobility and asking for help is even harder. But as Patrick Stannah explains, his customers often wish they had sooner.

We have been manufacturing and supplying stair lifts since 1975 and over the years we have regularly heard the same thing: ‘why didn’t I do this sooner?’ But making a decision to buy a stairlift is often a decision that has been agonised over for months, sometimes even years.

A better quality of life

No-one likes to think of themselves as getting older and using mobility products is often seen as a sign of succumbing to old age. But our experience shows us that getting a stair lift often brings a new lease of life, re-energising our customers so rather than dreading any jobs that need them to climb the stairs they can get on with those jobs without worry - and still have energy to spare to enjoy a little gardening, to walk the dog or play with the grandchildren. It is genuinely heart-warming to see what a positive impact installing a stairlift can have on people’s lives.

When you see how quickly people become comfortable using a stairlift it can be difficult to imagine how difficult life was before. We take calls from, or on behalf of, people who are being helped up the stairs, who go up on all fours, on their bottom or simply don’t go up at all. Not only is there a very British attitude that we just need to get on and not make a fuss but people in these situations also feel they have lost their independence, their dignity, and spurn any discussion of the subject. Friends and family are often left frustrated because they can see a loved one struggling but feel they can’t intervene above and beyond a few encouraging, jocular remarks about how useful a stairlift would be.

Find out how a stair lift changed Adam's life

The solution for you

Even once a discussion or thought process has started there are still a number of concerns that can serve to put off finding out more – my stairs are too narrow, the landing is awkward, the walls wouldn’t take the weight and so on. But our lifts are fixed to stairs not walls. With straight and curved options available, stairlifts can cope with almost any curve, bend or landing and fit surprisingly narrow staircases. In fact these days there are very few situations where we can’t find a solution for your requirements. The solution for you

My advice to you if you are struggling with the stairs is to think about all you could do if dealing with the stairs was no longer something to contend with. Make some calls, look on the web, and get some personal recommendations. Find a solution to fit you and get your new lease of life!

Patrick Stannah is a director at Stannah, a business founded in the 1860s by Joseph Stannah. As part of the fifth-generation in the family business Patrick is a proud torchbearer for the group’s long-held values and traditions.

For more information, or to arrange a free, no-obligation stair assessment with one of our consultants, please contact us