When Do I Need to Start Thinking About a Home Stairlift?
Some people are reluctant to buy a stairlift, seeing it as ‘giving in’ or giving up their independence. For some people, the need for a stairlift arrives suddenly and unexpectedly. But for most stairlift buyers, the decision-making process is less urgent.
Once the stairs in your home start to become challenging, you might think about installing a home stairlift, but when’s the right time to go ahead and do it? For some people, the need for a stairlift arrives suddenly and unexpectedly, maybe after an accident or planned medical. But for most stairlift buyers, the decision-making process is less urgent. This usually follows a five-stage pattern like this:
- Realizing the stairs are becoming a challenge
- Accepting that the challenge won’t fade away and could grow bigger in future
- Weighing up the various methods of overcoming the challenge
- Discovering that the simplest and most cost-effective solution is a home stairlift
- Choosing the right stairlift for you and having it installed.
Buying a stairlift isn’t an admission of defeat – it’s a sensible step to help you overcome one of life’s common obstacles. This is a step in improving your quality of life. Think of it in the same way as buying a dishwasher or vacuum cleaner – both designed to ease your burden and make life more enjoyable and less laborious. So, if you’re finding the stairs increasingly difficult and wondering what’s the best time for a stairlift, then there’s no time like the present. Why delay something that will improve your life? Even if you don’t need the stairlift every time, it will be there when you do, and there’s comfort in knowing that. An excellent quality, properly maintained stairlift will last for many years. Wouldn’t you rather enjoy those years than endure them?
If you’re already researching different makes and models of stairlift, look at customer feedback from buyers, either on manufacturers’ and retailers’ own websites. Also, independent online review sites are a great to take heed to as well. Regardless of who supplied the stairlift, you’ll notice one phrase appearing repeatedly among customers’ comments: “We only wish we’d done it sooner!” Having experienced the difference a stairlift makes to their daily lives, so many people wonder why they left it so long. Those who feared it represented giving up their independence quickly realize the opposite is true – a stairlift safeguards your independence by enabling you to stay in your own home for longer.
But if you’re still not sure whether the time’s right for a stairlift, there’s one sure-fire question that will give you the answer: Do you feel safe on the stairs? If you can honestly answer ‘yes,’ then maybe the time’s not yet come. But if you honestly answer ‘no,’ then the time to get a stairlift is right now. Too many people only buy a stairlift after an accident or a near-miss on the stairs, but why take the chance?
If your personal safety on the stairs is in any doubt, then you should act now to stop an accident before it happens. A home stairlift is a smart choice to safeguard your wellbeing now and in the years to come.