Hi, we live in a Housing Association house and applied for adaptations but were refused a stair lift because of Alan's condition. Since then there has been measurements taken for a through floor lift but listening to the OT and the lift company representative it sounded very unlikely due to turning space with a wheelchair. Since then we have heard nothing and as it is getting progressively difficult to get Alan up and down stairs I am seriously thinking about getting a stairlift installed myself. Has anybody got one? Are they unsuitable? Any advice would be very much appreciated.
Jan
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Tusker1953
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We have a cottage in Devon where we fitted a stair lift once Jackie and I found it difficult, if not dangerous to get her upstairs and perhaps almost more difficult, downstairs. We have a very 'tight' stairway and the usual household names for stairlifts quoted all sorts of issues to install one. Then we came across the Flow 2 - it is just fantastic, incredible how it worked in such a cramped space. You can see it on their web site thyssenkrupp-homesolutions.... but don't be put off by the fancy homes shown in the photos, our cottage in Devon is very tight for space on the stairs.
Now I fully accept a through floor lift may be another thing, but keep battling, it changed our lives in Devon, we would not be able to go there without it.
Thank you very much for the info and link. I shall be ringing them after the Bank Holiday. Hope you have a good bank holiday Monday - I'm afraid it makes no difference to us as we are both retired and also Alan is finding the temperature very difficult to cope with. Best wishes. Jan
We had a through the floor stair lift fitted into our property for Sue about 5 years ago.
You are right about the maneuvering room and because of this we had to switch rooms around as we had a 3 story town house. However it was so easy to use for all parties and is parked in the room you dont use. The other option was to have an external lift fitted ( very expensive)
They are costly C£10,000 and luckily we passed the criteria for a council grant.
We are now living in a bungalow as eventually that became unsuitable as Sue's mobility continued to deteriorate and she needed a hospital style bed, which needed a ground floor room for it to be fitted into.
If you are going to buy one look at second hand as you cant give them away!!!!
However, you say you live in association living and to get one fitted needs there permission...which they may not give.
Put pressure on and also ask about bungalows... or flats..
The opening of the hole work was done by a council approved contractor as the council paid.
Hope this helps.
Hi, we had problems likewish. When we moved house from a multi level cottage to a wheelchair friendly house. The OT visited and asked if there was anything they could do to help.needed a stairlift and another problem was the Pouch door thresshold was highish and we could do with a small ramp to make it easy to get in and out. Something made of decking wood (about £30) would have done easy. Council rep seid that they wouldn't do that, but they would help with a full concrete ramp that had turning circles out to the side for over 20ft, and would include the removal of the pouch ouside door. My contribution was to be £5000 towards their version. Told them where to shove it. Bought an Acorn stair lift off Ebay for £250 and fitted it myself the same day and made a small ramp from a couple of planks of decking wood. They also offered us an upstairs shower chair but the delivery men seid that they couldn't deliver it on carrying out an "environmental study", as it involved lifting it higher than 1metre over the chairlift so agaist health&safety. They were going to take it back, so i snatched it from them and carried it upstairs myself and lifted it over the stairlift with one hand. Coucil are not always helpful because they can cause as many problems as they solve.
Your reply echos the same problems we are having with the OT/Council/Housing Association. I saw the sort of ramp you are talking about at Wakehurst (Kew) the other day - made out of decking - so simple yet so effective. The council have just refused the stairlift point blank and my son and daughter both think we should buy one second hand. As for the heath and safety thing, we had a 'bed riser thing' delivered so that Alan can press a button and it lifts the top end of the mattress up so that he is in a sitting position. Our mattress was too thick but the one on the spare bed was fine but they couldn't change it round for us, luckily I have a son and daughter who I could ask for help from but what if I was a single person with MSA!! Thanks for giving me the confidence to just go for what I think will be a good idea.
Hello, our OT assessed dad as not being able to stay in a stair lift seat as his condition progressed, due to his torso leaning to the left and his head leaning forward. Just something to be aware of. We were issued a stairclimbing machine from the council. They attach to a wheelchair. You don't have to weight bear, but you have to keep it at a particular angle. Depends if carer is confident with such things, (I wasn't).we went for a house move in the end. Best of luck, keep on shouting. xK
Hi, thanks for letting me know why they refused your dad a stairlift. I have been looking at the stair climbing machines on line so it is interesting to know that the council issued you with one. I have been on the transfer list for some time now. The first property was a new build flat that did not allow grab rails to be installed for the first year and the second property was a nice bungalow (no garden) on a really bad estate with washing facilities in the main block of flats. I know beggars can't be choosers but I'm just not ready to give up my own washing machine and garden - absolutely no room in the property to fit one at all. Thanks for your reply and I shall keep on keeping on. Best wishes.
We have a through floor lift which is perfect for us but we have the space, we own our own home and could afford our own choice! I don’t think we could have had a stairlift because it would have still meant managing a step at the top due to the design of the staircase and there have been days that Geoff wouldn’t have been well enough to sit up on it, he is also now unable to weight bear at all so couldn’t do a transfer at all.
All these decisions are so time and energy consuming and frustrating when you are waiting for other agencies! Hope you get some clarity soon.
Hi, we looked at stair lifts for my mum when she was struggling to use the stairs but were advised by the OT and the MSA nurse that it would only be suitable for a limited time because of how they predicted my mum's symptoms to progress. At the time we were tempted to get one anyway but now looking back I'm glad we didn't. Mum's condition has deterioted a lot in the last year and she struggles to sit up unsupported. She leans over and cannot support her head so a stair lift would have only been useful for a limited period. She is now in a hospital bed downstairs and has to be hoisted in and out. Don't want to sound negative but really think about the long term and how this condition might progress before rushing into buying anything yourself.
Thank you for the reply, the nurse that has visited us twice just lately (I must confess I get confused with the different people who come here - Community Link - NHS - Environmental Health Office etc - who all seem to come and go and not a lot happens) (sorry having a good moan here) anyway the nurse keeps saying how she is sure she can make it nice for a bed in the dining area of our lounge with a hospital bed but I suppose we think of that in the future and not yet but you are so right when you say we must think about the long term. Best wishes. Jan
OT turned me down for adaptations as we lived in a first floor maisonette and she said it would be too dangerous as my condition deteriorated. Had to sell up In Sussex and move to somewhere that we could afford a bungalow luckily we have our younger daughter in Sutton Coldfield so purchased one here.
Hello. If you do decide to fund the stair lift yourself please be aware that it’s usefulness will be fairly short lived. As the Msa progresses sufferers will be off their legs and unable to weight bare , walk or sit up properly in the seat. The time between not being able to walk up the stairs to being wheelchair bound and /or hoisted is often quite short. In my mum’s case it was less than a year. This is why the OT’s don’t recommend them.
Even though you are an HA tenant, the grant for the works comes from the Council. I would chase these guys, in the first instance. A possibility is that your HA is prevaricating (they have to give permission). If you have a good housing officer that may help but it is an issue with the Maintenance team as they are suppose to maintain the property. If the wheelchair circle is the problem, then it’s likely a move sadly is the only option. You don’t have to stay with the same HA (I’m assuming you’re in social housing). There’a massive shortage of ‘wheelchair homes’ but the Council has an obligation to help.
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