There comes a time in life when your mobility may be reduced due to age, sickness, or accident. Whether lasting or brief, this loss in freedom can be life-changing, sometimes limiting how you can navigate your own home. Stairlifts, however, can also be life-changing as they can give back parts of your home that were lost to a lack of mobility. Here are tips to prepare for stairlift installation.
Picking the Right Stairlift For You
Stairlifts are mechanical devices that can be affixed to most staircases in your home to provide more mobility to those living there who have trouble walking up and down stairs. There are various kinds of stairlifts, including those that run along a straight, standard staircase as well as the less common curved stairlift for your curved staircase.
Whether or not your need for a stairlift is lasting or brief, its installation can significantly alter your life. The cost of a stairlift will alter with its installation location. Renting these systems can be a great solution if your need won’t be long-lasting or if you’re unsure of your need.
Help the Stairlift Help You
Once you’ve found a contractor to carry out your installation, there are a few steps you can take to prepare your home. Taking care of these preliminary steps will make the installation process smoother and ensure that you get back your freedom in a timely manner.
First and foremost, all passages and access points between the entry to your home and the installation location of your lift chair rental must be cleared. Contractors will need to walk through without hazard and will be bringing all of their equipment and the parts for the lift with them. A clear passage is one of the best things you can provide for them to make the entire job easier.
Stair carpets or rugs can typically be left alone when installing a stairlift, but we recommend asking your contractor about your setup in case they ask the carpet to be removed. In most situations, the stairlift can be installed directly on top, but you’ll want to confirm this well before the contractor arrives to discover they can’t complete the job.
Wall hangings and other peripheral elements are often forgotten when thinking of modifications to your stairs, but these can easily get in the way and take damage from the installation. Removing these decorations will help further clear the installation area and ensure that your contractor doesn’t have to think of your picture frames while they should be thinking about your installation and safety.
Don’t Forget About Your Safety!
The installation process of a stairlift often creates lost of dust and debris. Make sure you’re prepared by keeping pets and valuables out of the way. Once the installation is complete, we recommend airing out your house as another measure to remove any dust. If you have concerns about your breathing and air quality, you may even consider hiring a professional cleaner.
With renewed access and freedom to secondary levels of your home, you may want to consider new alarm and intruder prevention systems at both the top and bottom of your stairlift, if they don’t already exist in nearby locations. These can help deescalate potentially dangerous situations if you become trapped, unable to use your stairlift.
Freedom Mobility is Your Partner
Choosing the right stairlift is an important decision, especially if you’re not experienced with their nuances. Freedom Mobility can help keep you moving by working with you to pick out the best chair lift rental in Maryland for your needs. Freedom Mobility has an experienced team and an extensive Maryland showroom where we can start your journey to renewed mobility and freedom. Call us today to find out what options we have for you.