A stair lift is a motorized device consisting of a chair or platform mounted on a rail installed along a staircase. It helps individuals with mobility challenges move safely up and down stairs by moving the chair or platform with the press of a button.
Stair lifts make it easy to go up and down stairs, even with very limited mobility. As long as the user can safely transfer on and off of it, and maintain a reasonable amount of stability while using it, a stair lift can be a great way to retain the ability to access a large area of a home.
Many homes have living, dining, bathing, and sleeping areas on different floors. A stair lift would allow an individual with ALS to access all of these areas for a longer time.
Stair lifts don't typically have different sizing or adjustments for users of different heights. Users that are especially tall or short may have a difficult time transferring on and off of one, or making the journey comfortably. Foot rests may not provide adequate support for the feet, which may slip off while making the trip up or down the stairs.
An individual with quickly-progressing ALS may only benefit from using a stair lift for a short time. Stair lifts are only useful when the individual using it is able to transfer on an off of it without too much difficulty. It is likely not practical to have a patient lift system at the top of the stairs, and another one at the bottom.
The stair lift market has little competition, and low demand keeps prices high.
Most stair lifts require professional installation, which is an unrecoverable cost. Many regions have very few or only one licensed installer for a given stair lift brand.
Previously-owned stair lifts which do not have to go around corners may be easy to install by an amateur. Stair lifts which have to go around corners require programming of the stepper motors in the seat so that they remain level while traversing the stairs. Stair lift manufacturers only release programming information to licensed installers. Many licensed installers will refuse to touch stair lift installations that they did not do themselves.
Installation of a stair lift may cause permanent damage to a staircase or a nearby wall. The pillars for the tracking must be drilled into the steps and screwed down.
Stair lifts that are installed on staircases with curves and corners are generally not useable in any other building, unless they coincidentally have the exact same type of staircase. Some models use modular tracking, which may be possible to sell in individual pieces to multiple buyers.
Custom installed stair lifts may only retain 10% to 50% of their original purchase price, depending on a variety of factors such as condition and modularity of the tracking.
Stair lifts consume very little electricity, even with regular use. Since they run on batteries during operation, the amount of current drawn from the home electrical system is only the amount needed to operate the battery charger.
Alternatives to stair lifts are limited. Most individuals who cannot climb or descend stairs and choose not to use a stair lift often adapt their living arrangements to eliminate the need for using stairs altogether.
A stair lift is a useful addition to a home, especially in the case of slow progressing ALS, a justifiable need to travel up and down a staircase, and for staircases which do not have curves, which lowers installation costs and maintains resale value.
Stair lifts are costly, and may take financial resources away from other important assistive equipment such as patient lifts or wheelchair vans.
Individuals with fast progressing ALS, or curved staircases which require custom stair lift installation should consider avoiding acquiring a stair lift.