With age comes the inevitable decline of our health. Until someone finds the fountain of youth (I’ll share its location if I ever find it!), we are always going to have personal struggles later in life. Staying active is key but we all can still suffer from illnesses to the loss of some mobility, we all get affected in different ways.
My gran and grandad for example, my grandad struggled with his heath from just after his 50th birthday. Numerous trips to the hospital, countless operations, and a dietician were all needed throughout the twilight years of his life. My gran, on the other hand, has just celebrated her 68th birthday and she still has her faculties, her hearing, and her wit but unfortunately, her mobility is starting to fail.
With grans mobility starting to fail, it begged the question ‘what do we do now?’ One idea the family had was to go to Care For Family or other similar care services. However, my gran was of a different opinion believing that she could manage everything alone. It was only her mobility that started to fail, hence installing a stairlift was the next idea.
The prospect of bestowing my grandmother with a newfound sense of freedom, enabling effortless movement between different levels of our home, was compelling. This straightforward yet impactful adaptation held the promise of promoting autonomy, guaranteeing her easy access to all areas of our residence. Encouragingly, friends who had already installed stairlifts in their homes echoed similar sentiments, emphasizing the positive impact on daily life. If I had asked them, I’m pretty certain they would’ve suggested something like, “Seek out the help of local stairlift installers near you in Leeds (or your specific location)” for assistance in this endeavor.
Put simply, the relief and ease that a stairlift brings to daily living extends beyond mere convenience; it profoundly influences the overall quality of life for individuals grappling with mobility challenges. By eliminating the physical strain and potential hazards associated with climbing stairs, the stairlift becomes a liberating force, fostering independence and enabling me to navigate my living space comfortably. This transformative addition represents not only a practical solution but a significant enhancement in well-being, emphasizing the importance of accessible and adaptive technologies in supporting individuals with mobility limitations.
Anwyay, with gran’s approval (I think she was happy as it meant she could stay in the home she shared with grandad), we started looking around.
We looked around online and finally settled on a ‘Platinum Horizon straight stairlift‘. Platinum are a company based up in Yorkshire. We brought ours from a local company who came and installed it for us. It didn’t take that long to install and they even gave us a demonstration on how to use it.
The cost of the stairlift was one issue that we thought about, but we were pleasantly surprised by the options available. There were new stairlifts to buy as well as reconditioned and rental. We opted for rental as it was the best option for us.
Anyway, that was 2 months ago now. Gran has been using the stairlift on a daily basis and she would agree that it has been a very good purchase. It has enabled her to keep her independence around the house and carry on with her day to day chores.