This is an issue that seems to be particularly hard for men to come to terms with. This could arguably be a by product of a society that has undergone two major world wars and has been brought up with the stiff upper lip mentality of just getting on with it and not asking for help.

Mobility aids such as scooters and stairlifts are regarded as particularly negative and are often seen as admittance that you are aging and need help. It doesn’t help that these symbols of your declining mobility are evidently on display, for most people right in front of their door. This is a very damaging perception as mobility aids actually enable people to remain independent and mobile for far longer and stairlifts in particular mean that people can stay in the home they know and love. Companies such as Stannah Stairlifts have strived to change peoples’ perceptions of stairlifts, to see them as a positive addition to the home that actually keeps you more active and independent.

The population of the UK is ageing and an aging society is something we are going to have to get used to as the 1946-51 post war baby boomers hit retirement within the next few years. This equals a huge percentage of the population. Over the last 25 years the percentage of the population aged 65 and over increased from 15 per cent in 1984 to 16 per cent in 2009, an increase of 1.7 million people. Over the same period, the percentage of the population aged under 16 decreased from 21 per cent to 19 per cent. This trend is projected to continue. By 2034, 23 per cent of the population is projected to be aged 65 and over compared to 18 per cent aged under 16.

The fastest population increase has been in the number of those aged 85 and over, the “oldest old”. In 1984, there were around 660,000 people in the UK aged 85 and over. Since then the numbers have more than doubled reaching 1.4 million in 2009. By 2034 the number of people aged 85 and over is projected to be 2.5 times larger than in 2009, reaching 3.5 million and accounting for 5 per cent of the total population.
As a result of these increases in the number of older people, the median age of the UK population is increasing. Over the past 25 years the median age increased from 35 years in 1984 to 39 years in 2009. It is projected to continue to increase over the next 25 years rising to 42 by 2034.

These demographic shifts will have a huge influence on our society and the young will have to adapt to looking after a growing older population. Hopefully, this shift will have an effect on the way we perceive the elderly and reduce the stigma associated with being old. A by product of this could be a wider acceptation of mobility aids such as stairlifts, which given the statistics are something we can expect to see in more and more venues as the population grows more reliant on them.

Stannah Stairlifts are currently running a competition to win a free, brand new stairlift that will be fitted to the winner’s stairs. This provides a fantastic opportunity for someone who might not normally be able to afford a Stannah to have their own bespoke stairlift made and stay independent in the home they love.

Just follow the link to their Facebook page to enter: http://www.facebook.com/stannahstairlifts?v=app_4949752878

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Yet this is precisely what is happening to many mobility impaired individuals who are now having to re-evaluate their circumstances following the Government’s austerity programme and council cutbacks.

Derbyshire County Council is just one such council that plans cut backs by slashing its disability care budget. According to the Buxton Advertiser, its proposed plans include raising the qualification criteria for disability care and those who do qualify being required to contribute out of their disability living and attendance allowances for essential care and support. Contrast this with Knowlsey Council who are currently looking to form a three year framework agreement for the supply and aftercare of lifts for properties in the borough. Knowlsey Council says that stairlifts and ceiling lifts are necessary for disabled residents in the borough.

Our view? Big investments, such as stairlifts, hoists and downstairs bathrooms are essential for enabling the elderly and disabled to stay in their own homes as long as possible. With state pensions incapable of supporting people after forty five years of hard work, the least pensioners should be given is the comfort of staying in their own home – one in which they have spent their life making comfortable.

However, without Council funding many will be unable to afford the cost of this vital equipment and may be forced to sell their homes. To make matters worse this is a poor time to sell a property with some sellers making a loss, especially if they have had expensive mobility additions made to their home.

Stannah outdoor stairlift…

Leeds City Council obviously feels the same way as it has recently applied for additional funding from the Housing Revenue Account budget to be used to make necessary adaptations to homes for the mobility impaired.

Furthermore, Yorkshire City Council recognises that allowing people to stay in their own homes reduces the strain on other areas such as the provision of residential care. If we had one point to make to the Government, this would be it.

Everyone understands the need for budget reductions in the current economic climate. However, we would question the suitability of targeting these cuts at those in the community most in need of support.

To lighten the tone somewhat, we noticed that Stannah Stairlifts’ Facebook page is currently running a ‘Win A Free Stannah Stairlift’ campaign which will help one lucky person by providing them with a stairlift they otherwise may not be able to afford. The winner will win a Stannah Stairlift, its installation and a two year warranty with 24/7 servicing. You can enter for yourself or on behalf of a relative or friend.  Good luck!

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However, many beautiful homes were not designed with the mobility impaired in mind. Those lovely, decorative steps which lead down to the back garden or up to the front door can be a form of torture for someone who is longingly looking out of the window but cannot face the agony of struggling up and down the stairs.

Luckily the lovely people at Stannah Stairlifts have already thought of this – enter the Outdoor Stairlift. This excellent product solves the problem of getting out of the house without assistance and avoids unnecessary risk.

The Outdoor Stairlift does exactly what it says on the tin and can be fitted to solid concrete, solid wood or solid metal staircases. The rail is fitted to the actual stairs so there is no actual damage to the supporting wall. The Outdoor Stairlift has a handy fold away design, so will not block your staircase when you are not using it. It also comes with a great protective cover to ensure that it is safe from the elements.

Stannah’s Outdoor Stairlift is relatively customisable as you can choose which arm you would like the controls to be on and whether you would prefer a joystick or buttons to control the stairlift. If there are two or more people sharing the stairlift you can get a ‘call station’ installed so that if the chair is not where you need it to be you will not have to tackle the stairs to get to it, which would defeat the point of having the damn thing! I feel your pain, can you tell?  Go with the call station to avoid the stress.

Stannah’s Outdoor Stairlift

The Outdoor Stairlift is designed to be practical and secure. The seat and arms are comfortable and the swivel seat makes getting in and out of the chair as easy as possible. The foldaway elements and protective cover make the stairlift practical, plus the built-in recharging battery means that you will always be able to use the stairlift, even if there is a power cut.  That’s important.

There is also a built in seat belt for the user’s safety and a blockage detector to ensure that if there is an obstruction on the stairs the stairlift will stop automatically. That means pine cones, conkers and pesky leaves ‘on the line’ won’t be a problem. The stairlifts also come with a key operated immobiliser so you do not have to worry about children playing around on the stairlift and having accidents. An added bonus is that you can always get on and off with grace, looking like the true gentleman or lady that you are!

For more information about stairlifts, don’t forget to visit Mobility Compare and download the stairlift buyers guide! 

Our thanks to Alex Gaiger who is our guest contributor.

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Choosing a stairlift can be complicated, however, especially when you consider the safety factor. After all, the stairlift has to carry your entire body weight on its way up. Is it sturdy enough to do that properly? If not you might find the stairlift will get you up in ten seconds and down in less than one.

As the team at Mobility Compare are oft heard to say until we’re blue in the face, pay attention to this single factor before you purchase a stairlift. Preferably test it out before you sign on the dotted line (although we’re the first to admit this isn’t always possible).

Another significant concern is how comfortable the seating arrangement is. Make sure the seat supports your lower back, waist and hips properly and prevents slippage during the ride.

This is where the Companion stairlift we tested scored major brownie points. The seat is cushioned for extra comfort, and the non-slip upholstery & strong safety belt ensures a safe ride, every time. As an added bonus, the upholstery comes in various colours, to make sure it matches your décor perfectly.

A sturdy Companion stairlift

Many manufacturers have problems when installing stairlifts on curved stairs. This is another place where Companion proves itself a class apart. The service engineers from Companion can get a specially designed stairlift fitted with your existing spiral staircase in no time at all. And if your staircase is really narrow, even then they can get you a stairlift that can be removed and kept aside, only to be slid in when you need to climb the stairs. The design is pretty innovative, and saves space.

Our tests also revealed that Companion stairlifts are sturdier than many alternatives.

The home trial offer is certainly good for first time customers and the service warranty and access to a helpline throughout the day rounds out the package nicely. We would certainly recommend checking out the stairlifts from Companion, if you are looking to add a stairlift to your home anytime soon.

The value for money and extended list of features are more than enough to justify the recommendation.

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It’s difficult to kick my keyboard into gear today mainly because I feel like a good old fashioned rant at First Direct bank.  I quite like them tbh, they’re always polite, but credit card interest rates of 21%??  I nearly choked on my Welsh rarebit when I opened my statement.  It’s a disgrace when Bank of England interest rates are at a 360 year historic low.  Even worse, it’s stealing off those people who can least afford it with many young, elderly and disabled people having to use credit cards or, God forbid, burn furniture to get through this bitterly cold winter.

Angry man

With that off my chest, I was heartened to receive word about Invalifts, a Midlands-based company who are specialists in platform lifts for wheelchair and disabled users.  Their website is really smart, easy to read and surf.  I laughed when reading about how the two owners Derrick and Neil have 70 years lift experience between them – I saw that trick used once for a 69 year old grandfather and his one year old grandson.

Anyway, where Invalifts seem to make a huge difference is fitting disabled lifts into tight spaces.  Not so easy, of course with England, Wales & Scotland all scattered with listed buildings.

The University Hospital of Leicester NHS Trust’s education department is a case in point. They soon realised that no local company would be able to design a lift that’d fit the dimensions of the space allotted for the purpose. Alternative solutions like stairlifts simply wouldn’t work.

Enter Invalifts.

The MC2000 from its stable is a self contained powered access platform lift with a footprint of just 1250mm by 1250mm.   That’s tighter than a banker’s wallet. It can work on a single phase of 240 volts of power with the support of a twin chain – don’t ask me what that means – but I do know it works without the help of an overhead machinery room or basement.  That’s a big, big plus after all, who wants to dig a basement ten metres into the ground or fit an overhead machinery room?

A tight squeeze but it’ll get you to the 1st floor

Invalifts tell me that they worked fast in installing the lift for Leicester General Hospital and completed it in less than one week.  They’ve also added another design to their range which includes an ultra small, self-contained passenger lift. This lift can be easily installed into tight spaces such as stairwells.  I’d guess you’d need to put your hands in your pockets and wear latex to get into that one if the MC2000 is any guide.

Latex needed?

Does anyone else know of stairlifts or lifts that can be squeezed into tight spaces?  Please let me know as we’re trying to build a list of suitable companies for Mobility Compare.

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We’ve since become acutely aware of the fragility of life and made it our mission to try and remain as healthy as we can before our own bodies start to creek and groan.  Clue: it’s earlier than we thought!

In west London, near the M3 just over Chiswick bridge in London, there’s a superb health club called Roko which we’ve settled on as our gym of choice.  Easy to get to and park, great staff and a relaxed atmosphere all make it perfect for the MobilityCompare team to try and maintain its health & fitness.

Our exercise regime? We prefer swimming to any other activity, although one of our number curiously enjoys Thai boxing as he tells us it is the best way of keeping fit whilst adding ‘self protection’ capabilities.  By our reckoning, the cost of attaining ‘self protection’ abilities is the odd black eye or two…or three!

We tend to avoid running , not because we don’t enjoy it, but rather we know too many adults in their 50’s and 60’s who now have considerable problems with their knees as a result of running thousands of miles in their younger years.  Swimming, because it doesn’t put excess pressure on the body or ‘jar’ the joints is the perfect alternative.

Imagine our surprise, therefore, when suddenly we visit Roko and find a huge contraption overhanging one of the swimming pool lanes.  Upon further investigation it appears that the product in question is the ‘Oxford Dipper’.

The Oxford Dipper is produced by Dolphin Mobility, a respected name in mobility products based in Surrey, and is used to lift and lower people out of the water using a hydraulic lift.  With a weight capacity of 22 stone it is the perfect way for individuals who have great difficulty getting in and out of the water to actually overcome the issue.

But what’s impressed us more than anything else is that a brand new health club, launching in difficult economic circumstances, has invested over £4k in equipping its pool with a mobility aid for just a few of its users.  They needn’t have done that.  The fact that they have is a sign that mobility products are becoming more mainstream and also a reflection of the club’s own standards in meeting the requirements of all its users, not just the fit and healthy.

 Impressed? We were.

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