Wednesday, 12 June 2013

Basics Of Stair Lifts For The Elderly

By Odessa Edwards


Stair lifts for the elderly need to have a lot of safety measures in place to keep them safe from any harm. To make this possible, companies incorporate many important safety features. The first safety features that is observed in almost all products is the softness of the material used to make various parts. Most parts that come into contact with the body of the user are made of cotton or wool and have cushions underneath to make them comfortable.

There is also high level of insulation especially on the lower parts to help absorb any heat produced by the device. There are two sources of heat in the device, that is, friction between the device and rails and heating due to electrical energy during operation. For devices that are not well maintained, the level of heat can be very high and uncomfortable.

Head and foot rests are included to avoid fatigue, if the gadget moves slowly and one has a neck disorder. A headrest keeps the neck and head in position. They are made of spongy materials and they are specially shaped to accommodate the head well. Foot rests prevent feet from hanging if the passenger cannot fold them.

The devices have long arms for the passengers to hold on while moving. The arms offer extra support and prevent users from accidental fall on the sides. Device controls of these devices are placed on the arms for faster and easier access. The controls on devices intended for aged citizens are made into keys for expediency purposes.

Apart from being smooth, the seat is equally shaped correctly to help keep one in position. The height can be adjusted to make it easy for aged people to climb. In modern systems, the seat is always maintained in an upright position regardless of the inclination of the tracks or the stairs. This helps keep the passenger in an upright stance. This must be given much consideration when a person is buying a stairlift for use by the aged.

Most systems are controlled by use of remote controls or buttons on walls and on the devices. Remote controls make it easier to move the device to a given position without having to go down the staircase. This is a convenience feature which one should check out for. They incorporate sensors for sensing presence of objects on the rails. This helps avoid impact as the gadget reverses or stops when it senses any form of obstruction on its path.

Presence of speed governors makes the systems more safe for the aged folks. Speed governors together with seat belts are able to offer all the safety one needs. Call centers installed along the walls become handy in emergency situations for one to call for help anytime. They become of more help if the system malfunctions along the way or if one falls sick when moving.

Stair lifts for the elderly also have back up batteries. This is to ensure availability of services at all time. The backup batteries help powering the system when there is a power blackout or surge.




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